Richmond, Virginia, United States
I am a licensed psychologist with a PhD in Clinical and Neuropsychology and specialized training in child psychology. My research interests in language and reading/literacy development led me to pursue a breadth and depth of professional experiences across clinical, academic and nonprofit settings. Through my work at nonprofit organizations focused on early and family literacy, I became more connected to and interested in the philanthropic community and its potential to serve as a catalyst to positively impact more children and families. Now, as a philanthropy executive at a place-based family foundation, I am able to utilize my knowledge and understanding from these experiences to inform our foundation's strategy and grantmaking to better serve the needs of our community and nonprofit partners.
Lead development and implementation of strategic and operations plans, oversee staff hiring, retention and evaluation, serve as thought partner to CEO, coordinate financial planning and management with CFO, manage all contracts, payroll, benefits, and internal learning/evaluation strategies, co-lead equity/inclusion initiatives, oversee organizational polices, processes and compliance, and create and nurture a culture of collaboration, compassion, inclusion, and excellence.
Developed, implemented, and managed foundation’s grant programs ($5-6MM per year), cultivated, reviewed, and evaluated grant proposals (100+ per year), developed relationships and partnerships with key community leaders, organizations, and peer funders, conducted research to inform grant-making focus areas and priorities, provided ongoing communication and support to grantees, evaluated grants and programs for impact, provided guidance to Board (12 directors) related to community needs/issues, strategic funding opportunities, and grant recommendations.
Provide organizational leadership to The Literacy Institute and its centers, programs, and projects, manage all centers, programs, and projects related to early childhood and childhood literacy and reading development, and oversee all research and evaluation activities for The Literacy Institute.