Ruthie Purcell Jones
Executive Director
Ruthie is the first Executive Director of the Arthur Dean Family Foundation, starting her position in 2018. As a developer of organizations, teams, boards and people, she has previously worked as a nonprofit leadership and organizational consultant, an executive coach, a community connector and facilitator for over 35 years and she brings this experience to the Arthur Dean Family Foundation where she is developing a trust-based approach to philanthropy. Her passion for equitable principles and practices has led her to facilitate community workshops on antiracism, to advocate for crime victims’ assistance, to train parents in disability advocacy and ultimately to complete law school. She believes wholeheartedly in the possibility of a world that honors each person’s value and gifts. She and her family work, live and play together with this vision in mind.
Andrew Black
Director of Grantmaking & Community Impact
Drew joined the Arthur Dean Family Foundation in January of 2021. Drew has a background in grantmaking and social impact work from spending the previous 15 years in philanthropy and government, and has led community investment strategies at the neighborhood, municipal and federal levels. For the past several years, Drew has managed a philanthropic portfolio that has been committed to equity and included education, youth development, economic self-sufficiency, and workforce development and is excited to leverage this experience to advance the Arthur Dean Family Foundation’s mission in a trust-based way. A native of Indianapolis, Drew is grateful for the opportunity to support and partner with the brilliant leaders of the region’s public sector to produce equitable outcomes so that all our residents may thrive. Outside of work, Drew’s passions are spending time with his family, coaching his son’s tee-ball team, traveling and listening to podcasts while walking his 10-year-old black lab, Lola.
Dr. River Sturdivant
Director of Learning and Impact
Dr. Sturdivant joined the Arthur Dean Family Foundation in March 2022. She has worked for over 20 years in the fields of philanthropy, education, and organizational development with extensive experience in grantmaking; training design and facilitation; project planning and evaluation. Over the past decade, she has worked with a variety of institutions, school systems, and executive leaders across sectors to achieve strategic outcomes and extract the learning throughout the process. River deeply believes in the power of learning and development to build the leadership capacity of individuals and organizations and she brings this core value to the Arthur Dean Family Foundation’s trust-based philanthropy approach. As a certified Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Coach and experienced consultant, River values mindful listening and honors an individual’s lived experience. She is particularly sensitive to the benefits and challenges of meeting cross-cultural needs having worked or studied in over 25 countries. In addition to her passion for global learning, River is a certified yoga instructor, avid reader, track and field enthusiast, and mother to Noah and Zion Malone.
