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Dr. Larry Brilliant, president of the Skoll Global Threats Fund, said: "In addition to announcing our first

grants, I am pleased to welcome Eric Nonacs as our Vice President, Alliances and Partnerships. It is

fitting that our first executive hire should have the role of building networks of donors, experts, and

activists to fight these global threats -- as no single organization alone can do enough to prevent or

mitigate these catastrophic risks. We must all be in this together, and Eric's ability to forge focused,

results-oriented partnerships, as he demonstrated at the William J. Clinton Foundation and other

organizations, will be a critical asset for our new organization."

Brilliant, who was formerly Google VP and Executive Director of Google.org, said the organization plans

to work on five issue areas: climate change, pandemics, water scarcity, nuclear weapons proliferation,

and conflict in the Middle East. The initial 3 to 5 year budget for grants, advocacy and administration is

$100 million. "But more important than money is the unique 'toolkit' of media, financial and

philanthropic assets that Jeff Skoll has put together to work on global threats," Brilliant said.