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Virginia Business// August 29, 2020//
PRESIDENT AND CEO, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR A GREATER RICHMOND, RICHMOND
Founded in 1968, the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond is a venerable force for regional philanthropy, managing 1,200 charitable funds with more than $1 billion in assets.
Consequently, when the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Community Foundation was one of the first organizations to respond to the economic toll COVID-19 took on local families and nonprofits. In early April, the foundation launched the Central Virginia COVID-19 Response Fund.
“Whatever it is going to take to help save lives and meet the needs in this health crisis right now is really kind of the first priority,” Armstrong told WWBT NBC 12. As of mid-July, the foundation awarded nearly $3.8 million to 105 organizations, including several local food pantries, health care and housing charities.
Armstrong, who holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from West Virginia University, has led the Community Foundation for five years, overseeing a staff of 43. She has a long history in the nonprofit sector, including working as executive vice president of investor relations at United Way Worldwide and serving as CEO for the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg for 11 years.
CEO, AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION, ARLINGTON
“Just think passion on steroids.” That’s how a former colleague described the head of the American Diabetes Association, and Brown herself echoes that sentiment. “This position here at the ADA is that final piece that has brought purpose, passion and position together,” she told AARP magazine in a 2019 interview.
For Brown, diabetes is personal. Sixteen years ago, when pregnant with her daughter, she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and she is the association’s first CEO to have the disease. She oversees an organization with 490 employees and a budget of $156.9 million.
Brown calls diabetes “one of the biggest health epidemics of our time,” pointing out that more than 30 million Americans have some version of it, sometimes because of lack of access to healthy food and affordable medications.
Brown previously was senior vice president of operations and chief experience officer at Sam’s Club, before joining ADA in 2018. She also led the worldwide consumer marketing department for Advanced Micro Devices and was CEO and managing director of marketing agency RAPP Dallas.
CEO, GOOD360, ALEXANDRIA
Connelly, who started out as a UPS driver, has seen his delivery career take on new meaning in the last year. The charity he runs, Good360, brings together philanthropy and logistics, stepping in to transport donated goods to where they need to be during times of disaster.
That’s been an especially tricky challenge during the pandemic. But Good360 helps get excess inventory from companies put to good use. It’s also seen new kinds of donations amid COVID-19. For instance, Victoria’s Secret gave 50,000 face masks, which went to nonprofits helping women in need. And Nike partnered with Good360 to deliver 30,000 pairs of its Air Zoom Pulses to frontline medical workers in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Memphis and to Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide.
Through a network of more than 80,000 nonprofits, Good360 distributes more than $9 billion in donated goods globally.
A Boston native, Connelly joined Good360 as a board member in 2011, while serving as vice president of network operations at UPS, where he was responsible for the company’s 80 largest customers and more than $1 billion in annual surface transportation spending.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, ARLINGTON
With a career spanning the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Crouch is in his seventh year as president and CEO of United Service Organizations, known as the USO.
The nonprofit, founded in 1941, is known for its work entertaining and uplifting the morale of the U.S. armed forces. Its tours transport famous entertainers around the world to perform for service members and also provides support programs for military spouses. The USO reported about $250 million in revenue, gains and other support in 2019.
Crouch can leverage connections gained from a variety of unique work experiences. He volunteered as a reserve deputy sheriff in Missouri, taught defense and strategic studies at Missouri State University, served as U.S. ambassador to Romania and advised President George W. Bush on national security.
His résumé also includes stints in technology. Back when PDAs had yet to be crushed by smartphones, Crouch co-founded PalmGear.com, which sold Palm operating system software. Before starting with the USO in 2014, he was CEO of QinetiQ North America, which supplies robots, maritime systems and other technology and research for federal defense and security agencies as well as commercial clients.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, HAMPTON ROADS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, NORFOLK
In an update on the foundation’s website this spring, DiCroce said her organization was “in the muck of it” with COVID-19 and would be focusing on helping community members hit hard by the virus. Her board quickly approved $500,000 in grants for nonprofits on the pandemic front line.
A graduate of Old Dominion University and William & Mary, DiCroce comes from a background in higher education and has served as president of both Tidewater Community College in Norfolk and Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville. She joined the foundation in 2013. The Hampton Roads native told the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2018 that she viewed the change “as an opportunity to give back personally and make a difference in this part of the world I call home.” Her organization is now the largest provider of grants and scholarships in the region.
DiCroce is active in many local and regional organizations, including Virginia Beach Vision and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. She is vice rector of the board of visitors at Norfolk State University.
CEO, VIRGINIA TECH FOUNDATION, BLACKSBURG
Virginia Tech’s nonprofit foundation is charged with the management of the university’s financial assets and debts, and with Virginia Tech surpassing $1 billion in endowment funds a few years ago, that’s no small job. As the foundation’s CEO since 2012, Dooley oversees those funds and is responsible for a real estate portfolio that includes properties as far away as Switzerland. Closer to home, the variety of properties he manages range from the innovational to the recreational and include the Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech Research Center-Arlington, Tech’s Reynolds Homestead outreach campus in Patrick County, The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton, and the Pete Dye River (Golf) Course in Radford. Dooley also is tasked with being the liaison between Virginia Tech’s academic world and its business partners.
Dooley, who plans to retire in spring 2021 after nearly 40 years at Virginia Tech, previously served as the university’s president for outreach and international affairs. He has also held leadership roles with the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia 4-H Foundation. He currently serves on the GO Virginia Region 2 Council and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce board’s executive committee.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE, ALEXANDRIA
Gallagher has spent the last four decades in a career of service, working for the United Way since 1981.
Born in Chicago and raised in Indiana, Gallagher became president and CEO of the United Way of America in 2002, taking on his present role in 2009 after the organization merged with United Way International, creating the largest privately funded nonprofit in the world. United Way Worldwide raises $4.8 billion annually to support families in need across more than 1,800 independent United Way chapters worldwide.
Under Gallagher’s leadership, the United Way, which serves 95% of U.S. communities, has improved its financial reporting standards and increased its use of technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic presented new needs and new challenges for United Way Worldwide, which expanded its home delivery program, working with DoorDash to make more than 20,000 deliveries of food and supplies by late May.
Gallagher is a graduate of Ball State University, where he serves on the board of trustees. He also is a member of the boards of America’s Promise Alliance and Leadership 18. During Barack Obama’s presidency, he was tapped for the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHILDFUND INTERNATIONAL, RICHMOND
Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree from Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, Goddard joined the Peace Corps, serving in Kenya for two years. Before joining ChildFund International (then called Christian Children’s Fund) in 2007, she worked for 20 years with CARE, an Atlanta-based nonprofit championing the rights of women and girls.
As CEO of ChildFund International (one of the largest nonprofits in Virginia, with cumulative gross receipts of $207 million), Goddard directs the organization’s efforts to promote global child protection strategies in 24 countries. She is on the board of ChildFund Alliance, a network of 11 child-focused development organizations around the world. Goddard has also served on the boards of directors for Washington, D.C., nonprofit organizations, including the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, InterAction and the Basic Education Coalition.
In the Richmond area, she has served on the board of directors for the Richmond Forum and on the executive advisory committee for the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business. In 2009, she received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater and also holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION OF AMERICA (CAF AMERICA), ALEXANDRIA
Since Hart took the reins at the global charity in 2012, it has grown 639%. With his expertise in risk management and the regulatory frameworks that govern domestic and international philanthropy, CAF America now sees more than $450 million in annual contributions. This year The Nonprofit Times named CAF America one of the Top 50 nonprofit places to work in the United States.
Because American donors cannot get tax breaks for donating to foreign nonprofits, CAF America accepts funds from U.S. donors who make recommendations on how CAF can support foreign charities. It received $294 million in contributions last year.
Hart maintains a busy second career as a motivational speaker and author, including “People to People Fundraising,” co-authored with James M Greenfield and Sheeraz D. Haji. He also hosts a radio show/podcast called “Nonprofit Coach,” interviewing experts from the nonprofit sector.
Hart is fond of inspirational quotes and has been known to cite everyone from Samuel Johnson to Maximus from the movie “Gladiator.”
PRESIDENT AND CEO, VIRGINIA COMMUNITY CAPITAL, RICHMOND
Virginia Community Capital likes to say it isn’t in the vision business. But without capital, visions don’t become reality and that’s where Henderson and VCC come in. Under her leadership, VCC has leveraged a $15 million state investment into close to $800 million in public and private investments, mainly focused on community development and revitalization and affordable housing. It has created almost 8,000 jobs and financed close to 1,000 projects, including adding nearly 10,000 affordable housing units. Typical investments have included providing the financing for the construction of the William Byrd Senior Apartments in Richmond and the funding to convert a Lynchburg school into apartments for the low-income and disabled.
A Gettysburg College and St. Joseph’s University graduate, Henderson was director of community development at Wachovia and served as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s advisory board for eight years.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MARINE TOYS FOR TOTS FOUNDATION, QUANTICO
With $279 million in private donations last year, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation ranks No. 55 on the Forbes list of the 100 Largest U.S. Charities. Founded in 1947, it has become a staple of holiday giving across the country. During the 2019 Christmas season, it put 18.6 million toys into the hands of 7.3 million children.
Wrapping up the 2019 holiday season included a leadership transition, with Laster taking over from his predecessor of 12 years, Lt. Gen. Henry P. Osman.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toys for Tots hit the ground running this spring to help children stuck at home during the pandemic, partnering with Good360 to provide 2 million toys, books and games to low-income children.
A Dallas native, Laster retired from the Marines in 2017 after a 38-year career during which he served a stint as chief of war plans for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He also performed humanitarian operations in Kenya, was deputy chief of staff for ISAF Joint Command in Afghanistan, and served as chief of staff for the U.S. Special Operations Command.
PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC CHARITIES USA, ALEXANDRIA
In June, Markham marked her fifth anniversary with Catholic Charities USA. She is the first woman to lead the charity in its 110-year history.
An Adrian Dominican sister with a doctorate in clinical psychology, she has served in leadership positions in behavioral health care both in Canada and the United States.
Her background in mental health, service and leadership were cited as key strengths for the organization, which is vast. Commonweal magazine, an independent journal for Catholics, notes, “Outside of the federal government, Catholic Charities is the largest social-safety-net provider in the country.”
Catholic Charities’ programs provide affordable housing assistance, food and nutrition aid and refugee and disaster services. Markham citied chronic homelessness as a priority in November, with Catholic Charities providing housing services to more than 400,000 people.
Markham has used her platform to weigh in on current events such as the Supreme Court’s recent decision on the DACA program and has sought increased funding from Congress for housing programs for the needy.
CEO, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, ARLINGTON
Morris has taken the helm of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at a time when climate change and environmental concerns have become a dominant theme of public policy debate, boardroom strategy and social media discussion.
Morris, who lives in Washington, D.C., became CEO of the Arlington-based nonprofit in May, after working more than 20 years at Conservation International, where she served as COO and became president in 2017.
A graduate of Emory University, Morris earned her master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
In her new role, she oversees an organization that works in 79 countries and territories to balance nature and people, conserve land and water, and bring sustainable practices to cities.
Morris previously served as president of Conservation International and a business development consultant with Women’s World Banking. She also was a member of the United Nations’ SEED Initiative and the Conservation Finance Alliance boards.
CEO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA FOUNDATION, CHARLOTTESVILLE
Rose heads a real estate organization dedicated to providing land for U.Va.’s expansion. He is the steward of about 5,200 acres and associated properties, including the posh Boar’s Head Resort and its Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville.
This year, the foundation showed its commitment to its home region by putting 1,150 acres of land near Thomas Jefferson’s iconic Monticello estate under a conservation easement. Without it, as many as 74 dwellings could have been built on the site. “We did not want to do anything that would be disruptive to the character of that community,” Rose told The Daily Progress.
Rose has made his career in academia and is a former assistant vice president for administration at U.Va., having previously worked at both Ohio’s Miami University and James Madison University.
He has been involved in a long list of regional institutions, including the Albemarle County Police Foundation, the Charlottesville Community Land Trust, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Sustainability Council and the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. He holds a doctorate from U.Va.
CEO, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, ARLINGTON
Sanjayan is a familiar face to many TV watchers. The global conservation scientist has become a go-to expert for shows such as the “CBS Evening News” and has hosted more than a dozen documentaries for PBS, the BBC and National Geographic.
In 2013, a report he did on elephant poaching was nominated for an Emmy. He often is referred to as just Sanjayan, the use of one name being common among the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, where he was born.
Sanjayan’s scientific work has appeared in respected journals such as Science and Nature. The doctor of ecology and evolutionary biology also is a past member of National Geographic Society’s Explorers Council, which provides the Society with expert advice, and he was a 2010 Catto Fellow at the nonpartisan Aspen Institute, tasked with finding collaborative ways to ensure the health of the environment.
In a June 2 message on Conservation International’s website, Sanjayan expressed his anger and despair over “systemic racism” in the United States. Because Conservation International’s mission is to safeguard nature for the well-being of humanity, he announced that Conservation International would be standing with those calling for equality and justice.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE CONSERVATION FUND, ARLINGTON
The Conservation Fund is this country’s only environmental group that is dedicated to twin causes some might consider antithetical: conservation and economic development.
“Conservation is everybody’s business,” says Selzer, the fund’s CEO, characterizing the choice between the environment and the economy as a false one. During a 2016 TEDx talk, he said, “The future of the environmental movement must be based on meeting the needs of people as well as the needs of nature. … America needs jobs and environmental protection.”
Selzer became the head of The Conservation Fund almost 20 years ago and oversees a staff of about 140. The nonprofit works with government, businesses and other environmental groups to protect natural resources in all 50 states. To date, the fund, founded in 1985, has protected more than 8 million acres of land.
Selzer started as a researcher of marine mammals and seabirds at the Manomet Center for Conservation Science and was chair of the Outdoor Foundation and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative boards. He also has an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA, ABINGDON
Two years ago, Charity Navigator ranked United Way of Southwest Virginia among the 10 best United Way chapters out of more than 1,200 nationwide. Staton had a lot to do with that.
Access to health care for the people of Southwest Virginia has been a priority for Staton. Another of his interests has been job training.
In 2018, he told The Roanoke Times that he “was taken aback at the gap between our public and private sectors,” which led to students training for nonexistent jobs while real jobs went unfilled due to a lack of qualified applicants. His response was to create a program to provide career planning for all 29,000 of the region’s sixth- through 12th-graders. Virginia Business magazine named him one of its 100 people to meet in 2020.
EDUCATION: East Tennessee State University (B.S.)
BEST ADVICE: Be great at what you do. The quality of your work and those that you impact in the long run is really what matters.
HOBBY/PASSION: I love the outdoors and enjoy fly fishing for trout.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MARCH OF DIMES INC., ARLINGTON
The first Black person and second woman to lead the 82-year-old March of Dimes, Stewart previously served as the U.S. president of United Way Worldwide, as well as Fannie Mae’s chief diversity officer and senior vice president for its Office of Community and Charitable Giving. She also was president and CEO of the Fannie Mae Foundation, providing support for people seeking affordable housing.
She’s an Atlanta native and holds degrees in economics and finance from the University of Michigan and Georgetown University. Before joining the nonprofit world, Stewart was a vice president at former investment banking firm Pryor, McClendon, Counts & Co. and a senior associate at Merrill Lynch.
Since taking the helm at March of Dimes in 2017, Stewart has focused on the issues of infant deaths and maternal mortality rates, noting in a May interview with Authority Magazine that the number of pregnancy-related deaths among Black and brown women who are 30 or older is approximately four or five times that of white women. She also launched a COVID-19 Vaccine and Support Fund this spring to support research and education.
