Walton Family Foundation creates chief strategy officer position

Bentonville-based Walton Family Foundation (WFF) said Friday (Sept. 25) it has created a chief strategy officer position and filled it with former UNICEF USA executive Chelsea Peters.

In the new role, Peters will be a key advisor for executive director Caryl Stern. Stern also worked previously for UNICEF USA before WFF hired her last year.

“The foundation’s history is full of tremendous impact through each of our programs,” Stern said in a statement. “In this role, Chelsea’s talent and expertise will build on these achievements to drive even broader impact for people and communities.”

Peters held several roles during her tenure at UNICEF USA. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and chief regional strategy and operations officer.

In that job, she led the strategic planning process to rapidly scale revenue and advocacy outcomes across major U.S. markets, according to a news release. Her leadership produced record-breaking fundraising, brand positioning and policy change.

In 2017, Peters was selected as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women NextGen. She is a mentor to global teen entrepreneurs on the We Are Family Foundation’s (WAFF) Three Dot Dash initiative. She is also a member of the Lacrosse Business Network Board.

Peters studied diplomacy and international relations at the School for International Training. She is a graduate of Bucknell University.

The Walton Family Foundation was created in 1987 and is led by the family of Walmart Inc. founders Sam and Helen Walton. Annie Proietti, who is one of their granddaughters, is the board chair.

WFF supports initiatives that improve K-12 education, protect rivers and oceans and the communities they support, and invests in its “home” region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta. WFF grants totaled more than $525 million in 2019. The foundation has about 100 employees and additional offices in Denver, Jersey City, N.J. and Washington, D.C.