Development Professionals Group
This group is for those who juggle the many facets of development and who are looking for new ideas and solutions from colleagues. In collaboration with Association of Fundraising Professionals, Colorado Chapter, Tonya Kelly and DeAnn Acosta facilitate this group. Topics include: major gifts and planned giving, event planning, and grant writing.
**This group is currently full. To be added to the waitlist, complete the interest form.
Tonya Kelly
AFP Board Member and Director of Development
With more than 19 years program, fundraising, and board leadership experience, Tonya has dedicated her career to the nonprofit community. She is currently the Director of Development for DU’s Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, where she works closely with alumni, friends, and community members to increase philanthropic support for the liberals as well as campus-wide priorities. Additionally, Tonya has worked in a variety of local and international nonprofits, including Summer Scholars, Denver Botanic Gardens, Rocky Mountain Institute, and Mount Saint Vincent. She currently sits on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she most recently served as the VP of Mentoring. Tonya is also active on the boards of the Developmental Disabilities Resource Center and serves as Board Vice President for The Arc of Colorado. She spent many years facilitating for the Colorado Department of Education’s Parents Encouraging Parents Conferences. Tonya is a Colorado native with a BA from the University of Denver and holds a Nonprofit Management graduate degree from Regis University.
DeAnn Acosta
Executive Director
AFP - Colorado Chapter
DeAnn has over 20 years of experience in fundraising, ranging from direct response, planned giving, capital campaigns, grant writing, special events, and donor database. She is currently the Executive Director for AFP Colorado Chapter. She spent 10 years with the Denver Rescue Mission and managed their robust direct mail program. DeAnn is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a member of AFP Colorado Chapter. She is a graduate of Boston University.
Experienced Executive Directors Group
We have two groups for seasoned, experienced executive directors and CEOs who have been in the role 3 or more years. The focus of the monthly group sessions is directed by the specific needs of the group and offers the opportunity to discuss the challenges of leadership that surface with organizational and board changes, evolving program and staff requirements, and the need for greater personal resilience with ongoing revenue and growth goals. Sharing of personal experiences and best practices, along with a confidential and open environment with professional colleagues, makes this a must for those in the “top job” in the organization. Kevin Seggelke and Christie Doherty facilitate these active and engaging groups.
**These groups are accepting new members. To learn more complete the interest form.
New Executive Directors Group
This group is for newer executive directors and CEO's who have been in the role less than 3 years. This group is for those seeking greater clarification and ease with management and leadership issues. A new topic is presented each month ranging from work/life management to leadership development. Christie Doherty also acts as the facilitator for the New ED Group.
**This group is currently full. To be added to the waitlist, complete the interest form.
Kevin Seggelke
Retired President and CEO
Food Bank of the Rockies
Kevin D. Seggelke retired as President and CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies on June 30, 2018, a position he had held since January 2003. He received his BA in History from St. John's University (MN) in 1978 and his JD from William Mitchell College of Law (St. Paul, MN) in 1983. He is also a 1994 graduate of Cornell University's (Ithaca, NY) Food Industry Management program and a 2005 graduate of Cornell University's Executive Leadership Program. Prior to joining Food Bank of the Rockies, Mr. Seggelke spent 23 years with Supervalu, Inc. in a number of positions including Management Trainee, Store Manager, Franchise/Training Director and the last 10 years as VP/Division Director & General Manager of Cub Foods' Colorado Division. He was awarded an inaugural Livingston Fellowship by the Bonfils Stanton Foundation in 2005.
He is currently board secretary for Senior Housing Options, Inc. He is the past chair of the board of directors at RAFT (Resource Area for Teachers), past board member of Hunger Related Events (Taste of the NFL), past chair of Feeding America's National Council, past chair of the board of directors of the Colorado Nonprofit Association, past chair of Hunger Free Colorado, past member of St. John's University Strategic Planning Committee, and past committee member of the Denver Healthy Food Access Initiative. He is an avid reader (history) and golfer. Kevin and his wife, Shannon, have three sons and seven grandchildren.
Christie Doherty
President
Trinity Partners, LLC
Christie Doherty is the President of Trinity Partners, LLC, a business performance consulting firm that specializes in leadership and organizational development, executive coaching, and workforce transformation. Trinity Partners brings together the components of People, Performance and Profit into an integrated strategy aligning all key elements of the enterprise to achieve superior performance, employee engagement, and a sustaining culture for now and the future. Her extensive corporate and non-profit experiences have given her a unique perspective of the challenges and opportunities of leadership in small and large for-profit and non-profit firms.
Former Vice President in Sales, Marketing and Operations in the telecom and cable industries, Christie has extensive experience working with large, multi-state teams with revenue responsibility of over $3.2 billion. She also held a number of executive positions in Strategic Planning, Customer Operations, Human Resources and Organization Effectiveness.
Christie was a founding member and CEO of the Leadership Investment, a nonprofit focused on the development and advancement of women in business, giving her hands-on experience leading and managing an evolving and expanding non-profit.
Active in the community, Christie is Chair of the Women’s Collaborative for Colorado, Board Member for St. Francis Center, former Board Member of the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, and Women Powering Change. Christie has a passion for nonprofits and enjoys the opportunity to work with them as clients, colleagues, and partners in the community. Specific areas of interest are working with diverse communities; hunger and homelessness; workforce
development; and the advancement and support of women.
Finance, HR, and Operations Group
This group is for leaders involved in the operational aspects of running a nonprofit who want to improve their organization’s practices, policies, and procedures. The group provides space to discuss topics ranging from risk management and insurance to HR best practices to accounting and financial management. A new topic is presented monthly, and group members are encouraged to submit topics they would like to cover.
**This group is currently full. To be added to the waitlist, complete the interest form.
Angela Schreffler
Vice President
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center
Angela has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 10 years, most recently as the executive director of the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (DRMAC), a Project of CNDC. During her four years at DRMAC, Angela helped grow the organization from one to five employees, created new programs, and more than doubled the Project’s budget. Prior to DRMAC, Angela was the Heartland Tree Alliance Manager at Bridging the Gap in Kansas City, Mo. She has served on a number of board and committees throughout her career, and now volunteers with several local organizations, including the Whittier Neighborhood Association, where she resides. Angela has also completed the Mountain States Employers Council Executive Leadership program, and has a master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management. Away from work, Angela enjoys gardening, hiking and traveling.
Volunteer Management Professionals
Effectively integrating volunteers to enhance your organizational results is a distinct challenge for nonprofits. Community Shares is proud to offer this Executive Leadership Institute group for only those people who direct a volunteer program or seek to engage volunteers in an impactful way. Spark the Change of Colorado's Director, Senior Companion Program Laura Kinder, facilitates this lively group experience.
**This group is accepting new members. To learn more complete the interest form.
Leaders of Color
This group is for leaders of color involved in the nonprofit sector who want to connect, motivate, and empower themselves and their peers as they navigate throughout their careers. This group is for leaders that work in various positions throughout the organization. This group provides space to discuss topics including leadership, inclusion, ethics, personal experience, success, challenges, and strategy to overcome obstacles facing leaders of color today. A new topic is presented monthly, and group members are encouraged to submit topics they would like to cover.
*This group is open to leaders at ALL levels of the organization!
**This group is accepting new members. To learn more complete the interest form.
Emily Shamsid-Deen
Principal
ESD Consulting, LLC
Our Leaders of Color group will be led by none other than Emily Shamsid-Deen, Founder and Principal at ESD Consulting. A thoughtful nonprofit leader known for dynamic group facilitation and training, Emily provides facilitation and consultation services to help nonprofits elevate their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to provide concrete and realistic steps to integrate it into the fabric of their organizations. Emily will bring her expertise to help guide and provide support to leaders of color within the nonprofit sector. Emily holds a Master of Nonprofit Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Black Studies. Prior to serving as Principal, Emily served as the Community Engagement Manager at Community Resource Center!
Fundraisers of Color
This group is for Black, Latin-X, Indigenous, and other persons of color who serve in a resource development capacity at their organization. Emerging as well as established fundraisers serving at direct-service, capacity-building, as well as philanthropic entities are welcome. Fundraisers of Color provides a peer-to-peer space for individuals belonging to a marginalized racial community to share experiences, stories, and advice as they have navigated fundraising and philanthropy as a profession. Tough professional experiences will/do happen, and participants are welcome to share within a supportive, encouraging, and confidential setting. This group is also meant to increase professional development capacities that will translate into growth opportunities within the field. As a result, guest speakers can and will be invited throughout the year to share expert knowledge in various areas of resource development, philanthropy, mission advancement, and/or fundraising. Agility is key to the group format; however, topic introduction along with supporting materials are shared with participants each month prior to the meeting.
**This group is accepting new members. To learn more complete the interest form.
Courtland Powers-Gunnells
Director of Development
Oklahoma Faith Network
Courtland J. Powers-Gunnells serves as the Director of Development for the Oklahoma Conference Churches. She is a native of Oklahoma City, OK graduating from the only Historically Black College University (HBCU) in the state, Langston University, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management. She went on to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Nonprofit Leadership from Oklahoma City University as well as a Master of Business Administration degree in Organizational Development from Oklahoma Christian University.
After spending a few years in Corporate America, she spent the last eight years in the nonprofit sector honing in on fundraising, resource development, and capacity-building while previously serving as a Fundraising and Program Development Consultant for a Dallas-based firm consulting nonprofit organizations located in various regions across Texas, Director of Philanthropic Partnerships for Community Shares of Colorado, and the Director of Development & Finance for the Oklahoma Conference of Churches.
Courtland is passionate about identifying pivoting methods for program development and supporting nonprofit development efforts via fundraising strategy, fund development, and sustainability with a diversity, equity, inclusion, and access lens. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Women of Color in Fundraising & Philanthropy (WOC), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) where she serves as the Fundraising & Endowment Committee Chairman for her local chapter. She also serves as the facilitator of the Fundraisers of Color virtual support group on behalf of the Executive Leadership Institute of Community Shares of Colorado and serves as a steering committee member of a giving circle for Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. In her spare time you can find her spending time with her daughter Noa and husband Jermaine, hiking, writing resource development articles, executive coaching, and reading.
LGBTQ+ Professionals
This group is for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer nonprofit professionals. We will discuss issues of identity in the workplace, how our lived-experiences influence our work, and other topics determined by the members of the group.
*This group is open to leaders at ALL levels of the organization!
**This group is accepting new members. To learn more complete the interest form.
Daniel Ramos
Daniel Ramos is the Executive Director of a Colorado-based nonprofit focused on protecting democracy, improving equity and expanding the civic engagement ecosystem in Colorado. Before taking on this role in 2020, he served as the Executive Director for One Colorado - the state’s leading advocacy organization for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families.
Ramos is an active member of the Colorado community and has served on the Board of Directors for New Era Colorado and Community Shares, and as a Commissioner on the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission. He currently serves LGBTQ Victory Fund Campaign Board, the board of the Equality Federation, and as a Trustee of Colorado Mesa University and the Rose Community Foundation.
Ramos is also an adjunct professor at the University of Denver, teaching courses on Public Policy & Advocacy and Community Engagement & Empowerment. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and his Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.