Paul S. Grogan will become the new president of a major Boston philanthropic organization this summer, ending his brief tenure as Harvard's vice president for government, community and public affairs.

In July, Grogan will take the reigns of the Boston Foundation, a $700 million charity organization focused on improving educational and social services in the city through grants and local partnerships.

Grogan will replace Anna Faith Jones, who has headed the organization since 1985. Jones announced her retirement last fall.

Grogan's replacement to head Harvard's Office of Government, Community and Public Affairs will be selected by University President-elect Lawrence H. Summers in coming months. Summers must also find a replacement for outgoing provost Harvey V. Fineberg '67, who will leave Harvard on June 30 as well.

Grogan, who has been at Harvard since January 1999, said that the Boston Foundation position was "an opportunity of a lifetime," and one he could not pass up.

"This is a hugely important civic institution in the city of Boston," Grogan said. "My lifelong interest has been in urban affairs and in building and rebuilding cities. This will allow me spend all my time focused on those sets of issues in a city I care about a great deal."

Grogan has a long history of work in the public sector. He previously served as president and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a nationwide, non-profit focused on community development.

In the 1980s, Grogan served as an advisor to two influential Boston mayors, Kevin H. White and Raymond L. Flynn, and headed Boston's Neighborhood Development and Employment Agency, producing initiatives on affordable housing, education and literacy.