Featured Speakers
Speaker Information
Keynote Speaker
Stacy Palmer
Editor of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Stacy Palmer has served as a top editor since The Chronicle of Philanthropy was founded and has overseen the development of its Web sites. She is also co-editor of the Chronicle Board Report, a newsletter for nonprofit trustees.
She has appeared frequently on radio and television to offer commentary on news in the nonprofit world. She is also editor of “Challenges for Philanthropy and Nonprofits,” a book published by the University Press of New England that collects three decades of observations by the nonprofit activist and Chronicle columnist Pablo Eisenberg. Before she joined The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Ms. Palmer was editor for government and politics at The Chronicle of Higher Education. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations. She has been an active alumna, serving on numerous alumni boards, including chairing the Brown Alumni Magazine and serving on the Women’s Leadership Council.
Featured Speakers
Henry Berman
CEO - Association of Small Foundations
Henry Berman brings to the CEO role a wealth of experience in managing people, projects, and budgets in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Berman entered the field of philanthropy in 2003 as successor trustee for a longtime family friend who established a foundation to be funded upon her death. In his role as foundation president and co-trustee, he helped launch the foundation, working closely with grantees and evaluating funded programs. He remains a full trustee and continues to be involved in the foundation’s giving. He has also served as a trustee for a number of other charitable trusts.
David Bowers
Vice-President/Market Leader - Enterprise Community Partners
David Bowers is vice president and Washington, D.C., market leader for Enterprise. His work includes facilitating affordable housing and community development deals in collaboration with government agencies, lenders, for-profit and nonprofit developers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In addition, his office provides capacity building and technical assistance to local nonprofit developers. Enterprise’s Washington, D.C. office also participates with local coalitions advocating for increased resources for affordable housing and community development. Since coming to Enterprise in 2004, the company has provided more than $325 million in capital to support affordable housing efforts in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, creating or preserving more than 6,000 homes. During David’s tenure, the office has initiated its Faith-Based Development Initiative, a transit oriented preservation/resident displacement prevention initiative (GreenPATH) and the D.C. Green Communities Initiative. He currently serves as a board member of the Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance, City First Enterprises, City First Homes and Jubilee Housing.
In July 2004, David completed his service as a program manager for a single-family housing program at the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust. Prior to joining the Trust, David was a financial and programs advisor at the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. In that position he developed and managed CDFI’s compliance monitoring review system. From 1995 to 1999, he worked in the office of U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, at the time the ranking member of the Senate VA-HUD Appropriations Committee. David served as the senator’s senior legislative assistant, with responsibility for analyzing and providing policy recommendations on legislation pending before various appropriations subcommittees.
David earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University. He is the founder of the all-volunteer NO MURDERS DC movement, launched in 2000, and a founding member of the Greater Washington chapter of 100 Black Men.
Rod Helm
President of Grant Writing USA
Rod Helm is president of Grant Writing USA and Grant Management USA. Under his leadership and in partnership with his wife, Rebecca, the companies deliver more than 150 grant writing and grant management training events each year. The companies also provide advisory services to a highly select group of proposal teams and grants offices.
Prior to incorporating Grant Writing USA in 1996, Rod worked as a freelance proposal writer. His most enjoyable work was building human potential through workforce development and gang abatement programs.
Rod and Becky have two daughters and reside in Las Vegas.
Phil Maestri
Director, Risk Management Service, U.S. Department of Education
Federal grant funds available today have reached an unprecedented level thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Where there is money there is always risk – risk of waste, misuse and theft. Along with the increased funding comes an unprecedented call for transparency and oversight to minimize that risk. Hear some ideas to help keep your grant funds from wandering.
Mr. Maestri has over 37 years of management experience in the public and private sectors. Prior to joining Federal service in 1991, Mr. Maestri provided financial consulting and training services to corporate clients. He also has over 20 years experience in the banking industry, most recently as regional vice president for a large national bank. At the Department some of his activities included coordinating financial improvement activities such as financial planning and training, audit follow-up activities, debt management and other accountability issues.
The Risk Management Service, a unit within the Office of the Secretary of Education, implements a diverse portfolio of projects including developing grant policy and training, identifying risks in the Department’s grant programs and assisting states and other grantees to manage risks involved in implementing federal programs.
Bob Ottenhoff
President and CEO of GuideStar USA, Inc.
GuideStar's President and CEO, Bob is responsible for the strategic execution of the GuideStar mission, fundraising to support this mission, and is the liaison with GuideStar's board of directors. Bob has 25 years of management experience in public broadcasting and high-tech companies, including 9 years as chief operating officer of the Public Broadcasting Service. He currently serves on the board of Vision TV, Grameen Foundation USA, AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, and the e-Philanthropy Foundation. Bob holds a master's degree in planning from Rutgers University. He is a frequent speaker on nonprofit and philanthropic trends, and he has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, ESPN, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Huffington Post, and many more.
Patrick Rooney
Executive Director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
Patrick M. Rooney is Executive Director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice worldwide.
A nationally recognized expert on philanthropy and charitable giving, Dr. Rooney speaks frequently across the country on issues related to philanthropy and management of nonprofit organizations and has been quoted by national news media outlets such as PBS’s Nightly Business Report, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA Today.
Dr. Rooney previously served as the Center’s Chief Operating Officer and served as the Director of Research from 1999 to 2008. Dr. Rooney also led the Center’s ongoing research projects, including the research and writing for Giving USA, which is produced by Giving USA Foundation. He has served as a board or committee member for several nonprofit organizations, including the Techpoint Foundation, the Rollins College Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center, United Way of Central Indiana Strategic Planning Committee and the Children’s Bureau of Indianapolis.
A professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies at IUPUI and a member of the graduate school faculty at Indiana University, Dr. Rooney is a prolific researcher with an extensive body of published research. He earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Notre Dame and a Certificate of Management Development at Harvard University.
Trish Tchume
Director of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN)
After almost eight years of engaging with the network as a volunteer, Trish Tchume is proud to be serving as the first-ever Director of YNPN National. Prior to becoming Director of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) in 2011, Trish served as Director of Civic Engagement for the Building Movement Project (2008-2011) and as a Campus Organizer, a Community Outreach Manager, and the Director of Training for Idealist.org (2004-2008), all following years spent doing community development work via city government and academia. Over the years, Trish has received a number of awards and recognitions for her engagement of young nonprofit professionals including her selection for the inaugural class of Independent Sector NGen Fellows in 2009. Trish equally credits her rich Jesuit education, her strong Ghanaian roots, and a severe case of middle child syndrome for her commitment to engaging as many people as possible in the important work of building a just and equitable society.
Trinity Tomsic
Deputy Executive Director of Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS)
Trinity Tomsic is the Deputy Executive Director of Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS), a national organization that examines the fiscal impact of federal budget and policy decisions on state budgets and programs. Prior to joining FFIS, Ms. Tomsic was the Director of the Grants Management Division for Maryland's Department of Human Resources (DHR). Ms. Tomsic also analyzed state budget and federal funding issues while working for the National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Association of State Budget Officers.
She holds a MA in Economics and a BA in Communications, Law, Economics and Government from the American University in Washington, DC.