Hispanics in Philanthropy is happy to welcome Alberto Ibargüen as the newly appointed president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  The below letter appeared in the Miami Herald on February 1, 2005.

Ibargüen joins growing club

The board of directors and staff of Hispanics in Philanthropy are delighted with Herald Publisher Alberto Ibargüen's appointment as president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Ibargüen has a long history of civic involvement and direct experience in philanthropy as a board member of the New York Community Trust and Dade Community Foundation. He is well known, widely respected and admired in the field. We join his colleagues, friends and those in the foundation world in congratulating him.

We have no doubt that Ibargüen will bring his integrity and his commitment to philanthropy just as he has in journalism. He demonstrated leadership in directing newspapers and added his voice and commitment to national and international causes through his work as a director of the Inter-American Press Association, chair of the Public Broadcasting System and other organizations.

Sadly, Ibargüen has another distinction -- he will be one of the few Hispanics leading a foundation. We hope that this will change as opportunities occur. This year, the Michigan-based W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Council on Foundations will appoint new chief executives.

We look forward to Ibargüen's leadership of one of the world's largest foundations and as an important voice in the field of philanthropy.

DIANA CAMPOAMOR, president, Hispanics in Philanthropy, San Francisco