Walton Family Foundation names strategy, learning and evaluation director

Bentonville-based Walton Family Foundation has hired Matthew Carr its strategy, learning and evaluation director. Carr will begin the job in January 2020.

In the role, according to a news release, Carr will be responsible for ensuring the foundation board and staff are provided with accurate, timely data and analysis to support strategic decision-making.

Carr joins the foundation from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he served as director of evaluation. Previously, he was a senior evaluation officer at the Walton Family Foundation, where his work focused on the evaluation of the foundation’s grantmaking and providing data and analysis to inform strategic decision-making.

Earlier in his career, he was a research analyst at Westat, where he conducted program evaluations of education and workforce development initiatives. Carr was also the director of education policy at the Buckeye Institute, where his research focused on charter schools, school finance and performance-based compensation.

“With extensive experience and knowledge plus a strong reputation in the field, Matthew is a wonderful addition to the foundation team. I look forward to his leadership in shaping our approach to the critical areas of strategy, learning and evaluation,” Caryl Stern, who will become executive director of the foundation in January 2020, said in a statement.

Carr is a graduate of Kent State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Public Administration. He also obtained a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Arkansas.