Danville woman hired as first executive director for Livermore Lab Foundation

Danville resident Sally Allen has been selected as the first-ever executive director of the Livermore Lab Foundation, the nonprofit arm supporting Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Allen, an experienced project manager and former foundation program officer and consultant, has a history of more than 20 years of involvement in the philanthropic, nonprofit and public sectors.

“The opportunities ahead are tremendous,” Allen said in a statement last week. “I look forward to partnering with the Lab, our community and constituents to advance the research initiatives and programs that can and will change the world.”

Allen’s appointment represents an important step for the young nonprofit that focuses on the advancement of science and multidisciplinary research initiatives at LLNL, according to foundation board president Dona Crawford.

“The board of directors is thrilled to have Sally Allen as the foundation’s first employee and executive director,” Crawford said in a statement. “Her knowledge of philanthropy, specifically foundations and program development, will help LLF immensely.”

“We’ve already had three very successful years with programs like Girls Who Code and our summer internships for college students, as well as the start of two new research partnerships in climate change and ALS,” Crawford added. “Now, Sally’s expertise will help us expand our research impact even further — as well as help us create programs that inspire the next generation of scientists.”

Allen’s priorities will be to pursue public and private grant funding, as well as seek support from individuals and corporations for educational programs and laboratory initiatives, foundation officials said.

Prior to joining the foundation, Allen was an independent consultant providing grant writing and business development support to private and nonprofit organizations, including Code Write Draw. She also served as a program officer for The James Irvine Foundation, where she managed more than $20 million in grants and program development.

Earlier in her career, she worked nearly seven years for the city and county of San Francisco as a project manager and analyst. Allen served as president and vice president of the Sycamore Valley Elementary School Shark Fund in her hometown as well. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stanford University.

For more information, visit https://livermorelabfoundation.org.