NEW YORK — The Ford Foundation today announced the appointment of Nishka Chandrasoma as its next vice president, secretary, and general counsel of the foundation. Effective immediately, Chandrasoma will succeed Ken Monteiro in the role and serve as an officer of the foundation, joining its executive leadership team. Monteiro retired after serving with distinction for 23 years, working in various roles on the legal team.

Chandrasoma joined the Ford Foundation in 2015 as deputy general counsel and assistant secretary to the Board of Directors.

“Nishka is an outstanding attorney who is principled, thoughtful, and dedicated to the work of the foundation,” said Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. “A trusted voice, the Board of Trustees and I have received her wise and expert counsel over the years and we are so pleased that she will now serve as general counsel going forward.”

Prior to joining the foundation, Chandrasoma advised tax-exempt and charitable organizations at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. She was born and spent her childhood in Sri Lanka before emigrating to the US when she was a teenager, and has always seen the law as a powerful tool for social change as well as a means to empower her family and support the sacrifices they made for her. Chandrasoma’s values to use the law for social good align well with her new role at the Ford Foundation.

“It is truly an honor to assume this new role and to serve a foundation, a president, and a board so resolutely dedicated to a social justice mission I stand by,” said Chandrasoma. “I am grateful to Ken Monteiro for his extraordinary generosity and his trust in my leadership. Thanks to his institutional wisdom and excellent counsel, I am ready and excited for this new position.”

Chandrasoma earned her law degree from Yale Law School and her BA in comparative literature from the University of California at Berkeley. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two young children.