Following years of distinguished and dedicated service at the helm of America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF), Carl Pforzheimer and Gary MacDougal, Co-chairmen of the ABF Board of Directors since inception, have decided to step down from their positions. They will be succeeded by Lynn Daft and Nancy Schiller who have been appointed unanimously as Chairman and Vice Chairwoman of the Board and have commenced their service effective June 17, 2015. Both of them have been coming to Bulgaria repeatedly since the 1990s and share Carl’s and Gary’s interest and commitment to Bulgaria.
Messrs Pforzheimer and MacDougal will remain active members of the Board of Directors and will continue to contribute their knowledge and passion to the fulfillment of ABF’s mission in Bulgaria.
Lynn Daft
Dr. Daft is an agricultural economist with over 40 years of experience conducting research and advising public and private sector clients on matters pertaining to agricultural policy, international trade policy, food and agricultural commodity marketing, and international economic development. After serving in the White House as the President’s principal staff advisor and policy coordinator on food and agricultural issues, he co-founded a prominent agricultural economic consulting firm. Dr. Daft’s experience also includes positions in the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among others.
Prior to becoming Chairman of the Board, Dr. Daft was member of the Board of ABF and has also served as director of the Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund since 1996. He received a B.S. (cum laude) from Ohio State University, an M.S. from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, all in agricultural economics.
Nancy Schiller
After 21 years of service as Managing Director of the Bulgarian-American Enterprise Fund (BAEF) (1992-2012) and the America for Bulgaria Foundation (2008-2012), Ms. Schiller was elected member of the ABF Board of Directors in December 2012.
Prior to Ms. Schiller’s involvement with BAEF and ABF, she worked in commercial real estate development in Chicago and for several not-for-profit organizations in the areas of management, finance, and marketing. Ms. Schiller has an MBA from DePaul University and a BA from the University of Illinois, both in Chicago.
