Governance / Board Development

John Corwin has worked for 40 years in the nonprofit/public interest sector. He has served as interim CEO for 10 nonprofits undergoing leadership transition. His insight into nonprofit leadership also comes from working in the nonprofit sector as Executive Director of The Glaucoma Foundation and practicing public interest law at The Legal Aid Society, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the New York Attorney General’s office, where he was Chief of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau. Mr. Corwin is a member of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, the American Society of Association Executives, Governance Matters, New York Technical Assistance Providers (NYTAP), and Board Source. He graduated from M.I.T. and Harvard Law School.

John E. Brothers is a recognized leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic arena with more than 20 years experience. He is a national expert in the field of executive leadership, nonprofit effectiveness, sustainability, and assisting organizations in their growing and declining stages.

Brothers has a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University, an MPA in Nonprofit Management from New York University, and an MBA in Public Policy from American University. He has also studied at Georgetown University and the London School of Economics. Dr. Brothers is an adjunct professor in social welfare policy at Rutgers University; in nonprofit management at New York University; and recently served as a Visiting Scholar at the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University. He has served in multiple fellowships, including engagements with the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs and the Children's Defense Fund.

Dr. Brothers is also the Editor of the Journal for Nonprofit Management and a Senior Fellow with the Support Center for Nonprofit Management. He is a popular blogger with the Stanford Social Innovation Review and recently collaborated on a book about nonprofit leadership with SAGE Publishing. His latest book,  Building Nonprofit Capacity: Strategic Tools for Managing Change was released by Jossey-Bass in October 2011.

Dr. Brothers, a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), is also the Principal of Cuidiu Consulting, a consulting firm serving nonprofit, philanthropic, and government efforts throughout the world. He has been a nonprofit executive in several local, regional, and national nonprofit efforts, including serving as a CEO, COO, and numerous programming roles. Dr. Brothers gravitated toward nonprofit work as a result of his experiences growing up in poverty in Minneapolis, MN.

Dennis Miller is president and CEO of Dennis C. Miller Associates Inc. located in Denville, New Jersey. The firm specializes in providing a wide range of strategic advisory services to healthcare, educational, and nonprofit community organizations as well as to corporate foundations. These services include strategic planning, organizational assessment, board and leadership development, CEO and board chair coaching, succession planning, and philanthropy. Dennis has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience.

Previously, Dennis was president and CEO of Somerset Medical Center and Somerset Healthcare Foundation, a major New Jersey teaching medical center and healthcare foundation, from 1999 to 2004. Under the leadership of Dennis as president and CEO, Somerset Medical Center became one of the top medical centers in the state and won a national award for patient satisfaction from Press Ganey. Dennis also completed a $30 Million capital campaign, much larger than the size of any previous hospital campaign.

Dennis is the recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives Senior Executive Award, Citizen of the Year from the Boy Scouts of New Jersey, and Business Leader of the Year from the Somerset County Business Partnership.

Dennis is a motivating speaker and frequently requested board retreat facilitator. He brings passion and a wealth of personal experience and practice knowledge to his clients. Dennis is the author of “A Guide to Achieving New Heights: The Four Pillars of Successful Nonprofit Leadership” and The Nonprofit Board Therapist: A Guide to Unlocking Your Organization’s True Potential. He writes regularly for The Nonprofit Times, the country’s leading business publication for nonprofit management.

Geri Stengel is A "graduate" of the corporate world, Geri is also a mentor and teacher, who is up to date on the latest and best marketing practices, including technology and social media.

At Ventureneer, Geri uses Web 2.0 technology to make networking and learning affordable, convenient, and effective, and to market Ventureneer's services. Yes, she tweets, blogs, networks on LinkedIn and Facebook, and tracks the results of each.

Bottom line: Geri knows teaching, she knows nonprofits, and she knows social media so she can help you bring your marketing, development or fundraising plan into the 21st century without numbing your mind with jargon or "computerese."

Marc W. Halpert is Managing Partner, Your Best Interest LLC and its divisions: e-giving and connect2collaborate.
Since leaving the corporate world in 2001, Halpert has started two companies offering paperless electronic payment services to optimize the cash flow of and speed collections to:

• retailers, particularly small- and mid-sized businesses (Your Best Interest LLC)
• professional and membership groups, and not-for-profit organizations (e-giving).

In his latest business, Connect2Collaborate, Halpert uses his skills in networking and his LinkedIn evangelism to train and coach others. Connect2Collaborate gives business people with whom he connects the opportunity to become clients of his customized cash flow and payment services. Everyone benefits simultaneously: improved business cash flow and new business collaboration.

Maria Semple is principle of The Prospect Finder LLC, an organization that helps nonprofit organizations and financial advisors identify their best matches for donors or client prospects. Her firm specializes in prospect research on high-net-worth individuals, foundations. and corporations. She also provides training seminars and webinars for staff members who wish to augment their prospect research skills.

Semple is a highly sought-after speaker whose past speaking engagements have included the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, and New York University’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising. In 2007, she authored two downloadable and interactive prospecting tools, which include an extensive compilation of research resources.

Kathy Keeley, Principle, The Keeley Group,  has been a social entrepreneur and executive for more than 20 years. She has been a nonprofit consultant for the last 10 years, providing strategic planning, consulting, facilitation, and coaching services to nonprofit organizations and small businesses. Keeley focuses on social enterprise and business planning. She has worked for small and large boards, and consulted with more than 100 boards in the last 10 years. She regularly provides board development training and consulting to her nonprofit clients.

Keeley has started five nonprofit organizations in her career. The Women’s Economic Development Corporation (WEDCO) is the best known: It was the first loan fund for women-owned businesses in the US. 

Keeley is the former Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Minneapolis, worked for the Corporation for Enterprise Development in DC, and has worked for Weidner, Inc. providing strategic planning and performance-based plans to large urban departments throughout the US.