Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

RPA Picture The full-time staff of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Melissa A. Berman, President and CEO. Melissa Berman has led Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors since January of 2001. Previously, she served as Senior Vice President, Research and Program Development at The Conference Board, a nonprofit, independent business research organization. She oversaw all research and publications on management practices, including global corporate citizenship and governance. A frequent speaker, Ms. Berman has been profiled in the New York Times and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Her ideas and views have also been featured widely in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Alliance magazine. She has been interviewed on the Today Show and NPR, among other radio/TV programs. Ms. Berman is a director of City Harvest, the Foundation Center and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of Business, where she teaches philanthropy. She is a member of the national advisory panel for New Ventures in Philanthropy and serves as a Judge for the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Citizenship, a presidential award. Ms. Berman holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

Judy Belk, Senior Vice President. Judy leads the organization’s West Coast operations with offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, where she is currently located. Before joining RPA, Judy served as Vice President of Global Public Affairs for Levi Strauss & Co., reporting directly to the Chairman and CEO. During her tenure at the company, Judy also spearheaded the Levi Strauss Foundation, with assets totaling over $120 million. Under her leadership the foundation and company developed a global reputation for its international work in the fight against AIDS, economic development, and anti-racism initiatives. Judy has over twenty years of leadership experience in strategic philanthropy, community relations, corporate citizenship, and non profit management. She currently serves on the boards of the Marlborough School, the Southern California Association of Grantmakers (SCG) and the National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) and is a former member of the board for the Ms. Foundation for Women. She has also recently served as a board member for The Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Judy has written and lectured extensively on organizational ethics, race, and social change. Her articles have aired on National Public Radio and have appeared in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and The Washington Post. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from California State University, East Bay.

Chris Page, Senior Vice President. Chris Page leads the organization’s New York-based Donor Services Team helping individual and institutional donors develop their philanthropic interests and manage their grantmaking activities. Together, the team manages philanthropic programs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and the Caribbean for donors whose interests include the arts, community development, environmental conservation, education, and poverty alleviation. Previously a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, he served in its Rural Poverty and Economic Development divisions for seven years. He was a co-founder and chair of the Foundation’s Affinity Group on Development Finance, a research and grantmaking collaborative comprised of representatives from 11 countries. Prior to joining Ford, Chris led the nonprofit Economic Development Council of Northern Vermont between 1978 and 1992. He is chairman of the board of Community Resource Group, Inc. (Fayetteville AR), a nonprofit organization that helps poor communities in seven states of the mid-South to develop safe drinking water, adequate housing, rural transportation systems and consumer finance services. Chris also serves on the boards of the Northland Institute (Minneapolis, MN) and CFED, formerly the Corporation for Enterprise Development, (Washington, D.C.). Chris holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Southern New Hampshire University’s School of Community Economic Development.

Yolanda Arias, Director of Operations & Human Resources. As Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Director of Operations & Human Resources, Yolanda is a member of the Senior Management team and responsible for providing leadership and guidance on matters related to organizational development. Prior to joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in January of 2000, Yolanda gained organizational experience in the health care field for more than 13 years.

Yolanda earned her B.S. in Health Services Administration from Lehman College - The City University of New York. She also holds certificates in Human Resources Studies from School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and in HR in Alignment and as a Human Resources Generalist from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Additionally, she has taken courses in the Certificate in Grantmaking and Foundations program at the New York University’s George H. Heyman, Jr., Center for Philanthropy.

Travis J. Carey, CPA , Vice President. Travis is Vice President of Finance and Operations at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. In this role, he manages accounting, budgeting, Treasury and all other financial activities for the organization and the Charitable Giving Fund that it operates. He also teaches Advanced Accounting for Not-for-Profits at NYU School of Continuing Professional Education. He holds a B. A. in Accounting from State University of New York at Plattsburgh. He is licensed to practice in New York State.

Prior to joining RPA, Travis was a Director at Kiwi Partners Inc. Kiwi Partners is an accounting firm specializing in not-for profit organizations. As a Director, Travis was a member of the Executive Team charged with overall strategy, client service and management.

Mae Hong, Director. Mae opened the Chicago office of RPA in the fall of 2009. In this role she is responsible for building RPA’s presence in serving individual donors, foundations and corporations throughout the Midwest. Prior to joining RPA, she was the Program Director at the Field Foundation of Illinois, where she oversaw grant making across six funding areas: Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Health, Human Services, and Urban & Community Affairs. Other responsibilities included internal operations and management duties. She also actively participates in local and national philanthropic associations and networks, serving in leadership roles on committees, engaging in public speaking opportunities, and facilitating planning and execution of philanthropic initiatives. She is the immediate past chair of the board of Chicago Foundation for Women and serves on the boards of the Donors Forum and the Project on Civic Reflection. She completed her graduate work in social service administration at The University of Chicago. Prior to entering the nonprofit sector nearly fifteen years ago, , she worked in the publishing industry for several years following her graduation from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Richard F. McKeon, Director. Rich McKeon advises individuals, foundations and corporations on their philanthropic giving. He assists with situation analysis, goal setting, strategic planning and implementation of philanthropic programs. Prior to joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Rich spent five years overseeing the FleetBoston Financial Foundation’s (now the Bank of America Foundation) grant program in the Metro New York market. In this role, he funded hundreds of nonprofit organizations working in community and economic development, youth development, education and arts and culture. He also managed a program for Seedco, a nonprofit community development financial institution, which helps small businesses in New York City in the areas of financing, marketing and business planning. In addition, he spent ten years in management positions for The Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase) and Fleet. Rich was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to Chair the New York City Youth Board of the Department of Youth and Community Development, the largest after-school funder in the U.S. He currently serves as a trustee for the Berkeley Heights Education Foundation. He previously served on the boards of Teach for America New York, Lehman Center for the Performing Arts (Chair) and Contributions Advisory Group (Treasurer). He received his B.A. from Fairfield University, his M.B.A. from Fordham University and also completed the Educational Grantmakers Institute at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

James O’Sullivan, Director. Jim comes to RPA from the John A. Hartford Foundation, where he was responsible for the Foundation’s $64.5 million national Geriatric Social Work Initiative and staffed the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards program. Prior to the Hartford Foundation, Jim served as program officer for grants at the Open Society Institute’s Center on Crime, Communities and Culture and as program officer at the Charles A. Dana Foundation. In his 19-year career, he has worked to create scientific research programs and faculty development grants in neuroscience and neuroimaging, geriatric medicine, nursing and social work, health services research, pharmaceutical trials, and public policy. He also has experience in evaluation, grants management, and finance. Jim is a member of the Founder’s Group of the Opportunity Charter School in New York City, volunteers with Friends of the High Line, and serves on the NYRAG Gulf Coast Recovery Task Force and the National Advisory Board of the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Rae Richman, Director. Rae has more than 15 years experience providing strategic consulting to organizations of all sizes, including family and corporate foundations, leading nonprofits and a wide range of Fortune 500 global corporations. Rae manages the Bay Area office of RPA. Her funding expertise includes climate change and environmental protection, education, and cultural preservation, with focused work in Israel and China. She has also been actively involved in RPA’s leadership on the issue of Mission Related Investing (MRI.)

Rae is formerly a consultant with expertise in corporate social responsibility, meeting facilitation and organizational development. Prior to starting her own consultancy for values-based organizations, she was Senior Manager of Consulting Services at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), working with Fortune 500 companies to facilitate their stakeholder engagement efforts, assist them in implementing more socially responsible policies and practices, and provide counsel on issues of global corporate community engagement. Rae brings to her work a decade of marketing and production experience at entertainment, multimedia and high-tech companies. She received her BA from the University of Virginia and her MBA from the UC Berkeley/Columbia University Executive MBA program. Rae serves as a Board Member and Officer of the Black Rock Arts Foundation.

Walter Sweet, Director. Walter is an advisor for two New York-based family foundations that support nonprofits in the areas of health, mental health, community development, education, and entrepreneurship. He also leads the team that administers Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ charitable gift fund. He served as the senior program officer for the American Red Cross Recovery Grants Program and was a program officer at the New York Community Trust, the nation’s largest community foundation. As Budget and Special Projects Officer for The New York Community Trust, Walter developed a $30 million annual discretionary grants budget; conducted special project grantmaking in the program areas of substance abuse, mental health, human justice, and civic affairs; recommended fund sources for grants; and monitored and evaluated programmatic activities. Further, he served as the emergency grants program officer for the September 11th Fund, a joint fund of The New York Community Trust and The United Way of New York City. Prior to joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, he was Vice President of the family-owned Sweet Analysis Services where he managed contractual agreements for international joint ventures and new business development, including with the U. S. Federal government and military operations. Walter holds a Bachelor’s degree in American History from Columbia University and is board member of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, the Business Outreach Center Network, and Columbia University’s Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing.

Donna L. Christie, Senior Manager. Donna reports to the Director of Charitable Giving and is involved in the day-to-day management of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ charitable giving vehicle, The Philanthropic Collaborative. She also serves as Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining RPA, Donna was Office Manager of The Door - A Center of Alternatives, a large nonprofit youth center in Manhattan. She has worked in law firms in New York City and Washington, DC. She serves on the Board of the International Center for Integrative Studies and has served as editor and production editor of its international, multidisciplinary dialogue by correspondence, The Forum. She is also a New York State licensed massage therapist.

Mitchell Singer, Senior Philanthropic Advisor. Mitch has over twelve years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, and government. Before joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Mitch served as Associate Director of The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California, an academic research center that studies the field of philanthropy. Prior to joining USC, Mitch worked for The California Endowment, a $4 billion conversion foundation that seeks to improve the health of underserved communities in California. At The Endowment, Mitch analyzed trends in giving, managed the foundation’s discretionary grant programs, and spearheaded its ethics programs. He has taught students and foundation staff members about effective philanthropy and has been published in Foundation News and Commentary. Prior to his work at The Endowment, Mitch served as a congressional aide and caseworker for Congresswoman Jane Harman. Mitch serves on the Los Angeles Leadership Committee of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and as a board member of the Mid City West Community Council. He received his B.A. from San Francisco State University and his M.B.A. in Nonprofit Management from American Jewish University.

Donzelina A. Barroso, Senior Philanthropic Advisor. Donzelina has a decade of experience in international grantmaking at RPA, focusing on education, health, and poverty alleviation. She currently leads a donor initiative to improve social services policy and practices in Portugal. In collaboration with leading experts in law, mental health, child development and education, the program is aimed at improving the country’s child protection system and improving access to services and legal protections for victims of domestic violence. Donzelina has served as a consultant to a leading US corporation in its efforts to bring improved technology and practices to small farmers and cooperatives in Angola. In the U.S. she has designed and implemented educational funding strategies for disadvantaged communities in New England. Donzelina previously was affiliated with the Camões Center for the Study of the Portuguese-Speaking World, at Columbia University. In 1998, her interview with Nobel prize winning Portuguese author, José Saramago, was published in The Paris Review. She currently serves on the board of the Portugal-US Chamber of Commerce. She holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, and a B.A. from Barnard College in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Shermane Bilal, Relationship Manager. Shermane serves on the Donor Services Team, where she manages the grantmaking programs of individual donors, collaborative charitable giving vehicles, and the Marilyn M. Simpson Charitable Lead Trusts. She also serves as a Program Officer for the American Red Cross Recovery Grants Program. Much of her funding work focuses on improving the lives of youth, women and girls. Prior to joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in 1992, she served for five years as Grants & Program Manager/Assistant to the Director of Long Island University’s Institute for the Advancement of Mathematics and Science, a National Science Foundation-funded middle school math and science teacher retraining institute. Shermane actively serves on the boards of The Arab-American Family Support Center and on the Clara Muhammad School of Masjid Khalifah. She is also an active member of the Program Committee of Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families and the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE). She has served on the Increasing and Diversifying Philanthropy Committee of the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers. Shermane holds a B.S. from Long Island University and a M.S. in Nonprofit Management from The New School University.

Cheikh Diop, Senior Accountant. Cheikh reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining RPA, Cheikh was the Comptroller of Sloane and Hinshaw, Inc., a specialized management and consulting company servicing grantmaking organizations. Previously, he worked for The Macmillan Publishing Group. Cheikh has extensive experience in financial applications of automated systems, as well as financial analysis and reporting, investment planning and monitoring, tax planning, and developing and monitoring accounting plans. Fluent in French, he has a rich multicultural background, and is an active member of several non-profit community-based cultural and educational organizations in New York. Cheikh graduated from Baruch College/CUNY, with a BBA degree in Finance and Investments, and an MBA in Management and Accounting.

Lauren Russell Geskos, Manager. Lauren oversees the Communications team. She has spent nearly a decade in managerial roles in New York and the Silicon Valley. At RPA, Lauren is responsible for all external communications with RPA’s clients and philanthropic network. This includes RPA’s strategic partnerships and relationships, publications, website, conferences and events, client surveys, presentations and strategic analysis. She is also involved in the organization’s Mission-Related Investing practice and has a strong philanthropic interest in environmental issues.

Prior to joining RPA, Lauren founded an independent communications consulting firm, Highmark, which catered to nonprofit, investment and media companies. Prior to that, she was Manager of the private investor membership of ultra-high net worth families at the Institute for Private Investors, where she established its next-generation program and grew its membership dramatically. She also worked as a Marketing Manager at Menlo Park, CA firm eInnovate.

Lauren earned her B.A. from Stanford University, and has also completed Wharton’s Private Wealth Management course for Investors. She is regularly engaged in a variety of philanthropic activities including her current roles on the Advisory Council of the New York Venture Philanthropy Fund, Communications Committee of Philanthropy New York, and Conference Committee of the Communications Network. She has also been active with the Taproot Foundation, environmental and inner city youth projects, the Brockwood Park School, and she has co-chaired two major benefit concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Amy Holmes, Senior Philanthropic Advisor. Amy administers a variety of client projects, including Afghan Women Leaders Connect, family foundations, a Gulf Coast recovery program, and individual giving programs focusing on environmental conservation, education, the arts, and climate change. She manages youth funding programs, and oversees Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisor’s Washington D.C. Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, which supports grassroots youth development work in Washington’s Wards 7 & 8. Previously, Amy served as Development Associate for the Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center, a settlement house serving Yorkville and East Harlem in New York. She sits on the board of Harlem United, a comprehensive agency providing medical, social, and supportive services for adults with HIV/AIDS whose diagnoses are often complicated by addiction, mental illness, and homelessness, and is a member of the strategic alliance committee. She holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Joanne Greenstein, Philanthropic Advisor. Joanne helps individuals, corporations and foundations determine their philanthropic priorities, manage their grantmaking initiatives and research new interest areas. Joanne comes to RPA with a diverse range of nonprofit and philanthropic sector experience. Most recently before joining RPA, Joanne contributed to grantmaking and programs at the Skoll Foundation, the American Express Corporate Philanthropy Department and the Morgan Stanley Community Affairs Department. For almost five years, she ran the Volunteer Services Department of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. In that role, Joanne focused on donor engagement through volunteerism creating meaningful service opportunities that filled the needs of over 60 nonprofit and educational organizations. Right out of college, Joanne served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, Central Africa. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a MBA from Columbia Business School, where her focus was Social Enterprise.

Pooja Joshi, Philanthropic Advisor. Pooja serves as a Philanthropic Advisor with the Donor Services Team that helps individuals, corporations and foundations identify their philanthropic interests and manage their grantmaking activities. Pooja comes to RPA with a diverse range of experience working in the private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Most recently, Pooja was the sole Program Officer at the Thomas and Jeanne Elmezzi Private Foundation, where she managed all of the Foundation’s program areas and also developed and implemented the Foundation’s Education Funding Initiative, which focuses on K-12 education in New York City. In addition, Pooja has valuable experience in the areas of strategic planning, board development, program development and foundation management. Prior to working at the Elmezzi Foundation, Pooja was a Development Associate at South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a community based organization that works to address the needs of immigrant South Asian youth in New York City.Pooja holds a Bachelors Degree in Business from the University of Mumbai (India) and a Masters Degree in International Marketing and Management from Leeds University Business School (U.K.). She is a graduate and supporter of the Coro New York Leadership Center and its Immigrant Civic Leadership Program. Pooja also serves on the Board of Advisors of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP).

Maryan Newbury, Relationship Manager. Within the Donor Services Team, Maryan manages the grantmaking of several individual, foundation and donor-advised fund clients. The primary focus of her client service management and planning is international grantmaking. She has also contributed to the development of RPA’s grants processing database and related systems, as well as, served as the Chair of the donor database user group. Prior to joining RPA in 1997, Maryan was Grants Manager at the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund for seven years. She has served on the Executive Board of the Grants Managers Network-New York Region (GMN) and the Program Committee of GMN National. In her community, Maryan has volunteered as a yoga instructor and as a karate instructor for children and the disabled. She is currently pursuing a degree in the Thomas Hunter Honors Program of Hunter College.

Julia Parshall, Philanthropic Advisor. Julia conducts grantmaking, research and program design on a range of issues including mental health, disaster recovery, ethnic and women’s philanthropy, and criminal justice reform. She serves as a primary program officer for the Red Cross September 11 Recovery Grants program, which supports long-term recovery through social service, health care and mental health programs. She also advises for the W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s “Cultures of Giving” program. Julia came to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors with diverse experience in development for child welfare and international human rights organizations. She was also a founding member of the Bluestockings Women’s Bookstore Collective, where she implemented community programming relevant to feminist causes and spearheaded an ongoing anti-racism education initiative for volunteers. Julia serves on the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers Special Committee on Increasing Diversity in Philanthropy and the New York Women’s Foundation Grants Advisory Committee. Julia holds a Bachelors degree in English with a concentration in feminist and gender studies from Bryn Mawr College and is a graduate of the Radcliffe Publishing Course.

Sheila Thélémaque, Office Manager. Sheila is responsible for the effective management and efficient day-to-day operations of all office activities including technology utilization. Prior to joining RPA, Sheila worked as an information services specialist for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Sheila is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Kenya from 2004-2006 training the staff of Tulaga Farmers Dairy Co-Operative in the use of personal computers and Microsoft Office applications. Previously, Sheila worked with Permal Asset Management as a Director of Information Systems. There she managed systems development by evaluating current and future business requirements. Sheila received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and her Master of Science in Information Systems from Pace University’s School of Computer Science & Information Systems. Sheila is also fluent in French and Créole.

Gage Weekes, Manager. Gage serves as a Manager on the Strategic Initiatives Team where he provides advice and support to the grantmaking programs of various donors, foundations and corporations. Gage is the project director for Strong American Schools, a $60 million public awareness campaign funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates and Eli & Edythe Broad Foundations to elevate the discourse on K-12 public education reform to make it a top priority in the 2008 presidential election. Prior to joining RPA in 2004, Gage was a Program Associate for El Pomar Foundation focusing on the development of the Penrose Nonprofit Institute, a knowledge center for Colorado nonprofits. He was also a Foundation Associate with the United States Golf Association Foundation specializing in program evaluation for the $50 million “For the Good of the Game” initiative. Gage serves as chairman of the board of the Chelsea Piers Scholarship Fund which provides scholarships to disadvantaged children and youth to participate in after-school athletic programs in New York City. He is also a trustee of a family fund that supports numerous organizations on Long Island in the areas of children and youth, education and the environment. Gage holds a B.A. from the University of Richmond and a M.B.A. from Fordham University.

James McClelland, Senior Associate. James works as a Program Associate with the Donor Services Team. Prior to joining RPA, James worked for three years at the Nathan Cummings Foundation as a Program Assistant in the Environment and Contemplative Practice Programs. His previous experience includes working at the Foundation for a Civil Society, as a Project Manager. James received his B.A. in political science, with a minor in music, from the University of California, San Diego. He also received his M.A. in International Relations and Diplomatic Studies from the University of Westminster (U.K.), Paris Program. James also serves on the New York City Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) steering committee.

Joy Osemwenkhae, Accountant. Joy reports directly to the Director of Finance. Prior to joining RPA, Joy was a Senior Auditor at Deloitte & Touche, LLP specializing in areas of financial services that included auditing mutual funds, hedge funds, funds of funds (Investment Management Industry), Insurance, Private Equity and Wealth Management Industry. Prior to Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Joy also worked at Merrill Lynch as a Collateral Analyst, and National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship as an Accounting Clerk while attending school full-time. Joy has extensive experience in financial reporting and audit applications. Joy is an active member of the National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. Joy graduated from Baruch College/CUNY, with a BBA degree in Accounting, and is currently pursuing her CPA.

Derrick Strachan, Accountant. Derrick reports directly to the Director of Finance. His responsibilities are to maintain the General Ledger and to produce Financial Statements on a monthly basis, providing customer and management financial information for decision making. Prior to joining RPA, Derrick was the Assistant Controller of the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services, a midsize nonprofit organization based in Manhattan. Prior to that, he was the Controller for the Community Associates Development Corporation, a small nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn. Derrick graduated from BMCC and Baruch College earning the Baruch Transfer School Scholarship from General Electric.

Julio Bautista, Associate. As part of the grants administration department, Julio conducts due diligence and grant processing for Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Julio rejoins the staff after working for the Knight Foundation in Miami, FL, and The Fund for the City of New York. While at the Fund for the City of New York, Julio worked as part of the Beacons Technical Assistance Team, which provided assistance and youth development training to the staff members of 81 New York City Beacon Programs that worked closely with disconnected youth. Julio was a Philanthropic Assistant with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors from 2001-2004. He has a B.A. in Marketing from Long Island University, C.W. Post College.

Kate Lane, Executive Assistant. Kate provides administrative support to Melissa Berman, as well as the Senior Management Team and the Board of Directors. Prior to joining RPA, Kate worked as the Front Office Coordinator/ Legislative Correspondent for Congressman Christopher Shays in Washington, D.C. Kate received her Bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies, with a focus in Political Science, from Columbia University.

Erica Minor, Senior Administrative Assistant. Erica provides support to the Foundation Services team. Prior to joining RPA, Erica worked as an administrative assistant in the Corporate Giving department at National Grid, where she gained an in-depth understanding or corporate philanthropy. Erica graduated from Long Island University in 2008 with a B.S. in Marketing.

Laura Delman, Assistant. Laura provides support to Rae Richman as well as to the Satellite Offices Team. Prior to joining RPA in August of 2009, Laura worked at the San Francisco-based non-profit International Forum on Globalization, where she worked as Program and Administrative Associate, conducting program research in issue areas ranging from climate change to indigenous rights. She also acted as head of production, research and design on IFG’s recent publication, Summary Report on the Strategy Session: Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and led the production of several IFG conferences. Laura graduated from the University of Washington in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and minors in Human Rights and Law, Societies and Justice.

Bryan Diaz, Assistant. Bryan joined Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors as an Assistant to the Operations Team in 2008. Previously, Bryan served in the United States Armed Forces for eight years, and he attended the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University concentrating in computer science. Bryan holds a mechanical engineering certification from Apex Technical School and is a Licensed New York State Real Estate Agent.

Josh Dooley, Assistant. Josh provides support to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Grants Management team. Prior to joining Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors in 2007, Josh worked as a Community Relations and Marketing Coordinator for Shore Health Services, a community-owned healthcare conglomerate in Virginia. He also gained experience in the nonprofit sector as a grant writer for a local theater group. Josh is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned his B.A. in Philosophy.

La Shonda Handy, Receptionist. La Shonda joined Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors’ Operations Team in July of 2008 as Front Desk Receptionist and is responsible for maintaining a professional front office operation. La Shonda holds a professional culinary certification from Kingsborough Community College and currently hosts an urban cooking show, contributes articles to various online food blogs, and is interested in continuing her education in sustainable agriculture.

Melissa McMahan Heynen, Finance Assistant. Melissa joined RPA’s Finance Team in 2009. Prior to joining RPA, Melissa served as Director of Educational Partnerships for Food for the Hungry in Kigali, Rwanda, where she was responsible for its semester abroad program. Among other things, her responsibilities included managing the budget, overseeing fundraising activities, and participating in developing student curriculum focused on the Rwandan genocide, the peace process, and the roles of Westerners. Melissa holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Greenville College and a M.S. in International Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University.

Julian Himes, Communications Assistant. Julian provides support to the Communications team under the direction of Lauren Russell Geskos. Before joining RPA in fall 2009, Julian worked as a features editor for Amie Street, an independent music start-up based in Long Island City. Julian graduated from Columbia University in 2007 with a degree in Comparative Literature and Society, and held editorial positions at the school’s Council for European Studies and the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.

Kate Mulligan, Assistant. Kate provides support to Judy Belk and Mitchell Singer, as well as the rest of the Satellite Offices Team. A native of New York, Kate most recently worked in both New York and Los Angeles for a finance company that provided loans to small-businesses. While there, she held several positions in the areas of client retention and business development. Kate brings to RPA a strong background in business finance and client outreach as well as a personal commitment to community service. Kate is a graduate of Fordham University where she received her undergraduate degree in anthropology, one of her many passions. While at Fordham, Kate was an active member of the Global Outreach Program, a cultural immersion and service program. She also has been an active volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Midnight Run, a New York-based program providing food and clothing to the homeless.

Simon Rosen, Assistant. Simon provides support to the Grants Management Team under the direction of Walter Sweet. Prior to joining RPA, Simon served as a paralegal at the Legal Aid Society in Utica, NY. In this role, Simon researched and drafted legal memorandums for numerous cases. Previously, Simon interned with the William J. Clinton Foundation, where he gained an initial interest in philanthropy. Simon graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies, and Economics.

Tej Shah, Philanthropic Assistant. Tej works as a Philanthropic Assistant and supports the Donor Services team. Prior to joining the Rockefeller team, Tej worked as a Talent Associate at the Acumen Fund where he focused on talent development, compensation and performance management across Acumen’s worldwide offices. Tej graduated with an MBA from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University in 2007. In 2006, Tej spent the summer as an associate at Aavishkaar Micro Venture Capital Fund, focusing on development of socially relevant investment programs. His prior experience includes developing a children-based software education business line as a manager at Boston Education and Software in Mumbai. He previously volunteered in relief programs for victims of the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India and organized medical aid for civilians during the Kargil war. Born in Boston and raised in India, Tej is also fluent in Hindi and Gujarati.

Haley Zernich, Assistant. Haley provides support to Richard McKeon as well as to the Strategic Initiatives Team. Prior to joining RPA, Haley worked as a paralegal at the Federal Trade Commission in the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Division of Advertising Practices, where she gained an interest in the intersection between the public and private sectors to effect change. In this role, she provided investigatory and legal support. Haley graduated from Oberlin College in 2007 with a B.A. in Politics.