As Alberto Ibargüen — the head of the Knight Foundation and former publisher of The Miami Herald — retires, I would like to add a public note of personal appreciation to the encomiums.
https://www.philanthropy.com/article/knight-foundation-leader-to-retire-leaving-a-powerful-legacy
In 1999, when I went to work for The Miami Herald as a cub reporter just out of college and he was its publisher, he took a mentor-like interest in me. We got to know each other over occasional dinners/drinks, a Miami Heat game, etc.
In late 2001 or early 2002, when I was thinking about applying for a Knight Foundation journalism fellowship at Yale Law School, he encouraged it (he has a law degree from Penn) and wrote a strong letter of recommendation that really helped me stand out from the pac
The Yale year transformed my life both personally — I met my future wife, Luiza Chwialkowska Savage, another fellow — & professionally, putting me on the path to journalism that specialized in post-9/11 legal policy & executive power issues like Gitmo, hot topics on campus that year.
Alberto and I continued to periodically stay in touch as he went on to lead the Knight Foundation, where has steered altruism at a programmatic level. The help he provided to me as an individual is just a footnote to that legacy. Thank you, Alberto, and enjoy retirement!
Originally tweeted by Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) on March 26, 2023.