After 14 years of leadership, Wallace president, Will Miller, is stepping down. In this video, he reflects on his time at Wallace—what he’s learned about strategy and culture, the milestones that have defined his tenure, and the hopes he carries for the future of the foundation's work.
Transcript
Will Miller: I think one of the hallmarks of the way we've approached the work of the Wallace Foundation for the last 14 years is the idea that as the context evolves, we have to evolve.
Talia Shaull: Will, we're really happy to be here in this gorgeous space at The Wallace Foundation. I would love for you to tell us what inspired the design of the office space.
Will Miller: To answer that question fully, you kind of needed to have seen the old space. You just didn't see people interacting across the office as much as we'd like to. So I was looking for a couple of things.
One, the opportunity to design space that would encourage people to interact socially, as well as professionally, much more often. And then I also really wanted to democratize the access to natural light and views, so it just made it more inclusive, less hierarchical, and more social to help reinforce and create the kind of culture that we're building.
Talia Shaull: You mentioned people interacting with each other and also external guests being able to come in. Why do you think that interaction with each other and professionally for staff was important?
Will Miller: The way we conceive of strategy now, the three disciplines as we call them—program, research, and communications—work together from the beginning to design the entire initiative. Collaboration is also at the core the way we seek to work with the grantees, with the technical assistance providers, with the researchers, with all parties that help make our initiatives work.
The effectiveness of a foundation like ours, which works at the national level but works through very local specific circumstances in communities, is also entirely relationship dependent. It opens up opportunities to increase the impact of our award exponentially.
Gigi Antoni: I think it's that very unique core of wanting to be a true partner in relationship with communities. So, it's both about the evidence and what works, but it's also relational and understanding that we work in partnership with leaders and people in neighborhoods and kids when we go in and do this work.
And I will say honestly, that is the reason I wanted to come work here.
Talia Shaull: Finding common ground could be seen as challenging during the current times. How will the role of the foundation be even more important now?
Will Miller: Since our mission is to serve all communities in fostering their ability to build a more vibrant and just future, we really always came back to the bedrock principle that we care about communities and children everywhere in the United States. A child or a community being served by an arts organization in Texas is no more important and no less important than one in California or in Iowa or South Carolina or Indiana or New York. We care about them all.
The answer to increasing tension between parties in my view is not to choose sides. It's to keep talking to both as much as possible.
Talia Shaull: Well, Will, it's been great to spend time with you. It's one of our last conversations before you retire. What are some last reflections that you have for us and some words of wisdom for the future?
Will Miller: Don't know about the wisdom, but I'll give it a shot. What would make me most pleased is if the thing that carries into the future is the sense that you're doing the best work you possibly can to the best of your ability by examining it with both self-confidence and humility and constantly adjusting it to the changing circumstances without ever losing sight of the north star of the mission of the organization.
