Author: Center for Nonprofit Excellence

CNE Announces Dr. Mariane Asad Doyle as New Executive Director

Posted on January 31, 2024 by - Press Release

Charlottesville, Va. – Today, Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) announced Dr. Mariane Asad Doyle as its new executive director. Dr. Asad Doyle will assume responsibility on February 1 and succeed Cristine Nardi who served as executive director for 15 years.

“We are deeply excited about Mariane joining CNE,” said Nathan Walton, CNE Board Chair. “She brings a wide array of passions and skills related to relationship building, community-based programming, and organizational management, but also has specific expertise in the roles of equity and advocacy in nonprofit practice. Mariane embodies a unique balance of conviction and humility that I am convinced will benefit not only CNE, but communities throughout Virginia.”

Asad Doyle most recently served as Chief Culture Officer at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, where she leveraged more than two decades of experience as a passionate advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in nonprofits, public education, and human resources. She previously served in leadership roles with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the William S. Hart Union High School District, and as a lecturer in educational leadership and policy studies at California State University, Northridge.

Additionally, she currently serves on the board of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce as chair of the public policy committee, is a member of the budget committee for the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, and is a long-range planning advisory committee member for Albemarle County Public Schools.

As executive director, Asad Doyle will lead the strategic planning, operational management and advocacy efforts of CNE to strengthen partnerships, build nonprofit capacity, and address structural inequities in the social impact sector.

“I am deeply honored to uphold the remarkable legacy of CNE and long-time executive director, Cristine Nardi, who served as the guiding force in steering the organization from its infancy to the impactful powerhouse it is today,” said Asad Doyle. “I am enthusiastic about propelling us into the future, championing nonprofits to thrive as sustainable organizations that play a pivotal role in serving the community and humanity at large.”

Asad Doyle attained a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership and Higher Education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She lives with an incredibly supportive husband of nearly 20 years, two wonderful children, and what she describes as “the best dog in the world.”

There are more than 35,000 nonprofit organizations in Virginia, representing a quarter of the public service workforce. Since 2005, CNE has been a primary resource for the nonprofit sector by providing training, leadership development, consulting and technical support, and data, research, and convening to help nonprofit organizations and their leaders grow and thrive.

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About CNE

Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) is a member-driven, community resource for strengthening nonprofits and building a healthy, thriving social impact sector. CNE partners with more than 900 nonprofits and funders statewide to provide leadership development, training and consulting, and data, research, and convening so we can all live in a more equitable, thriving, and just Virginia.

Dear CNE Community From Cristine Nardi

Posted on January 29, 2024 by - Announcement

Dear CNE Community –

After 15 years in conversation, and of learning and growth together, this is my last executive director note to you. The last of anything gives it weight and gives one pause, but marks a beginning too. A beginning of new leadership at CNE, full of possibility. To our members, my colleagues, and the many partners and collaborators who joined with me to build this vibrant community of practice that is CNE, I can’t wait to see what you do next with it.

Because what we surely know now that we didn’t fully at the beginning of this journey is that as community builders, we are each other’s teachers, the wisdom is always right here in the room, and our collective voice is beautiful and powerful.

Nonprofits at their best reflect who we are as a society, what we care about, what we want to change, our aspirations for the future. They are foundational to our democracy, bringing us together to advocate for what’s right and to build communities where everyone can thrive. And this:

Equitable, thriving, and just communities powered by healthy nonprofits is a vision worth striving for.

If you know me you know that I welcome change. I will be staying on as a CNE strategic advisor in the short term, and staying open to what’s next. I always will be drawn to mission-driven work because as a colleague I admire, Martize Tolbert, says so well, “Community work is the best work.”

As a lover of words and an appreciator of the power in how we wield them, I leave you with the last lines of Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb, a poem that I return to over and over in this work:

For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it.
If only we’re brave enough to be it.

With so much gratitude –

Cristine

Celebrating and Saying Farewell to Cristine Nardi

Posted on January 19, 2024 by - Announcement

Dear CNE Friends,

On behalf of the CNE Board, I would like to express how grateful we are for the immeasurable impact that Cristine Nardi has had, not only on CNE, but on the broader social impact sector.  Cristine took the helm at CNE in 2008, and for over 15 years she has tirelessly invested in CNE’s capacity to support thriving, equitable, and just communities in Virginia.

Under Cristine’s leadership, CNE launched an array of initiatives, including the Board Academy, Leaders of Color Circles, and 7 Actionable Principles for a Strong Social Sector. She helped grow CNE’s memberships to include over 350 nonprofits and solidified long-term strategic partnerships throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Cristine’s approach enabled CNE to balance a deep investment in Charlottesville-area nonprofits alongside a commitment to impacting the broader social impact sector through nationally known resources and tools.

Aside from these stellar accomplishments, Cristine has brought insightfulness, poise, and a compassionate spirit to the work of CNE. What I have always admired about Cristine is that she embodies a humble approach that centers the work of local communities rather than herself. This humility has shaped CNE in ways that push us and our partners to ground our work in addressing felt needs that have been voiced by community members, and to position ourselves not primarily as service providers, but as mutual learning partners alongside community members and nonprofits. This approach is a part of Cristine’s legacy. Her success over the past 15 years has demonstrated her authentic commitment, not simply to initiatives and programs, but to real people seeking the flourishing of families and communities.

To honor Cristine as a champion of the sector and CNE, we are pleased to announce the creation of the Cristine Nardi Fund at CNE. The Fund will enable CNE to both meet its mission and advance future priorities, particularly in areas that align closely with Cristine’s passion and leadership. Fund dollars will be invested in building a statewide advocacy network to educate and drive resources to the sector, and to equip nonprofits to advocate, thus strengthening the sector’s ability to be a catalyst for equitable, thriving, and just communities.

Cristine will step away from her official role as executive director at the end of the month. We will soon announce and welcome the next executive director of CNE, who will be starting on February 1. In the meantime, please join me in celebrating the impact that she has had by being an early contributor to this fund, knowing that the seeds she planted will bear fruit for years to come.

– Nathan Walton, Board Chair, CNE

 

Donate to the Cristine Nardi Fund here and leave memories for Cristine by clicking here.