2024 Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort

The Bridging Differences Leadership Cohort is a facilitated virtual learning experience meeting monthly from April 2024 through November 2024, hosted by the Council on Foundations in partnership with the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (GGSC). Cohort members expressed their interest in the course through an application process and were selected to be a part of the program. This course will support the work of the Council's Building Common Ground Strategic Pillar.  

Meet the cohort (listed alphabetically by organization):

Celia Yapita, Community Leadership Director, Albuquerque Community Foundation

Adina Shapiro, Board Director, Bader Philanthropies, Inc.

Joni Chacich, Talent and HR manager, Bush Foundation

Mattie Harper DeCarlo, Grantmaking Officer, Bush Foundation

Benja Hutchens, VP of Human Resources and Administration, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Kelly Walberg, Vice President of Communications, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Meredith Lewis, Senior Director of Community Impact and Partnerships, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

Emily Quinlan, Director of Public Policy, Dogwood Health Trust

Lacey Bailey, Director, Excellerate Foundation

Chinedum Nnodum, Director, Community Strategies, Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Inc.

Elaine Mintz, Vice President, Strategy & External Relations, Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Inc.

Rebecca Cordero, Manger, CNE, Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Inc.

Ryan Deal, Director, Community Philanthropy, Fairfield County's Community Foundation, Inc.

Heidi Curtis, Senior Director, Community Leadership and Education, Florida Blue Foundation

Amanda Simon, Head of Press and Social Media, Ford Foundation

Michael Dabbs, Senior Director of Impact, Gill Foundation (CO)

Devon Turner, Director of Nonprofit Leadership and Effectiveness, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Kellie Chavez Greene, Vice President for Programs, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Roy Williams, Director of Grantmaking, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Amy Blanchard, Program Manager, Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation

Nicole Brua-Behrens, Executive Director, Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation

Priscilla Lisicich, Board Member; Secretary, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation

Richard Woo, Board Member, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation

Hollie Mowry, Community Leadership Associate, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (FL)

Kelly Borgia, Strategic Engagement Manager, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (FL)

Sasha Pyatte, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, Gulf Coast Community Foundation (FL)

Estefany Benitez, Program Manager, Hideo Sasaki Foundation

Heather McDanel, Senior Program Officer, Independence Foundation

Chris Harris, Senior Director of Development, Kansas Leadership Center

John McMurtry, Executive Director, Lake County Community Fund

Leah Anyanwu, Program Specialist, LEGO Foundation

Ariella Saperstein, Director, Viewpoint Diversity Initiatives, Maimonides Fund

Jessica Mindnich, Sr. Director of Strategic Learning & Evaluation, Mellon Foundation

Alejandra Arquisola, Strategy and Partnerships Manager, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

Samantha Hernandez, Sr. Public Health Researcher, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

Sandra Martinez, Vice President of Strategy & Partnerships, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

Vanessa Tobares, Health Equity and Strategy Manager, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas

Raven Newberry, Managing Director, Policy and Advocacy, National Endowment for Financial Education

Jessica Mulcahy, Senior Director, Success Measures Philanthropic Evaluation Strategies, NeighborWorks America

Chetna Tandon, Director, People and Culture, Northwest Area Foundation

Evan Jones, Program Officer, Pacific Foundation Services

Sarah MacCarthy, Senior Director of Equity and Impact, Park City Community Foundation

Christy Connolly, CEO, PATH Foundation

Madeleine McMahon, Programme Manager, Porticus

Simeon Mawanza, Challenge Lead, Porticus

Carrie Simon, Director, RMLow Foundation

Kristin Silvani, Learning Specialist, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Oktawia Wojcik, Learning Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Rachel Bland, Learning Associate, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Catherine Chiabaut, Program Officer, Robertson Foundation For Government

Ricardo Huerta Niño, Director & Senior Initiative Officer, Great Communities Collaborative, San Francisco Foundation

Maggie Martinelli, Chief Operating Officer, Scranton Area Community Foundation, Inc.

Linsey Morrison, Founder/Advisor, Sunny Springs Group

Kristin Eldon Whylly, Senior Grants Manager, Templeton World Charity Foundation

Venentia Cambridge, President & COO, Templeton World Charity Foundation

Kate Shatzkin, Director, Strategic Communications, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Laura Speer, Director of Strategy, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Quincy Crecelius Click, Director of Communications, The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region

Candace Kita, Program Officer, Arts & Culture, The Kresge Foundation

Danielle Goonan, Managing Director, Economic Policy Investments, Equity & Economic Opportunity, The Rockefeller Foundation

Elizabeth Way, Program Officer, The Telluray Foundation

Ryanne Jennings, President/CEO, The Wayne County Community Foundation

Dave Zastrow, Donor Services Associate, Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing

Juliana Kerr, Senior Program Director - Migration, Walder Foundation

Rebecca Lynn Petersen, Director of Development, West Central Initiative