A Conversation with Nancy and Jim
After eight years of leading Blue Meridian Partners, founder Nancy Roob is transitioning to a new leadership role as Executive Chair. Blue Meridian President, Jim Shelton, will become Chief Executive Officer in March 2025 and lead Blue Meridian’s next chapter of growth.
Incubated at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation (where Nancy served for nearly three decades, including as CEO), Blue Meridian was founded in 2016 to advance economic and social mobility across America with two connected goals: helping visionary leaders tackle billion-dollar problems by providing them with the resources to scale their impact; and supporting philanthropists to achieve more by offering a new model of collaborative philanthropy. With this evolution of leadership, Nancy and Jim believe their partnership is even better positioned to deliver on this vision.
Jim, as CEO, will lead Blue Meridian and be responsible for our strategy and work to aggregate and invest billions of dollars to transform the life trajectories of young people and families in poverty, holding accountability for all aspects of the organization’s performance. Nancy, as Founder and Executive Chair of Blue Meridian’s board, will dedicate her efforts to unlocking capital and driving continued innovation in philanthropy, with the aim of channeling more resources in support of Blue Meridian’s strategies and proven solutions advancing economic and social mobility.
Board Chair Stan Druckenmiller, who will become Founding Chair Emeritus, shared: “Blue Meridian has exceeded expectations and represents a pioneering model for tackling big challenges and backing great leaders. This evolution, with Jim as CEO and Nancy supporting him by continuing to innovate how philanthropy engages in this work, offers the most powerful way to deepen our impact. I’m honored to be part of the Blue Meridian community and committed as ever to seeing it succeed in this next chapter.”
Below, Nancy and Jim discuss what’s ahead for Blue Meridian and how they will lead together.
Why this approach to Blue Meridian’s leadership?
Nancy: Since 2016 Blue Meridian has grown exponentially – surpassing our original objectives. Yet our work remains subscale compared to the magnitude of our nation’s challenges and the massive untapped potential that exists with philanthropy. This leadership evolution is about positioning Blue Meridian to help fulfill this potential. My new role will allow me to work full time on driving continued innovation in philanthropy and I’m excited to tackle this work alongside Jim.
Jim: I’m honored by Nancy’s trust as well as the confidence of our board and Partners. Since 2019, Nancy and I have worked side by side to realize Blue Meridian’s vision and advance a performance-driven model for philanthropy – one that balances rigor, trust, and aspiration. So, stepping into the CEO role and leading Blue Meridian’s next chapter feels like a natural evolution of my journey.
Why now?
Nancy: We are in a once-in-a-generation moment to catalyze philanthropy’s potential, and the urgency to address the obstacles that trap millions in poverty is growing.
Jim: As Nancy said, we are in a seminal moment. America’s economic boom over the last century has been uneven, leaving whole communities – urban and rural – behind. While some populations are earning more than their parents, they are not making enough to escape poverty or keep up with rising costs. More tragically, some communities have seen their prospects decline as good jobs have left and wages have stagnated or declined. Families are working harder but finding it increasingly difficult to thrive.
Fortunately, we know solutions exist to these problems and have seen many that work to meet the scale of the problems we face.
Nancy: The successes Jim mentioned are a call to action to double down on proven solutions addressing deep, systemic barriers to greater economic and social mobility. I’m eager, partnering with Jim, to help philanthropists seeking greater impact to tackle these challenges collectively in ways none of us could achieve alone.
What excites you about the future?
Nancy: The unknown excites me – it signals limitless possibility. In 2016, aggregating $1 billion felt like an ambitious stretch. By 2024, we’ve exceeded $4.5 billion, thanks to a community of philanthropists committed to doing bigger things together and demonstrating the power of collective action.
Jim: I am also energized by the possibilities. Issues like education, health, and employment are interconnected, and addressing them requires scalable, community-centered solutions. Blue Meridian is uniquely positioned to contribute to the work of those leading the way. We’re seeing how community-wide partnerships and strategies to advance mobility and promote inclusive economic growth can shift the trajectory of entire neighborhoods and regions.
Our investments in national and place-based leaders are showing how local, regional, and national solutions can come together to compound the impacts on a person’s life from cradle to career.
Nancy: At the same time, this work demands patience and perseverance – over years and decades – and a deep learning mindset. Blue Meridian would not be what it is today without the work of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation and many other leaders we’ve had the privilege to work with and build upon. As a nation, we’ve only scratched the surface of the long-term potential of the philanthropic resources sitting on the sidelines.
Jim: In 2026, the United States will be 250 years old. The opportunity to fulfill its promise – giving every American the opportunity to thrive – is immense. Fully realizing Blue Meridian’s distinctive ability – to link promising solutions with philanthropists committed to a nation that lives into its ideals – gives me tremendous energy.
How do you envision working together in your new roles?
Jim: Nancy and I have built a partnership and friendship rooted in trust, shared values, and complementary strengths. We’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of collaborative philanthropy, aligning resources and people across the private, public, and social sectors to catalyze systemic change. We have also proven we know how to talk about and do hard things together, and are eyes-wide open about the inevitability of such times ahead.
Nancy: My confidence in Jim is why I’m ready to evolve my role. His vision, experience, and rigor have enabled Blue Meridian to aim higher and he is perfectly poised to be our next CEO and leader. Together, we’ve balanced our dual mission of supporting impactful solutions and helping philanthropists collaborate effectively, and this leadership evolution is the natural next step for both of us and Blue Meridian
Photo by Lauren Cowart