By Town Crier Staff

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s top employee plans to step down from his position at the start of next year, officials from the Los Altos-based non-profit organization announced June 24.

Richard T. Schlosberg, 59, said he will retire from his post as president and chief executive officer of one of the nation’s highest ranked charitable organizations in January to pursue other civic interests and spend time with his family. The Los Altos Hills resident will stay connected to the foundation in whatever manner helps smooth the transition, he added.

“We accept Dick’s decision with regret,” said Susan Packard Orr, chairwoman of the board of trustees. “We have deeply valued his strong leadership, sound judgment and great skill in leading the foundation through some key challenges over the past few years.”

The former Los Angeles Times publisher joined the private, family-operated foundation in May 1999 to undertake an ambitious five-year plan, tackling such challenging global issues as population growth and threats to the environment, and to oversee the gifting of more than $400 million in grants in 1999. A year later the foundation ranked No. 1 in the nation, with assets exceeding $12 billion.

The position required deft handling of budget and management issues, while reflecting the high-minded principles espoused by David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, with his wife, Lucile.

Schlosberg recruited senior managers in key programs and administrative positions, led the organization through an unprecedented increase in assets and a difficult economic downturn, worked with the board on decisions surrounding the merger of Hewlett-Packard Company and Compaq Corporation, guided streamlining within foundation programs and implemented systems to assure quality monitoring of grant making and efficient administrative costs.

Colleagues describe Schlosberg as a “hands-on” leader. One of his first goals upon joining the foundation was to meet one on one with each of the approximately 120 foundation staff members.

“You don’t learn much sitting in your office,” Schlosberg said during an interview soon after he joined the foundation.

The foundation will engage an executive search firm to conduct an international search for Schlosberg’s successor.

Schlosberg succeeded Colburn S. Wilbur, the foundation’s first president, who served in that position for 22 years.

The foundation has a grant-making budget of approximately $200 million this year.