Current president Nancy Schiller will retire this fall after more than a decade leading the Foundation.
We are delighted to welcome Ambassador (ret.) Roderick W. Moore as our new president and CEO, effective October 1, 2026. Rod Moore is already a familiar face at the America for Bulgaria Foundation, having served on our Board of Directors since 2019.
He succeeds Nancy Schiller, who is retiring after more than 10 years as President of the Foundation and 15 years as a member of its Board of Directors. Ms. Schiller will remain a member of the ABF Board following her retirement. The foundation’s mission and grant-making process remain the same.
“It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of Nancy Schiller, under whose visionary leadership ABF has achieved so many amazing things,” Mr. Moore said. “At the same time, moving to Bulgaria for the fourth time feels like a homecoming to me. I have great affection for this country and look forward to working with the ABF team to find ways to contribute meaningfully to the prosperity of the country.”
Over the past two years, Ms. Schiller has worked closely with ABF’s Board on a comprehensive succession plan. Moore was selected following an executive search in the United States led by the ABF Board.
“It gives me great comfort and confidence that Rod is taking over the leadership of ABF. His familiarity with Bulgaria and service as a member of ABF’s Board will provide for a seamless transition,” Nancy Schiller said.
During her tenure, Ms. Schiller has been instrumental in establishing the America for Bulgaria Foundation as a steadfast partner of the public, private, and nongovernmental sectors. The Foundation has supported over 1,500 projects in Bulgaria since its founding, including Muzeiko—the first children’s museum in Bulgaria; the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis and support for uncovering and preserving the centuries-old Roman mosaic heritage of Plovdiv; the over 100 cultural heritage and nature tourism projects in northwestern Bulgaria and along the Danube; and the numerous entrepreneurship and education projects, among others.
Before joining ABF’s Board of Directors, Roderick Moore was a career diplomat with the US Department of State. He served as US Ambassador to Montenegro from 2007 to 2010 and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Belgrade from 2004 to 2007. His assignments at the US Embassy in Sofia included serving as Chargé d’Affaires in 2015 and Deputy Chief of Mission from 2000 to 2003. He also served at the US Embassy in Sofia from 1990–92, during the first years of Bulgaria’s transition to a market economy and democracy. In 2019, upon retirement from the US State Department, he was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.
Moore holds a BA from Brown University in International Relations and Russian Studies and an MA in Slavic Linguistics.
