Consultants

Frank Abdale has been teaching fundraising and advocacy at the Support Center since 2009. He is Principal of Abdale Consulting is the co-author of “Practical Abundance: A Comprehensive Guide to Fundraising and Development for Nonprofits.” Frank has a proven track record of successful grant writing as well as writing and editing numerous publications, articles, and manuals. He has helped design two on-line grant application processes for the funders Altria Group, Inc. and MAC AIDS Fund. As an Executive Director and a consultant he has successfully submitted numerous on-line grant applications and trained staff at several agencies to do the same.

Janice Alderman has worked in development for more than 25 years. Through JAZ Consulting, she has provided more than 20 organizations with annual campaign, major gift, foundation and corporate fundraising consulting, managed grant writing, lead strategic planning initiatives, created communications strategy, trained board members in development, aided in board development and provided copywriting. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Development for Children’s Aid and Family Services in Paramus, NJ and served as the Director of Development for Women in Cable and Telecommunications.

Babette Baker has over 30 years of experience supporting nonprofits, businesses, and municipalities in program design/development, process facilitation, grants administration, fiscal management, marketing, and program assessment/evaluation, as a consultant and nonprofit professional. Her background includes developing viable economic and community development projects. She has served as a Peer Reviewer for federal, state, and local government (New York, Oklahoma, and New Jersey) and several foundations in areas including education, community engagement, health care, youth programming, homeless programming, AIDS/HIV, public art, economic development, and housing. She also spent five years at Edison Schools, one of the largest charter school management companies in the country, serving in several management positions including Director of Community Engagement and Director of Operational Support. She has managed multiple profit/loss units, engaged ethnically and linguistically diverse communities around educational issues, and provided operational support for over 25 charter schools around the country.

Babette holds a BA in English with a minor in African/American Studies from Colgate University, and has completed coursework in the Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation Program at Syracuse University. She graduated from the Leadership Greater Bellevue/Redmond program, was a Fellow in the National United Way Program on Nonprofit Leadership, and has earned certificates in Community Leadership and Economic Development from NeighborWorks. Ms. Baker has written a community engagement and a parent engagement manual.

Lee is an Affiliate Consultant with the Support Center and the Principal of LWB Consulting. Lee consults on organizational structure and development, HR operations and strategy, system evaluation and implementation, risk management, and coaching and mentoring. Lee’s background is in a variety of businesses including government and healthcare to risk management and multi-service organizations. In addition to HR and operations, her responsibilities have spanned corporate communications, program implementation and hospital administration in the non-profit and healthcare worlds of New York City. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and began her career in City government working in the Mayor’s office for Mayor Ed Koch on social service issues. Lee serves as an executive board member for a local community organization as well serving on the board of non-profit organization that supports international work.

Lisa has extensive experience in finance, strategy and planning in a range of business environments. She specializes in organizational strategy and business planning, financial management, evaluation of funding needs and resources, and market research. Following a 20+ year career in finance, Lisa transitioned her focus to the nonprofit sphere out of a desire to use her expertise to strengthen organizations in the sector. In addition to independent consulting, Lisa has worked for Wellspring Consulting (strategy consulting), FINCA International (development) and the Taproot Foundation (program management). Lisa has also served on several nonprofit boards, including Lutheran Social Services NCA, Quality Services for the Autism Community, and the Banyan School.During her finance career, Lisa was a securities analyst, on the sell-side and in institutional asset management, and a banker with firms including Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers, and JPMorgan Chase.

Lisa received her MBA with a concentration in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and her BA in economics from Duke University.

Ted Geier, an Affiliate Consultant with Support Center, is a lifelong New Yorker who, since graduating from Fordham University at Lincoln Center in 1981, has been creating and building cultural and other nonprofit ventures, raising tens of millions of dollars, producing thousands of special events, and distributing films for the world’s leading producers.

Ted founded the nonprofit capacity-building organization Cause Effective in 1981 and led it through 1995 providing consultation and training to more than 2,000 nonprofits, publishing three books on nonprofit special events, and producing more than 500 special events, including seven annual New York Folk Festivals.

In 1995, Geier, founded CineMuse, a social venture that distributes video content from BBC, Discovery and others to museums, science centers.

In 2004, Ted founded LOVE, HALLIE Foundation to promote youth philanthropy, helping young people improve their communities and the world. LOVE, HALLIE has, through initiatives with Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela Foundation, and others, reached more than 60 million people worldwide.

Keith H. Green is an accomplished Senior Executive, Thought Leader, Speaker and Facilitator with more than 30 years of success in nonprofits and defense. Leveraging extensive experience in organizational administration and operations as well as direction of training programs and staff in not–for–profit, commercial, and industrial environments, he is a valuable asset for health and wellness companies or programs for Education and children, of various sizes and stages of growth that are seeking expert assistance with project management, creating structure around human capital, staff development, strategic planning, or policy and practice development. His broad areas of expertise include board governance, strategy, strategic planning, business planning, and human resources.

As a veteran Board Member, Keith currently holds seats on the Board of Directors for University Hospital-­Newark, Programs for Parents, Inc, and Boys to Leaders Foundation. He has served as a Member on dozens of community organizations, schools, and nonprofits. He holds a Bachelor of Science – HRM from the Union Institute & University and completed the Executive Leadership Program at UCLA as well as the Advanced Leadership Program with United Way Worldwide.

Gilles Mesrobian is an Affiliate Consultant at Support Center. He is also on the faculty of Bard College’s MBA in Sustainability where he teaches Personal Leadership Development working with MBA students to develop leadership competencies utilizing a personal mastery approach.

His professional credentials include over 26 years of senior management experience in the nonprofit arena, with nearly 20 years as an Executive Director. His consulting experience covers a broad range of organizational work in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector, including executive leadership transition, organizational assessment, executive search, strategic planning, and leadership development.

In addition to his consulting work, Gilles facilitates several leadership training programs including the New York Power Authority’s MBA program and the New York Foundation for the Arts’ year-long leadership program, funded through the American Express Leadership Institute.

Laurel Molloy is Founder and CEO of Innovations Quantified (IQ), a consulting firm that has been helping organizations increase their impact since 1999. Through program planning, implementation, and outcome measurement services, IQ has served an international client list that includes the Actors Fund of America, Atlanta Womens Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs, FDNY Counseling Unit, and the International Labor Organization.

Laurel Molloy began teaching public workshops at the Support Center | Partnership in Philanthropy back in 2001. Since then, she has expanded her involvement to include a wide variety of customized on-site trainings and ongoing consulting engagements. Over the years, Laurel’s work with the Support Center has involved both nonprofits and foundations. Select clients include the Brooklyn Museum, CASES, Fortune Society, Horizon Foundation, New York City Department of Small Business Services, Open Society Foundations, PSE&G Foundation, Noel Pointer Foundation, The Partnership for a Healthier New York City, and Westchester County Youth Bureau.

Tonia has been affiliated with the Support Center for over 20 years as a consultant, interim financial officer and workshop facilitator. She has over 30 years of international and domestic experience in the areas of financial analysis and management, strategic and business planning, treasury management and outsourced CFO. She has served as CFO for almost two dozen nonprofit organizations throughout the NY metro area and has worked with domestic and international nonprofits to create and implement strong internal controls, install nonprofit fund accounting systems, create financial reporting systems, and develop investment policy statements. She has had successful client engagements through the Support Center including but not limited to New Jersey Community Capital, Helen Keller Services for the Blind and SCAN. She leads workshops on financial issues including budgeting, financial statements, audit preparation and investment policy statements. She has been an adjunct professor at Adelphi University, Columbia University, and New School for Social Research. She holds an MBA from Columbia University Business School, an MS in Urban Planning from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Historic Preservation and a BA from Macalester College. Tonia Papke is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, providing expertise in investment management and retirement plans to nonprofit organizations and individuals.

Wendy Seligson is an Affiliate Consultant with the Support Center and founder of Wendy Seligson Consulting, a nonprofit management consulting firm specializing in business and financial planning, organizational systems development, coaching and professional development and strategic approaches to managing risk. With over twenty years as senior executive and chief operating officer in New York City nonprofits, Wendy is experienced at managing complex nonprofit organizations. As the Associate Executive Director of the 14th Street Y from 2007 through 2015 , Wendy managed the Y through a period of rapid growth in which the program size and revenue doubled over five years; she is particularly proud of her work at the Y building high functioning teams and mentoring and developing talented middle-managers to achieve these results. Wendy has JD from New York University School of Law and an undergraduate degree from Duke University.

Sharmila utilizes her expertise in leadership development, program implementation, resource development and communications, advising clients on operations, strategy, board development, multigenerational engagement, grantmaking and community outreach activities. She is also an adjunct associate instructor in the nonprofit management master’s program in the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University in New York, a 21/64 certified trainer in multigenerational philanthropy, Exponent Philanthropy peer coach, and mentor for philanthropy/nonprofit leadership development programs. Additionally, Sharmila is a philanthropy and nonprofit consultant at SRT Advising & Consulting in New York City.

Previously, Sharmila was appointed the first non-family executive director of the Siragusa Family Foundation in Chicago, directing operational, programmatic and administrative functions of the organization and advising on the same for their nonprofit grantees. She has held leadership roles on several boards and committees involving issues of women and children, immigrant communities, education and public health, and building philanthropic leadership and the capacity of the nonprofit sector.

A native New Yorker, Sharmila recently relocated back to Staten Island, NY after spending the past 17 years in Chicago. She holds an MPH from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, an MPA from the Columbia University School of International & Public Affairs, and a BA in International Relations from Brown University.

Dart Westphal brings over 25 years of experience to his work as an organizational development consultant. Formerly the President/Chief Executive Officer of the Mosholu Preservation Corporation in the Bronx, he coordinated multi-family acquisition and rehabilitation, cooperative conversion, condominium new construction and provided technical assistance to landlords and small businesses in the community. He has been instrumental in developing the Bronx River Alliance, developed new funding methods for supportive housing, created a Business Improvement District and started a nonprofit newspaper. He has wide experience in real estate development, community collaborations, environmental and faith based organizations.

Dart also served in positions with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and the South Bronx Open Space Task Force. As part of the Support Center’s team, Dart is collaborating on the development of the Trajectory Leadership Project and is part of a multi-disciplinary team developing a new corporate structure for a national nonprofit. Mr. Westphal holds an M.A. in Anthropology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and is bilingual in English/Spanish.

Robin specializes in the areas of strategic planning, strategic partnerships, program design and implementation, and organizational management. In her work as a nonprofit consultant, she enjoys bringing people together to achieve a common goal.

Previously, Robin spent 26 years at IBM, where she managed acquisitions and divestitures, negotiated outsourcing agreements, and helped launch new businesses and brands at the company.

She currently serves on the board of the Berkshire Kripalu Community, and has previously served on the boards of Denver Partners and Colorado Women’s Employment and Education. Robin received her BS from Vanderbilt University, an Executive MBA from the University of Colorado, and a Certificate in Arts Administration from NYU.

Marie Zieger has over 30 years experience working with nonprofit organizations, including eight years as Executive Director of Support Center for Nonprofit Management in New Jersey and eleven years as a Senior Consultant with Support Center in New York City. Prior to her work with Support Center, she served in several management positions with the United Way of Morris County. Marie trains and consults nationally as well as internationally for nonprofit organizations of various sizes in the areas of executive transitions, board development, and strategic planning and fund development. Her work includes Executive Director coaching; facilitation of Board retreats; and Board & Staff coaching. She has led several nonprofits in successful executive transitions. These include: The Rodale Institute, Fellowship on Reconciliation (FOR), YWCA of Union County, NJ Reads, Art Pride NJ, and St. Columba’s Neighborhood Center. Marie has conducted hundreds of management training workshops focusing on Strategic Planning, Fund Development Strategies; Asking for Funds; and Board Roles & Responsibilities. She has trained for the Open Society in the Ukraine and Croatia and annually trains for the Kansas Health Foundation. Over her career, Marie has utilized her diverse skills to support a myriad of clients including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton Area Community Foundation, Aids Resource Foundation for Children, YWCA of Bergen County, Council Of Better Business Bureaus, NJ Small Business Development Centers, Wight Foundation, and The Center for Constitutional Rights to name a few.