The executive vice president for public policy, Karen Handel, at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation resigned on Tuesday after the foundation repealed a policy to cut grants from Planned Parenthood. Handel reportedly told Komen officials she supported the decision to cut funding from Planned Parenthood, which she said was a discussion before she arrived and was approved by people at the highest levels in the charity. In a letter to the foundation, Handel wrote, “I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it. I openly acknowledge my role in the matter and continue to believe our decision was the best one for Komen’s future and the women we serve.”
Nancy G. Brinker, CEO and Komen founder, accepted Handel’s resignation and wished her well. “We have made mistakes in how we have handled recent decisions and take full accountability for what has resulted, but we cannot take our eye off the ball when it comes to our mission. To do this effectively, we must learn from what we’ve done right, what we’ve done wrong and achieve our goal for the millions of women who rely on us,” Brinker said in a statement.
