Menlo Park, Calif. – The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) announced today that Kevin Merida, editor-in-chief of the ESPN website “The Undefeated,” and former managing editor at The Washington Post, has been elected to its Board of Trustees, and will join the board in June.

Merida has a long, distinguished career in journalism. He is a senior vice president for ESPN, where he provides editorial direction, oversight and strategic leadership for “The Undefeated,” the widely respected source of deeply reported news and commentary about race, culture and sports.

Prior to joining ESPN in 2015, Merida had a 22-year tenure at The Washington Post. He was the first African American to serve as The Washington Post’s managing editor, a position he held for three years. With his leadership, The Washington Post undertook a digital transformation that resulted in one of the largest increases in audience growth for media outlets in recent years.

While at The Washington Post, Merida worked closely with Kaiser on several joint in-depth survey projects, including polls of Iraq and Afghanistan active duty soldiers and veterans; low-wage workers; and current and recent college students about sexual assault.

Merida has co-authored two books: the 2007 biography “Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas” with Michael Fletcher; and “Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs” with Deborah Willis, an extension of his feature coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign for The Post.

Merida started his career as a general assignment reporter for The Milwaukee Journal and had several roles in his 10 years at The Dallas Morning News.

“The Kaiser Family Foundation is pleased to continue its long relationship with Kevin Merida, now as a member of our Board of Trustees,” said former Wisconsin Gov. James E. Doyle, who is Chair of the Foundation’s Board. “Kevin is already well acquainted with KFF and we look forward to having his broad experience and expertise on the board.”

KFF’s board currently has 14 members, including its President and Chief Executive Officer Drew Altman, Ph.D. It is comprised of former government officials and national leaders from journalism and the nonprofit sector. Board members serve up to two five-year terms. Additional information on KFF and its board can be found at https://www.kff.org/about-us/.