Announcing Clair Sassion as the new CEO of the Doughboy Foundation

The Doughboy Foundation’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that after a four-month rigorous, national search, Clair S. Sassin has been selected as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective October 20, 2025.

Clair Sassin

“Clair brings a deep passion for our mission, a profound respect for the military, veterans, and history along with experience in strategic planning, fundraising, and team management, the collection of which is critical as she guides us the into our next chapter,” said  Denise Doring VanBuren, Chair of the Doughboy Foundation.

“Aligned with the Foundation’s strategic goals, Clair will lead efforts to expand the mission of the organization beyond the National World War I Memorial in Washington, DC and bring the story of the Doughboys to a wider audience across the county.

“I am grateful to members of our Search Committee and LeaderFit for their time and dedication during the search. “

“It is an honor to join the Doughboy Foundation,” said Clair Sassin. “I look forward to working with the Board, our team, donors and partners to recognize the service and sacrifice of American veterans of World War I and educate the public through creative programing.”

About Clair Sassin

Clair is a highly accomplished executive with extensive experience in the non-profit sector, particularly within organizations dedicated to American history and maritime heritage. She comes to us from the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, where she served as President and CEO, building the organization and staff, developing programs and overseeing the construction of the Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center.

Prior to that, Clair was the Executive Director of the Naval Historical Foundation and the Director of Communications and Corporate Relations for the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN). Her strategic leadership, passion for historical education, and successful track record in fundraising and operations will be invaluable to the Doughboy Foundation.

Before joining AUSN, Clair served as principal of her own strategic marketing and communications consulting practice for 15 years. Previously, Clair served as Director of Communications for the Potomac KnowledgeWay Project and Director of Marketing and Communications for KPMG’s Washington Office. She started her career at The Greater Washington Board of Trade.

An active member of the community, Clair has served on the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House, the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, and the YMCA of the National Capital Area.

She holds a B.A. In General Studies from the University of Maryland and has received a number of awards including KPMG’s Praxis Award for Publicity and the Washington Achievers Award. Organizational awards include two Addy Awards and a TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice Award.

Please join us in giving Clair a warm welcome! We look forward to a new era of growth and impact under her leadership.

About the Doughboy Foundation

The Doughboy Foundation is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with the Mission to Keep Faith with the American Doughboy. From its inception in 2013, working in partnership with the U.S. WWI Centennial Commission, the Foundation played a key role in envisioning, building, and now enhancing our new National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. The Doughboy Foundation is expanding the legacy of the Doughboys through ongoing education and public awareness projects, building a national community to keep the promise made to the generation that served and sacrificed in World War I.

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