Monday, April 27, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board of Trustees announced that President and CEO Cliff Fleet ’91, M.A. ’93, J.D. ’95, M.B.A. ’95 has retired. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and a presidential candidate in the 2016 Republican Party primary, was appointed as the next president effective immediately.
Fleet, who has served as president since 2020, stated he decided to retire for “personal reasons.”
Fleet appreciated his time at the Foundation.
“Leading the Foundation has been the honor of a lifetime,” Fleet said in a press release. “We have made enormous progress over the past few years thanks to the dedication of an extremely gifted leadership team, talented staff, devoted Board of Trustees, and the heartwarming generosity of donors.”
Chief Development Officer of the Foundation Sani Silvennoinen described his optimism for Fiorina’s presidency.
“I have worked closely with Carly for several years and am excited to continue working with her in this new role at the Foundation,” Silvennoinen said.
Fiorina described her gratitude for Fleet’s tenure and service to the Foundation.
“The Board is grateful for Cliff’s tireless service to the Foundation,” Fiorina said. “He has made a profound impact on the long-term trajectory of the institution which will benefit future generations. The Board and I look forward to continuing the Foundation’s important and consequential work, particularly as we prepare for both the July 4 and Centennial celebrations.”
Fiorina has served as the Foundation’s Board of Trustees Chair since 2020 and on the board since 2017. Fiorina is also the national honorary chair of VA250, which is planning events to celebrate the country’s semiquincentennial.
