Anna Cruz has been named managing director of strategic learning, research and evaluation at The Kresge Foundation.

Joining Kresge in 2018, Cruz became the foundation’s first strategic learning and evaluation officer and the second employee of the strategic learning, research and evaluation department. She worked closely with the department’s first director, Chera Reid, to help build out a practice that has become nationally recognized for its contributions to Equitable Evaluation. In her new role, Cruz will lead the foundation’s strategic learning, research and evaluation department, stewarding its next phase of evolution in the realm of data insights, while continuing to build a culture of learning across the foundation and supporting community learning priorities.

“Since joining Kresge, Anna has displayed deep knowledge, skill, insight and care for the work,” said Rip Rapson, president and CEO at The Kresge Foundation. “Anna brings particular skills and interest to the area of data insights, which is increasingly important to Kresge. She has advised our program and practice teams, facilitating their complex strategy developments, while stewarding relationships with a range of external consultants undertaking commissioned evaluations and bolstering our efforts to join conversations that advance equity in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.”

Cruz previously served as a research consultant at Harder+Company Community Research, where she worked with foundations and other social-sector clients to evaluate impact and develop strategic community change efforts. She was also an instructor at the University of California San Diego, where she helped design and implement a community research and evaluation certificate program for nonprofit professionals, as well as taught courses in cultural anthropology and Latin American studies at Vanguard University of Southern California.

A native of Southern California, Cruz earned a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology from Vanguard University of Southern California and a master’s degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Oregon.

In addition to her work at Kresge, Cruz is currently a Funder’s Network PLACES Fellow and serves as the co-chair of the Latinx Affinity Network for the Council of Michigan Foundations.