Contributor

Megan Bell is executive director emeritus of the Wilson Foundation. Since joining the foundation, she has worked with nonprofits in diverse areas, such as housing, education, poverty, and mental health. Her skills include leading the foundation through re-branding and technology improvements, strategic planning, board development, and next generation inclusion… Read More

Deirdre Garton has been on the board of the Wilson Foundation for over thirty years, twice as chair. She trained as a lawyer and practiced family law as well as juvenile law in the private and public sector. She has always been interested in systems issues including data sharing among law enforcement agencies and measurement of the effectiveness of programs to… Read More

Katie Ensign has served on the Wilson Foundation board for 34 years. She is a senior program officer at the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, a private foundation based in Jacksonville, FL, and directs the Fund’s grantmaking in Florida and three other southern states. Katie also leads the Fund’s capacity building strategy. In 2016 Katie was appointed co-chair of the Government/Nonprofit Interface… Read More

Donna M. Coury leads the community foundation’s Center for Family Philanthropy at the Akron Community Foundation, a resource for charitable families in Summit and Medina counties. She is a trusted advisor to our community’s philanthropic families, helping them maximize their personal charitable goals and create a legacy consistent with their mission and family values. Donna has an extensive background in… Read More

Ted Vander Roest is the Executive Director of the Springfield Foundation… Read More

Allen Smart is a national spokesperson and advocate for improving philanthropic practice under his group–PhilanthropywoRx. He recently completed a role as the Project Director for a national rural philanthropic project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. He regularly consults with regional and national foundations on rural and philanthropic strategy… Read More

MDC brings together foundations, nonprofits, and leaders from government, business and the grassroots to illuminate data that highlight deeply rooted Southern challenges and help them find systemic, community solutions. Our approach, developed over 50 years, uses research, consensus-building, and programs that connect education, employment, and economic security to help communities foster prosperity by creating an “Infrastructure of Opportunity”—the aligned systems and supports… Read More

Sara Southwood brings over 11 years of financial services and private wealth experience to her work engaging individuals, families, and organizations in multigenerational conversations. As a Director of Client Engagement at 21/64 and a next gen herself, Sara is passionate about helping clients discuss the challenging topics of family, money and making decisions together based on their individual and shared… Read More

Emily A. West has been a member of the West Foundation board of directors since 1985 and became the Executive Director of the West Foundation in 1996. Prior to joining the foundation as its inaugural employee and opening its first office, Ms. West spent more than a decade working in the fields of public relations and marketing. During this time, she… Read More

Vernetta Walker is president and CEO of Walker & Associates Consulting. Vernetta also is a senior governance consultant and senior advisor on diversity, inclusion, and equity for BoardSource. With over two decades of experience as a nonprofit leader and consultant, Vernetta is passionate about helping organizations maximize their impact through exceptional leadership, intellectual engagement, and cultural competence. In addition to providing… Read More