America for Bulgaria Foundation Names Roderick W. Moore as New President and CEO
Current President Nancy Schiller will retire this fall after more than a decade leading the Foundation.
SOFIA, Bulgaria (October 2, 2026) – The America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) announced today that Ambassador (ret.) Roderick W. Moore is its new President and CEO, effective October 1, 2026. Roderick Moore served as a member of ABF’s Board of Directors prior to this appointment.
He succeeds Nancy Schiller, who is retiring after more than 10 years as President of the Foundation and 15 years as a member of its Board of Directors. Ms. Schiller will remain a member of the ABF Board following her retirement. The foundation’s mission and grant-making process remain the same:
“It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of Nancy Schiller, under whose visionary leadership ABF has achieved so many amazing things. At the same time, moving to Bulgaria for the fourth time feels like a homecoming to me. I have great affection for this country and look forward to working with the ABF team to find ways to contribute meaningfully to the prosperity of the country.”
Over the past two years, Ms. Schiller has worked closely with ABF’s Board on a comprehensive succession plan. Moore was selected following an executive search in the United States led by the ABF Board:
“It gives me great comfort and confidence that Rod is taking over the leadership of ABF. His familiarity with Bulgaria and service as a member of ABF’s Board will provide for a seamless transition.”
During Ms. Schiller’s tenure, she has been instrumental in establishing the America for Bulgaria Foundation as a steadfast partner of the public, private and nongovernmental sectors. The foundation has supported over 1,500 projects in Bulgaria since its founding, including Muzeiko – the first children’s museum in Bulgaria; the Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis and support for uncovering and preserving the centuries-old Roman mosaic heritage of Plovdiv; the over 100 cultural heritage and nature tourism projects in the Northwestern Bulgaria and along the Danube, the numerous entrepreneurship and education projects, among others.
Before joining ABF’s Board of Directors, Roderick Moore was a career diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro from 2007 to 2010 and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Belgrade from 2004 to 2007. His assignments at the US Embassy in Sofia included serving as Chargé d’Affaires in 2015 and Deputy Chief of Mission from 2000 to 2003. He also served at the US Embassy in Sofia from 1990-92, during the first years of Bulgaria’s transition to a market economy and democracy. In 2019, upon retirement from the US State Department, he was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.
Moore holds a B.A. from Brown University in International Relations and Russian Studies and an M.A. in Slavic Linguistics.
About the America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF)
ABF is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonpolitical American grant-making foundation working in partnership with Bulgarians to strengthen the country’s private sector and related democratic institutions.
Its three key priorities are: Innovative Private Sector Development; Democratic Resilience; Private Sector-Civil Society Collaborative Impact. ABF started operations in Bulgaria in 2009 and has supported over 1,500 projects around the country.
The foundation partners with companies, institutions, communities, non-governmental organizations and visionary leaders that champion economic freedom, entrepreneurship and rule of law as the essential building blocks for a thriving economy and democracy.
For more information, visit: https://us4bg.org/