Reatha Clark King Announces Retirement from General Mills

Dr. Reatha Clark King, president & executive director of General Mills Community Action, has announced her retirement effective May 31, 2002, after 13.5 years with the company. King was named president and executive director of the General Mills Foundation and vice president of General Mills, Inc. in November 1988. In addition to being CEO for the foundation, King has been in charge of the company's overall $50 million citizenship and charitable giving program. 

King joined General Mills after serving 11 years as president of Metropolitan State University in the Twin Cities. She has held many leadership positions on the local and national level, serving on boards and task forces for numerous philanthropic, civic, nonprofit, higher education, corporate and government organizations and agencies. She was a member of the board of directors of the Minnesota Council on Foundations from 1990 to 1999, and chaired the board from 1993 to 1995. Currently she sits on the boards of the University of Chicago (life trustee), H. B. Fuller Company Foundation, Clark Atlanta University, Hispanics In Philanthropy and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

In 1999, King was named by the Minneapolis "Star Tribune" as one of the 100 most influential Minnesotans of the last century. In June 2000, King was honored by the League of Women Voters as a recipient of the Civic Leader Award for her pioneering efforts to affect social change. In November 2000, she received the Minneapolis 2000 Award for civic leadership.

After her retirement, King will serve as chairman of General Mills Foundation for one year, through May 31, 2003. In her post-retirement years, King reports that she plans to focus on governance, philanthropy and diversity issues.

top