BETHESDA, MD (Aug 16, 2010) – The Board of Directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of the Mid-Atlantic is pleased to announce the appointment of Maura Harty as President and CEO. Harty brings over 29 years of leadership and public service to the Make-A-Wish® team. Immediately prior to joining the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Harty served as the Senior Policy Director and Director of The Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy at the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children.

Ms. Harty is an experienced diplomat, having served for 27 years as a United States Foreign Service Officer. During her tenure at the Department of State, she served as Special Assistant to Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Executive Assistant to Secretary Warren Christopher, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Paraguay and Executive Secretary of the Department under Secretary Colin Powell. From 2002-2008, Ambassador Harty served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs. During her tenure as Assistant Secretary, Harty introduced and inspired a “leadership culture” among the consular service, encouraging ongoing training, best practices and a dedication to such principles as modeling integrity, building great teams and inspiring colleagues and those served by her Bureau.

Upon announcing her hiring, Interim CEO, Susan Sewell shared, “Ambassador Harty’s proven success in developing policies and managing relationships throughout her career will strengthen the Foundation. Her commitment to the growth of the Mid-Atlantic chapter will help us in our goal of reaching every child in the region with a life-threatening medical condition. Given her passion for public service combined with her years of results-oriented leadership, we are confident that the chapter will continue to thrive under her direction.”

Harty shares the enthusiasm of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. When discussing her new role, she replied, “I am honored and delighted to join the Make-A-Wish® team. In service to others, I know that our work will be informed by heart, integrity and humility. Together we will honor the Make-A-Wish mission, expand our ability to grant wishes and be good stewards of the trust we enjoy as we touch people’s lives.”

Recently, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic took significant strides in evolving its chapter. Through the hire of Harty as well as the appointment of new board members, the Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to granting more wishes while ensuring continued fiscal accountability. In a time when many national nonprofits are experiencing a decline in programming due to the harsh economic climate, the Mid-Atlantic chapter is positioned to grant ten percent more wishes in 2011 than in 2010. Lochlin Partners, a boutique executive search firm, assisted the Foundation in the search.