Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Announces Appointments to Leadership Team

SEATTLE -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today announced two new personnel appointments to its leadership team. Trevor Neilson, current director of public affairs, has been named to the newly created position of director of special projects, and Joe Cerrell has been appointed director of public affairs.

"I am pleased to announce these two new leadership appointments. Trevor has already served the foundation with excellence for more than two years, and he will bring that same enthusiasm and commitment to the foundation's key issues in this new role. Joe has a long history with the foundation in his work as a consultant, and he brings extensive experience to the job. We are pleased to welcome him to our staff," said Sylvia M. Mathews, executive vice president.

"These appointments greatly enhance our efforts to strengthen partnerships with foundation grantees, helping them build capacity to take leadership roles on their issues, including fighting the AIDS epidemic, increasing access to technology, and improving equity in education," said Mathews.

In his new assignment, Neilson will report directly to Mathews and will be responsible for coordination of specific special projects. In addition to supporting several large foundation grantees, his work will focus on building strategic partnerships with the for-profit sector and key stakeholders on issues of importance to the foundation.

As director of public affairs, Cerrell will manage the foundation's public affairs department, and he will be responsible for all media relations and public affairs activities. He also will report to Mathews.

Prior to joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Neilson was director of public affairs for the Seattle Public School District. He also served in the Clinton Administration as a member of the White House Press Office and on the President's Advance Team. Cerrell comes to the foundation from the corporate communications division at RealNetworks. Previously, he served as a public affairs consultant to the foundation as vice president at APCO Worldwide, and from 1993 to 1996, he served at the White House as assistant press secretary to former Vice President Al Gore.

Neilson will begin work in his new position immediately and Cerrell will begin work at the foundation on May 28.