Development Guild DDI is pleased to announce that Carlisa Brown will be joining The Salvation Army, Massachusetts Division as their Chief Advancement Officer.  In this role, Carlisa will provide strategic direction to a highly dedicated team of professionals in the following areas: Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Volunteers, Grants and Marketing & Communications. Carlisa will lead The Salvation Army’s winning team of 13 development and communication professionals currently raising approximately $21.5M annually, serve as a critical member of the Executive team, and report into the Divisional Commander, Major David B. Davis and General Secretary, Major Gregory Hartshorn.

Carlisa brings significant experience in all major areas of fundraising and strategic and program management. Most recently, she has held the position of Director of Advancement at The Chestnut Hill School (CHS) in Chestnut Hill, MA. where she developed and implemented fundraising strategies that significantly elevated revenue growth and increased participation from all constituent groups.  Carlisa also oversaw and managed the creative process of brand development for CHS. Prior to The Chestnut Hill School, Carlisa was a key member of Boston College Office of University Advancement major gifts team responsible for managing and soliciting a portfolio of six and seven figure donors.  She worked across multiple divisions and regularly collaborated with senior leadership.  In addition, Carlisa brings over twelve years of professional experience in advertising, marketing and public relations in the for-profit sector.

The Learning Center for the Deaf is excited to welcome Sarah Glenn-Smith as its new Chief Executive Officer. Sarah was unanimously selected by TLC’s Search Committee and its Board.  She will begin her tenure in the summer of 2018. 

This nationwide search had a unique position to fill, with candidates from many of the leading schools for the deaf in the country and other leading organizations providing services to the deaf. As the first CEO of TLC, Sarah will lead TLC in extending the educational, therapeutic, community, and cultural and research services provided to the deaf and hard of hearing.

The largest employer of people who are deaf in New England, TLC has effectively recruited Deaf staff regionally and nationally.  Its management and board has benefited enormously from its deaf leadership, going back to Marie Philip, the influential Deaf leader who inspired TLC to be an early and exceptional leader in bilingual-bicultural education.  As CEO, Sarah will draw on TLC’s deaf and hearing leadership to deepen TLC’s resources, and extend its impact nationwide and even internationally. Over the years, TLC has experienced a steady growth and increased diversity in the population that it serves. Its two schools are its largest and best-known programs, each a leader in their fields and each led by a Deaf director. TLC’s community and cultural and research services and programs are important contributions and show that TLC has evolved into a complex, nonprofit organization.

Sarah began her career in California at the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD) where she became an interpreter with multiple roles. In her first executive position as the Executive Director of Deaf Adult Services in Buffalo, New York, she improved the organization’s financial strength, recruited and positioned deaf leaders throughout the organization, and led and inspired commitment by staff and the community.  From there, Sarah has worked with tremendous success as a Chief Operating Officer, Chief Executive Officer, and President in the healthcare industry as well as in education. Sarah has earned a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and her dissertation was on audism. Sarah also earned an Executive Masters of Business Administration.

Sarah is an academic who has proven herself to be a results-driven, entrepreneurial leader. This CEO position aligns her love of leadership with her commitment to serving the Deaf community. Both her spouse and her oldest daughter are Deaf.

For a more complete description of TLC’s diverse programming, please visit TLC’s website at www.tlcdeaf.org.

As the new Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement (VPAAE), Brenda will be responsible for creating, from the ground up, an Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. She will be partnering closely with Dr. Alan Ray, who joined Fisher College as its ninth President in July 2017. He established as his first priority the creation of a robust Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, now to be championed by Brenda. She will design, launch, and manage a comprehensive advancement program that includes: major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation giving, planned giving, donor recognition and stewardship activities, advancement services as well as alumni engagement.  Brenda will also play an integral role in the College’s strategic planning at the highest levels.

As the former Vice President, Development & Communications at The Possible Project, Brenda brings to Fisher College a range of advancement and management experience. Prior to that she led development efforts at Wentworth Institute of Technology for 7 years, the last 5 as their Vice President of Institutional Advancement. With a strong record of strategic leadership, innovative program design, and advancement team and operations management, as well as successful major gifts fundraising, Brenda is a valuable addition to the Fisher College leadership team. 

Founded in 1903, Fisher College is an independent, non-profit four-year college, fully accredited, offering undergraduate and master’s degrees.  Based in Boston’s historic Back Bay, Fisher’s nearly 900 undergraduates choose from among 29 degree programs and 15 minors. 

Fountain House welcomes Wendi Huestis as its new Chief Development Officer.  Wendi comes to Fountain House with a wide breadth of development experience.  Most recently, as Development Director at Kiva Microfunds and in previous development positions at Room to Read and Ethical Culture Fieldston.  Wendi received her B.A. in Government with Concentration in French from Cornell University and received her MBA from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University.

In Wendi’s new role, she will advance Fountain House’s essential mission by helping to grow and broaden its fundraising program.  With that, Wendi is responsible for the development and implementation of Fountain House’s fundraising strategies and initiatives including capital campaign, major gifts, events, grants, planned giving and endowment development.

In 1948, Fountain House pioneered community mental health. Dedicated to the recovery of men and women with serious mental illness, Fountain House has inspired the creation of programs that currently are serving more than 100,000 people in 32 states and 34 countries. In 2014, Fountain House received the world’s most prestigious acknowledgement for humanitarian activity, The Hilton Humanitarian Prize, given annually to one organization that has made an extraordinary contribution to the alleviation of human suffering.

Miss Hall’s School is pleased to welcome Merritt Colaizzi as its new Director of Advancement.  Merritt has most recently served as Director of Development at the Clark Art Institute.  During her tenure at the Clark, she also held the positions of Campaign Director and Director of Major Gifts.  Previously, Merritt held leadership positions at SmartBrief, Inc., and Streetmail, Inc., and played critical roles in the Williams College Program in Leadership Studies and in Trinity College’s Cultural Programs in Italy. Herself the graduate of an all-girl, K-12 education, Merritt earned a B.A. in Art History from Trinity College and an M.A. from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

In her new role at Miss Hall’s School, Merritt will serve as a vital member of the School’s Leadership Team and will report directly to Head of School Julia Heaton.  Merritt will manage all aspects of the eight-person Development Office, with responsibilities for the School’s campaign, major gifts and planned giving programs, annual fund, and alumnae and parent engagement.  She will work closely with the Board of Trustees and campaign volunteer leadership to advance Miss Hall’s School’s ambitious goals.

Founded in 1898, Miss Hall’s School was one of the first all-girls boarding schools established in New England. Today the School is a nationally recognized, boarding and day independent secondary school that combines an exceptional college-preparatory curriculum with two acclaimed leadership programs, Horizons and the Girls’ Leadership Project. Both programs are central to their belief that, in addition to outstanding academic preparation, girls need additional skills that allow them to step confidently into college and beyond.  These two signature programs teach girls to communicate effectively and authentically, voice opinions with resolve and respect, and be comfortable having influence, leading change, and contributing boldly and creatively to the common good. 

Danielle Degnan is the new Chief Development Officer of the National Coast Guard Museum Association and will report directly to Dick Grahn, NCGMA President and CEO.

Danielle will be leading a $50M+ capital campaign effort to establish philanthropic funds for a national museum on the New London, Connecticut historic waterfront to increase awareness and appreciation of the Coast Guard. The Museum will explore the Coast Guard’s rich history, current life, and future challenges through world class, museum-quality interactive exhibits, programs, public and private partnerships, and STEM-based, life-long learning experiences. She will manage a high-level portfolio and supervise a development team, as well as collaborate strategically with NCGMA leadership and Board.

Danielle brings with her a unique philanthropic perspective and 28 years of engineering, non-profit development, executive team management and consulting for a variety of industries. As the Director of Development and Public Relations at Caritas Carney Hospital, Danielle managed a successful feasibility study and launched and completed a capital campaign. In 2005, she became the Vice President of Development at Partners HealthCare at Home securing transformational gifts for the organization. Most recently, Danielle held the Director of Development and Community Relations position at The Salvation Army, Massachusetts Division, leading successful capital campaigns, raising over $20M annually, and serving as a branding and communications strategist. With a long-standing interest in the armed forces and commitment to philanthropic strategy, Danielle brings both passion and expertise to the CDO role and the Museum Association’s campaign.

The Coast Guard is the only branch of the armed services that does not have a national museum to celebrate its role in the life of our nation and to honor the men and women who serve. Since its inception in 1790, the Coast Guard has established a proud and illustrious history which deserves recognition from the public.

The Coast Guard, under the aegis of The Department of Homeland Security, has three major roles: Maritime Safety, Maritime Security, and Maritime Stewardship. These vital responsibilities are carried out by 42,000 highly trained men and women who perform these missions with integrity, dedication and honor to duty and country. The public is generally unaware of the scale and scope of the Coast Guard’s operations. The Museum will send a clear message both through its exhibits and its iconic image: Respect the past, engage the present and look to the future.

The New England Aquarium (“the Aquarium”) welcomes Robin Elkins as the new Vice President for Development. Robin comes to the Aquarium from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she began her development career after many years in the private sector. Over her almost 7 years at MIT, Robin has held progressive positions in the international area, most recently as the Director of Global Initiatives. In this role, Robin led the strategy and design of Sloan’s international philanthropy program while personally managing a portfolio of principal gift prospects in Europe and Latin America.

As the Aquarium’s Vice President for Development, Robin will oversee and manage all development functions including major gifts, corporate and foundation giving, membership, annual giving, government grants and planned giving. As a valued member of the Executive Management Team, Robin will partner with the President & CEO, Board of Trustees, and senior leadership, to strengthen the Aquarium’s philanthropic program and drive organizational strategy.

Welcoming close to 1.3 million annual visitors, The New England Aquarium is a $45 million operating organization that combines education, engagement, and action to address the most challenging problems facing the oceans. The Aquarium is the only Boston-based cultural institution with a mission focused primarily on the environment, promoting the importance of protecting the blue planet through innovative exhibits and educational programs. This includes the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life; a groundbreaking initiative designed to highlight and expand the Aquarium’s cutting-edge applied marine research and data-driven conservation solutions.

The following announcement is from Joan Magruder, President of St. Louis Children’s Hospital and BJC Group President, Community & Home Care Services

It is my great pleasure to welcome Malcolm E. Berry to our executive leadership team, as Chief Development Officer of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation. Malcolm joins us from the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, where he served as the Foundation’s Vice President, Major Gifts.

Malcolm will provide strategic leadership of all efforts to significantly increase funding for SLCH.

As you know, elevating the impact of our Foundation is among our most key aspirational goals: from optimizing donor engagement and stewardship, to dollars earned, to the growth of our donor pool, to public awareness of SLCH as a charitable cause. I am thrilled somebody with Malcolm’s breadth of experience and accomplishments will help us advance this mission.

Malcolm has served roles at SickKids that focus on fundraising, gift planning, donor relations, estate planning, and other key functions. Further, he has served in leadership roles with the Woodmark Group, a U.S.-Canadian organization of 26 prominent children’s hospitals, as well as with the Canadian Association of Gift Planners.

He not only brings critical strategic skills and experience, but a personal relatability that make him an extraordinary fit with our hospital culture and mission. He will work closely with the leadership teams at SLCH, Washington University School of Medicine, and the SLCH Foundation Board of Trustees to identify fundraising needs and priorities for the hospital and WUSM pediatric departments.

Malcolm earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Education degree from OISE/University of Toronto and a Masters of Business Administration from McMaster University.

His office will be located at the Highlands building, along with the SLCH-Foundation team. His first day with us will be February 20, 2017.

I couldn’t be more excited for Malcolm to join our team, and lead us on a transformative journey.

Please also join me in thanking the Foundation Board Trustees who interviewed and selected Malcolm, Sandra Young for her interim VP leadership during this pivotal transition, as well as the entire Foundation team for their hard work, momentum and focus, during this five-month period.

Thanks very much.

Joan

Joan Magruder

President, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and BJC Group President, Community & Home Care Service

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) welcomes Mack Davidson as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Since its founding in 1939, UUSC has been dedicated to serving the most marginalized people on the planet, and that motivation carries into their work today. Through a potent combination of advocacy, education and informed action, UUSC mobilizes its membership base of 40,000 to effect change for social justice, environmental justice, and human rights in the United States and 15 countries around the world.

Working closely with UUSC’s President and CEO, Rev. Dr. William Schulz, and the Board’s Finance and Investment Committees, Mack will lead UUSC’s finance team and have an active role in shaping strategic decisions to fulfill the organization’s mission.

Mack comes to UUSC from the Conservation Law Foundation where he currently serves as Vice President for Finance & Administration and previously held the position of Director of Operations. A Princeton University and Harvard Kennedy School graduate, Mack has held a variety of positions in the nonprofit and higher education sectors at several organizations including the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, and the University of Massachusetts Boston.