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Komen’s Brinker Possible UN Candidate

Officials at the White House have reached out to Susan G. Komen for the Cure founder Nancy Brinker as a potential replacement for outgoing United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, according to CNN. Haley announced earlier this week that she would be stepping down.

The news network cited a “Republican source close to the White House.”

A spokesman for the nonprofit declined to comment. “Unfortunately we don’t have any information nor would it be appropriate for us to speculate,” said Sean Tuffnell, director of communications and public relations. “As you may know, while she is our founder and longest serving volunteer, she is not currently working for the organization and had previously taken a leave of absence from our board.”

Brinker was United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2001 to 2003 and Chief of Protocol of the United States from September 2007 to January 2009, for both of which she received Senate confirmation. Brinker, also a breast cancer survivor, launched the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in 1982, two years after her sister died from the disease. She took over as chief executive officer in 2009 when the organization split the roles of president and CEO.

Brinker has been a lightning rod in the charitable sector in recent years. She resigned as CEO in 2012 amid the controversy started when the organization stopped funding Planned Parenthood, moving into a position as chair of global strategy. The organization’s leaders changed course and restored funding as the backlash resulted in a decrease in funds. The NonProfit Times had called on Brinker to resign in a February 2012 online editorial.

In 2015, Brinker stepped down from her nearly $500,000 a year position as chair of global strategy but remained as a lifetime board member. She has since taken a leave of absence from the board.

The organization has been consolidating chapters of late due to a decline in participation for its 3-Day walks and 5K runs. There are now 69 affiliates, down from 91 in fiscal 2017 and 120 in 2012. The 91 Komen affiliates reported revenue of about $92 million in 2017, down some 10 percent from $103 million in the previous year. The Dallas, Texas-based headquarters reported $70 million in revenue in 2017, a drop of about 45 percent from the $120 million reported in 2016.