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Isaiah M. Oliver

President and CEO
Office of the President


Isaiah Oliver is the fifth leader, first black leader and first CEO for this top 100 community foundation, established in 1988 with peak assets of $299 million and a 2020 annual grant distribution of $13.5 million. He serves as a respected and accessible representative for the foundation, building awareness and goodwill while forging successful funding partnerships with government and regional philanthropies.

Isaiah serves as Vice Chair of Community Philanthropy on the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) board and Chair of CMF’s Michigan Community Foundation Committee. He serves as an advisor to the Michigan Forum for African Americans in Philanthropy Affinity Group, chair of the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE) 50th anniversary campaign and a newly appointed member of the ABFE board of directors. He is on the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy’s Leadership Council, on the Community Foundations Public Awareness Initiative steering committee, and is chair-elect of the CF Leads national board of directors. Isaiah serves as a trustee at his alma mater, Central Michigan University and is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the Civil Society Fellowship, A Partnership of ADL and The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Locally Isaiah serves on the Huntington Bank Regional Advisory committee, Uptown Redevelopment Corporation board of directors, Flint Promise Authority board of directors, Flint and Genesee Literacy Network steering committee, The Flint and Genesee Group Regional Leadership Council and chair of the Covid-19 Taskforce on Racial Inequities.

Isaiah previously served as President of the Flint Community Schools Board of Education, on the Hurley Medical Center Board of Managers as well as the Flint Cultural Center Corporation and McLaren Home-care board of directors.

Isaiah is a graduate of Flint Northwestern High School and earned his Bachelors of Applied Arts from Central Michigan University. He is a member of the Gamma Delta Boule’ of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Rotary Club of Flint, past president of the Flint Alumni Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and an active member of numerous other community organizations.

He shares his love for Flint and Genesee County with his wife Shay and four children, Zaiah (11), Carrington (8), Chelyn (4) and Isaiah II (2).