Arizona news exec tapped to lead Pulliam Trust

An Arizona news executive has been named to succeed Harriet Ivey as president and CEO of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, the trust announced Wednesday.

Gene D’Adamo, vice president of community relations for Republic Media, which publishes The Arizona Republic, will take the post in January.

Ivey, 64, is retiring after leading the trust since its inception.

The trust is named after the wife of Eugene C. Pulliam, founder of Central Newpapers Inc., the former parent company of The Indianapolis Star and The Arizona Republic.

Nina Mason Pulliam left most of her assets to establish the organization upon her death in 1997.

The trust has an endowment of about $375 million, a staff of 18 and offices in Indianapolis and Phoenix. It has awarded more than $223 million in grants to 891 not-for-profit groups in Indiana and Arizona since its establishment.

D’Adamo, 52, is expected to divide his time equally between the Indianapolis and Phoenix offices of the trust.

An Arizona State University graduate and resident of Phoenix for more than 40 years, D'Adamo serves as chairman of the Arizona Grantmakers Forum, and is on the board of the Arizona Community Foundation and the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute Foundation.

Overall, he has served on 20 not-for-profit boards during his career.

“This is a unique position because of the need for the CEO to live and work in both Phoenix and Indianapolis,” said Kent E. Agness, one of three Pulliam Trust trustees, who lives in Indianapolis. “Gene’s deep roots in Phoenix are well known, and we are sure that he will quickly become a valued member of the Indianapolis community, as well.”