Swarthmore resident Frances M. Sheehan, a veteran of the nonprofit sector who has worked the last quarter-century in Chester County, has assumed the position of the first President and Chief Executive Officer of the Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation.

Sheehan will guide the activities of the new, independent foundation dedicated to the health, education, and social needs of the people of Delaware County.

She will provide executive leadership as the Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation determines its areas of concentration, while it continues to support many of the programs made possible by predecessor foundations allied with Crozer Chester Medical Center and Delaware County Memorial Hospital.

“We’ve inherited some programs from the Crozer-Keystone Health System that are funded by federal, state, and private grants,” Sheehan said. “And we have a staff of more than 50 people. That will give us a great foundation on which to operate.”

Sheehan comes to the Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation from the Coatesville-based Brandywine Health Foundation, where she was also the founding executive leader. There, she directed safety-net health providers and youth agencies serving western Chester County, raising and distributing more than $15 million to aid in the transformation of some of Pennsylvania’s poorest communities.

Prior to her time at Brandywine Health Foundation, Sheehan served as President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Chester County, where she guided the operation of four health centers and community education and public policy programs, while significantly enlarging the donor and volunteer base.

Although much of her professional career has been spent in Chester County, Sheehan has spent the last 26 years living in Delaware County, where the Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation bases its efforts.

“I hadn’t been looking for another opportunity, but when I was approached about this position, I really couldn’t say no,” she said. “Our Board of Directors is very community health-oriented, and they really want to have a significant impact.”

The Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation came into being on July 1, 2016 when Crozer-Keystone Health System was acquired by Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. The net proceeds of the acquisition were transferred to the new, independent Crozer-Keystone Community Foundation.

“There are lots of first steps that need to be taken,” said Sheehan. “Partnerships will be very important, and we’ll need to talk to the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, County Council, and other elected officials.

“We need to listen to what the community needs.”