Independent Directors Council Announces New Leadership and New Members of Governing Council

William Ebsworth re-elected as Chair, Karla Rabusch elected as Vice Chair

Washington, DC; October 13, 2025 – The Independent Directors Council (IDC) announced today that its Governing Council has re-elected William Ebsworth as Chair and elected Karla Rabusch as Vice Chair for the 2026 fiscal year. Ebsworth is an independent director on the board of the Allspring Funds. Rabusch is an independent director on the board of the Lord Abbett Funds. 

Cynthia R. Plouché, who recently served on IDC leadership for the past three years, most recently as Chair Emeritus, will step down from IDC leadership and remain on the Governing Council as a member. Plouché is an Independent Director on the boards of the Northern Trust Funds and MassMutual Funds.

“It’s been an honor to work alongside Cynthia for the past two years, and I look forward to continuing working with her as she remains a member of the IDC Governing Council. I also want to congratulate Karla on being elected Vice Chair. I look forward to working with Karla, Tom and the staff, and all Governing Council members as we work to strengthen fund governance and protect American shareholders,” said Ebsworth.

“I am thrilled to be elected Vice Chair and work alongside Bill, the entire Governing Council, Tom, and the IDC team. IDC is the leading voice for the fund governance community, and I look forward to continuing our mission to strengthen education, engagement, advocacy, and public understanding,” said Rabusch. “The Governing Council’s Committees also play a vital role in advancing our mission. I want to recognize the Chairs of our Committees, Kathie Barr, John Boyer, and Peg McLaughlin, and look forward to working collaboratively with them and all Committee members.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Cynthia as a member of the Governing Council and throughout her years of serving in IDC leadership roles. On behalf of the IDC, I thank her for the incredible work she has done for the independent director community. I look forward to working closely with Bill and Karla. IDC will continue to benefit from their thoughtful leadership,” said IDC Managing Director Thomas Kim. “I also want to thank returning members of the Governing Council and welcome our newest members to the Council in the collective effort to advance our mission.” 

The Governing Council elected the following five independent directors to their first term on the Council:

Joe Keenan 
Independent Director, ALPS ETF Series Trust and WisdomTree Digital Trust

Joan McCabe 
Independent Director, Carlyle Tactical Private Credit Fund and Carlyle Credit Income Fund

Thomas Melendez  
Independent Director, SEI Funds 

Grace Torres 
Independent Director, PGIM Funds

Paul Williams 
Independent Director, American Funds

The full membership of the IDC Governing Council is available on the IDC website.