Staff

George Suttles, President & CEO

George Suttles is the currentPresident and CEO of the Scherman Foundation. Previously he lead Commonfund’s educational, thought partnership, and professional development activities as Executive Director of Commonfund Institute. He serves on multiple advisory boards and steering committees, including Intentional Endowments Network’s (IEN) steering committee which provides strategic guidance to the network and chairs the steering committee for the Impact Finance Center’s Diverse Manager Initiative. Prior to joining Commonfund, George was a Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, an independent, national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults. Before joining the foundation, he was a Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America. In this role he worked with private and institutional clients on issues related to best practices in governance and strategic grantmaking. He is a member of numerous nonprofit boards and investment committees including Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Auburn Seminary, and the New York Foundation, where he currently serves as Board Chair after previously serving as Treasurer and chair of the investment committee. He also serves on the board of BoardSource, the recognized leader in national nonprofit board research and support. George is frequently asked to speak on topics concerning fiduciary duty and stewardship, philanthropy, investment governance, Diversity Equity and Inclusion and values aligned investing, among other topics. George received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (IUPUI) and an M.P.A. from Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY), Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. George is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D) at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, with a focus on leadership and innovation. 

Catherine Porter, Director of Operations

Catherine Porter joined the Scherman Foundation as Administrator in 2014. Prior to Scherman, she was Director of Development for the renowned downtown performance space, Dixon Place, where she'd previously served as Finance Director and Interim Executive Director. Catherine is Co-Founder/Co-Artistic Director of Peculiar Works Project, an OBIE Award-winning, NYC-based performance company formed in 1993. With Peculiar Works, she has produced more than 100 site-specific plays and large-scale performance events, featuring the work of hundreds of artists annually, and has served as a teaching artist for over 17 years. Previously, she was the Coordinator of Individual Giving and Special Events for HERE Arts Center in NYC, and Ticket Office Manager for Casa Mañana Playhouse and Summer Musicals in Fort Worth, TX, and she co-founded the multi-disciplinary art and politics series, stART, at Judson Church. Ms. Porter is also a performer: she has performed many leading roles in Peculiar Works’ productions; appeared Off Broadway with En Garde Arts in Mac Wellman’s award-winning CROWBAR; and acted with such Off-Off companies as La MaMa ETC, Concrete Temple Theatre, Flux Theatre Ensemble, Theatre Askew, TOSOS, The Forge, and Aisling Arts. A Texas native, Catherine graduated from Texas Christian University with a BFA in Theatre. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, Board Secretary of the Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, board member of Concrete Temple Theatre, and Treasurer (and former Co-President) of the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Kristen Chin joined the Scherman Foundation as a Program Officer in 2025. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Community Economic Development at Hester Street, an urban planning, design, and community development nonprofit that worked to ensure neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them. An architect and experienced nonprofit professional, Kristen has collaborated with community-based organizations, policymakers, and government agencies to design and implement participatory design and ground-up community engagement strategies. She is passionate about supporting community-led change and equipping those on the frontlines with the resources, tools, and technical assistance to create equitable, sustainable communities grounded in racial justice and collective power. Before Hester Street, Kristen served as an Enterprise Rose Fellow at Urban Edge and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation in Boston working to advance affordable housing and strengthen resident leadership. She has also worked at the Pratt Center for Community Development managing resiliency and recovery programs after Superstorm Sandy and piloting innovative energy efficiency programs for New York City. Kristen is on the Advisory Board of the American Institute of Architects Housing and Community Development Knowledge Community and has served on the board of the Association for Community Design. She holds a Master of Architecture from Parsons School of Design and an undergraduate degree from Brown University. 

Sami Stern, Grants Manager & Administrative Assistant

Sami Ster joined the Scherman Foundation at in 2023. She graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 2017 with a dual degree in Psychology and English Literature. While in school, she interned at INCLUDEnyc—providing database and research support to the disability services non-profit. After college, she worked as a Program Specialist for the Brooklyn Public Library running inclusive programming and outreach for kids and teens with and without disabilities for Western Brooklyn. She also took on the role of Health Outreach Associate for the Library’s partnership with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s COVID outreach initiative to bring information and resources to underserved communities of Brooklyn. Interested in philanthropy, Sami transitioned to a Program Coordinator position at the Hadassah Foundation. Most recently she worked as a Grants Assistant for the New York State Council on the Arts.