In a strategic leadership expansion, the Board of Directors and Executive Team at Interfaith America (IA) have named Adam Phillips as the organization’s first-ever Chief Executive Officer. He will serve alongside IA Founder Eboo Patel, who continues as President. Adam’s appointment positions IA to lead at this pivotal moment, as the organization’s rapid growth has created the need for expanded executive capacity to capitalize on emerging opportunities and address new challenges in advancing religious pluralism.
Phillips brings more than 25 years of interfaith leadership experience to the role, having founded faith congregations, directed interfaith mobilization at the ONE Campaign, led faith outreach for U.S. Presidential campaigns, and most recently served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Executive Director of Local, Faith and Transformative Partnerships at USAID. As CEO, he will oversee IA’s daily operations and guide the organization toward achieving its strategic goals, allowing Patel to focus on narrative leadership.
In his own words, Phillips shares his journey and vision for Interfaith America’s future:
It’s a delight, and sincerely a tall order, to be appointed Interfaith America’s Chief Executive Officer by Eboo Patel and our Board of Directors.
I met Eboo nearly 20 years ago at a great little coffee shop in Lincoln Square, Chicago, that has long since, and unfortunately, closed.
At the time I was a young pastor working on a sermon and he had, in recent years, started what was then called, Interfaith Youth Core.
We picked up a conversation that afternoon that we’ve continued ever since.
In between that conversation and eventually joining the team at Interfaith America in 2023, I was starting and leading churches, leading efforts at advocacy organizations like The One Campaign, working in international development with organizations like World Vision, working in electoral politics, or at scale in the federal government at USAID. At every step, I’ve always sought to be an interfaith leader, building bridges for the common good.
Throughout this journey, I’ve also always sought the wisdom of my friend, Eboo Patel, and the incredible work of Interfaith America.
As I’ve spent the last 18 months serving as IA’s Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff, I’ve seen first-hand, day-in and day-out, the incredible work of this organization and its dedicated staff and excellent Executive Team of interfaith leaders and bridgebuilders.
It’s pretty exciting to see, in the most recent season of work, how we’ve more than doubled in size and scope – with higher education as our first and founding practice, while also becoming an industry leader in interfaith diversity work, in corporate America, and becoming a national leader to seek the promise of America’s diverse democracy through our civic partnerships.
It’s an exciting time to do this work together, looking to America’s future, where we have an opportunity to choose the power of pluralism over the divisive forces that pit neighbors and communities against one another.
James Baldwin once wrote that together we get “to make America what America must become.” I couldn’t be more excited to do this alongside Eboo Patel as our Founder and President, especially in my new capacity as CEO.
What also excites me is that this new expanded executive capacity enables Eboo to amplify our organization’s thought leadership in the public arena and with leaders across the nation.
It’s nice to pause, reflect, take stock, celebrate today’s occasion, and also understand that there is so much at stake in this country’s rich diverse life, together. I’m excited to lead an organization that’s ready to lean in and get to work!
