Panelists

BIOGRAPHY

Bex (they/them/theirs) holds a degree in public and nonprofit administration from Grand Valley State University, where they began their nonprofit career in development as a student fundraising specialist for the school's alumni association. Professionally, Bex has worked in fund and resource development both as an on-staff development specialist as well as a consultant for nonprofits spanning the entire US, from small shop to internationally-scaled organizations They earned their CNP credential in 2021, and their Certified Fund Raising Executive credential in 2022,

Outside of their day work, Bex is the President & founder of Welcome Home Neighbors, a community re-entry program for citizens returning from incarceration to West MIchigan. They also volunteer with Alpha Phi Omega, where they have served in roles spanning from Chapter Advisor to Section Chair.

Bex has a special interest in risk management, strategic planning, and relationship cultivation.

In what little time remains in their day, Bex enjoys traveling with their husband Brian and their two young children- all of whom are Disney fanatics.

Session

• Title: Volunteerism: Raising the Bar!
• Description: Attend this live panel to learn from four experts in volunteerism. They will discuss how volunteerism has changed, and how to create rewarding volunteerism experiences that are accessible to everybody. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Erica Davis has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services, Nonprofit Management, and Recreation from Missouri Valley College. Erica is proud to be an alum of the CNP program!  A current student in Executive Business Administration at the University of Missouri -- Kansas City.

Before joining the staff at the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, Erica served for 10 years as a Senior District Program Director at the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. She started at the Y, as a volunteer supporting families in the Love and Logic program.  Throughout her career she has devoted time to serving families, building communities, supporting fundraising efforts, and enhancing relationships between partners. 

She lives by the Maya Angelou quote, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude”. Her peers would describe her as eager, personable, engaged, and spontaneous.

When Erica is not working, she is engaged in numerous activities. Erica believes it takes the entire community to make a difference.  She is passionate about supporting Youth Development Programs, BBBS, Homeless Shelters, Mental Health, and Lupus Awareness.  Over the weekends, Erica enjoys spending time with family/friends, traveling, hosting parties, and attending charity events.

Session

• Title: Volunteerism: Raising the Bar!
• Description: Attend this live panel to learn from four experts in volunteerism. They will discuss how volunteerism has changed, and how to create rewarding volunteerism experiences that are accessible to everybody. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Nikki serves as the Director of Program Effectiveness at Camp Fire National Headquarters. Nikki has been with the Camp Fire network for over eight years, first serving at a local affiliate before promoting to the national level. Nikki leads the national program team to increase program capacity and ensure effectiveness. Her areas of concentration include youth protection/abuse prevention, assessment, and program framework application. Nikki founded and is a member of “Just HQ”, an employee-led group that fosters an inclusive and equity-focused workplace. She holds a BA in Psychology from Kansas State University and a master’s certificate in Non-profit Management from the University of Texas, Arlington. Nikki is an alumna of the American Express Leadership Academy, a global community of high potential social purpose leaders, and a Certified Nonprofit Professional. She is passionate about creating conditions where ALL youth can reach their full potential through safe, positive, equitable youth development experiences.

Session

• Title: The Nonprofit Workplace: Make It Inclusive, Engaging, and Rewarding
• Description: Attend this live panel to hear from four panelists with decades of nonprofit experience. Their discussion will focus on making workplaces inclusive and engaging for everyone. The panelists will share their lessons learned and provide recommendations. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded.

BIOGRAPHY

Russell Harris Jr. is a Chicago, IL native and the first male to graduate from College in his family. In college, Russell was a 3X All-American in Track & Field and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fitness Management. Russell went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Organizational Management and Leadership from Ashford University- Forbes School of Business. In 2013, Russell studied business at Stanford University then education in 2015 at Harvard University, GSE – Principal’s Center.

At the age of 25, Russell became a High School principal at the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit, where under Russell’s leadership, over 98% of all senior classes graduated and gained acceptance to post-secondary opportunities, making the academy a top open-enrollment charter school in the city of Detroit. In 2018 Russell was elected Chair of the Board of Directors for the Black Male Educators Alliance, a nonprofit focused on the development and retention of black male educators.

Russell founded a company providing consulting support to national nonprofit organizations, where during the pandemic he helped launch virtual and in-person Boys and Girls Clubs across metro Detroit. In 2021 Russell became the CEO at Soar Detroit, a nonprofit focused on curbing illiteracy rates among 2nd and 3rd graders in the city of Detroit. Russell also serves as an engineer in the Army National Guard.

Russell and his life welcomed their first child, Kyndelle Belle in 2021 as well. Russell loves serving the community and mentoring young men. He is currently in the process of launching a public charter, all-boys boarding school in Flint, MI

Session

• Title: Fundraising: The Good, the Bad, and the Future
• Description: Fundraising is on the minds of nearly every nonprofit professional. Join this live panel to hear from four nonprofit development experts as they share their perspectives on what's unique about fundraising right now, what are some of the biggest challenges, and how they think the industry is going to evolve. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Polly Roach is Program Director at the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement, supporting Service Enterprise, a holistic change management process helping organizations strategically deploy volunteer talent to better achieve their missions. Polly has worked in the volunteer engagement field for over 30 years. Before joining MAVA’s staff in 2018, she served on its Board of Directors, chairing the Strategic Directions Committee, and received MAVA’s Mary Wiser Award for Leadership in the Field of Volunteer Resources.

Session

• Title: Volunteerism: Raising the Bar!
• Description: Attend this live panel to learn from four experts in volunteerism. They will discuss how volunteerism has changed, and how to create rewarding volunteerism experiences that are accessible to everybody. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Tim Sarrantonio is an internationally renowned speaker on generosity, technology, and the trends in the social good sector. After helping various causes raise over $3 million, he then moved into providing support for thousands of nonprofits through his work at Neon One. He has spoken at AFPICON, NTC, TEDx, and holds a Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology from the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. He lives in Niskayuna with his lovely wife, three lovely daughters, and two perfectly fine cats.

Session

• Title: Fundraising: The Good, the Bad, and the Future
• Description: Fundraising is on the minds of nearly every nonprofit professional. Join this live panel to hear from four nonprofit development experts as they share their perspectives on what's unique about fundraising right now, what are some of the biggest challenges, and how they think the industry is going to evolve. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Susan Schaefer helps nonprofit leaders fund their priorities through major private grants. She is an author, speaker and consultant whose firm, Resource Partners, guides clients to secure their largest, most impactful foundation and corporate partnerships.

She has written and contributed to multiple books for the sector and has taught fund development at Johns Hopkins University. Susan writes a monthly series of articles called Major Grants (majorgrants.substack.com).

Session

• Title: Fundraising: The Good, the Bad, and the Future
• Description: Fundraising is on the minds of nearly every nonprofit professional. Join this live panel to hear from four nonprofit development experts as they share their perspectives on what's unique about fundraising right now, what are some of the biggest challenges, and how they think the industry is going to evolve. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Alyssa Turcsak (she/her/hers) serves nonprofits in Michigan and beyond through her work as Outreach Coordinator for Nonprofit Network, a capacity-building organization that strengthens nonprofit governance and management. She is passionate about meeting people where they are.

Alyssa’s past professional experiences include working for a local community foundation and an international nonprofit (NGO). She has supported missions in varying stages of the nonprofit lifecycle through advocacy, fund development, programming, and nonprofit governance strategy. Alyssa is passionate about harm reduction, mental health, civic engagement, and healthy boundaries.

Off the clock, Alyssa loves to be outside in nature, tuning in to the local city council meetings, enjoying a good meal, hosting Sober in Lansing social meetups, and playing video games on her Nintendo Switch. She lives in Lansing, Michigan with her partner and their beloved cat.

Alyssa is a proud first-generation college student, having earned a BA from the University of Northern Iowa. She holds a credential called Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) from Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. You can connect with Alyssa on LinkedIn or by email at alyssa@nonprofnetwork.org.

Session

• Title: The Nonprofit Workplace: Make It Inclusive, Engaging, and Rewarding
• Description: Attend this live panel to hear from four panelists with decades of nonprofit experience. Their discussion will focus on making workplaces inclusive and engaging for everyone. The panelists share their lessons learned and provide recommendations. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded.

BIOGRAPHY

Enola has an MPA from the University of Missouri with a specialization in nonprofit administration. She has over 15 yrs of experience in the non-profit sector as an executive director, grant writer, DEI specialist, volunteer coordinator, and board member. She is currently a Senior Associate with New Chapter Coaching, LLC and volunteers her time as part-time Executive Director of Columbia Entertainment Company. Enola was an honorable mention for COMO Magazine’s 2022 Impact COMO Most Impactful Executive Director and a 2022 recipient of the Columbia Salvation Army Women Doing Good Award.

Enola is a classically trained saxophonist and woodwind specialist. When not working or home with her two dogs, Jazz and Aria, she can be found performing in pit orchestras for mid-Missouri theatre companies.

Enola’s Strengths include: Maximizer, Developer, Input, Arranger, Adaptability

Session

• Title: The Nonprofit Workplace: Make It Inclusive, Engaging, and Rewarding
• Description: Attend this live panel to hear from four panelists with decades of nonprofit experience. Their discussion will focus on making workplaces inclusive and engaging for everyone. The panelists will share their lessons learned and provide recommendations. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded.

BIOGRAPHY

Debbie recently earned her CNP thanks to her participation in American Express Leadership Academy in 2020. Debbie's educational background is a BA Degree in Communications and an MBA in Marketing. In addition, she has worked for the last 15+ years in elevating and promoting the work of non-profits throughout New York City and Puerto Rico. She's also organized many fundraising galas for non-profits.

Session

• Title: The Nonprofit Workplace: Make It Inclusive, Engaging, and Rewarding
• Description: Attend this live panel to hear from four panelists with decades of nonprofit experience. Their discussion will focus on making workplaces inclusive and engaging for everyone. The panelists will share their lessons learned and provide recommendations. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier has twelve years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has collectively raised approximately $5 million for over 75 organizations. She currently serves as Executive Director of Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership and runs her own nonprofit consulting firm, AQP Consulting, where she helps grassroots nonprofits with fundraising strategy, strategic planning, board development, and grant writing.

Allison is a vocal advocate for gender parity, closing the wage gap, and ending the motherhood penalty. With accolades such as AFP’s Outstanding Young Fundraising Professional, Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30, NBJ’s 40 Under 40, Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders, 2021 National Latino Leader, and 2022 Women Who Rock Nashville Social Justice Award, Dr. Quintanilla Plattsmier is a true emerging leader in the Middle Tennessee community.

Session

• Title: Volunteerism: Raising the Bar!
• Description: Attend this live panel to learn from four experts in volunteerism. They will discuss how volunteerism has changed, and how they create rewarding volunteerism experiences that are accessible to everybody. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded. 

BIOGRAPHY

Michelle Flores Vryn, CFRE has 15 years of nonprofit experience, raising funds for environmental conservation, higher education, and civic engagement. She has worked in all facets of development: major gifts, institutional giving, membership, capital campaigns, special events, and annual giving. Before joining OneStar as Chief Development Officer, she worked in international fundraising. Michelle sees herself as a lifelong learner, disruptor, and cross-sectoral community-builder. She is a proud board member of Mission Capital and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Global. When not at work, Michelle enjoys watching beauty and interior design tutorials on YouTube, meditating, and spontaneously dropping in on live music around Austin.

Session

• Title: Fundraising: The Good, the Bad, and the Future
• Description: Fundraising is on the minds of nearly every nonprofit professional. Join this live panel to hear from four nonprofit development experts as they share their perspectives on what's unique about fundraising right now, what are some of the biggest challenges, and how they think the industry is going to evolve. Join this session live to ask your questions directly to our experts! Don't worry if you can't attend the live event. It will be recorded.