Maryfrances Porter, Ph.D., Founder of Partnerships for Strategic Impact™, brings over 20 years of experience in research and using data in leading local change initiatives across service sectors. Partnership for Strategic Impact helps nonprofits, governments, foundations, and corporations demonstrate the impact of their work, and get their data working for them. She completed her B.A at Emory University in 1996, and received her Master’s in clinical psychology at the University of Virginia (U.Va.) in 2001. In 2005, Dr. Porter completed her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at U.Va. with an emphasis on community psychology. She is a licensed, clinical psychologist.

To connect with Maryfrances, please visit our Ask CNE page:

Amy’s consulting expertise includes strategic planning, board development/governance work, board and staff meeting facilitation, organizational development, Executive Search, and resource development. Her over 40 years as a senior philanthropy professional includes work on both sides of philanthropy- as a nonprofit executive and development professional and as a corporate and foundation grant maker. Amy brings her unique experiences in both asking and giving along with strategic thinking, sensible fiscal management, effective communication and facilitation to her consulting work.

Amy is also a Certified Governance Trainer with Board Source and is trained in nonprofit Board education. Along with her work as a consultant, Amy serves as the Executive Director of the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, which is a private-independent foundation that grants more than $5-7 million annually to nonprofits in the Commonwealth of Virginia for capital projects. Prior to her current work, Amy served as Vice President and Community Affairs Manager for Wachovia Corporation from 2005-2008, covering the three-state Mid-Atlantic Region of Virginia—Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.

Amy combines her professional and personal experiences with best practices to help nonprofits make informed decisions and build internal processes to become stronger, more stable organizations.

To connect with Amy, please visit our Ask CNE page:

Suzanne Miller has 18 years of fundraising experience including special events, annual giving, capital campaigns, and grant writing. She has worked in the fields of higher education, community non-profits, and private secondary schools. Ms. Miller became an Associate Trainer for Zocklein & Associates in 2003, conducting national grant writing workshops.

With the creation of her own company, Skill Set Partners, LLC, she conducts fundraising, educational, and human resource seminars for businesses and non-profits. She continues the public grant writing workshops throughout the Eastern U.S. in conjunction with Arrive LLC. Former clients include a hospital, YMCA, community non-profits, and private secondary and higher education institutions.

Ms. Miller completed her undergraduate degree in Business with an emphasis in marketing/management from Mary Baldwin College. While working in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Development she earned a Masters in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in Institutional Advancement. In 2001, Miller and the College Designer won a CASE Award for their capital campaign report.

Sherica Jones-Lewis is Director of Community Research at The Equity Center at the University of Virginia. She works to ensure that community-based research is responsible, respectful, and effective. This starts with asking questions and listening — she does not presume to know or understand the needs of all stakeholders but is a great listener and allows collective voice to drive the decision-making process. Many people are data driven, but Sherica is also community informed and that is what sets her apart. She has worked to hone her skills in strategic planning, project management, and program evaluation. Sherica finds joy in helping to build sustainable processes for evaluation and measurement. The Equity Center is a UVA Democracy Initiative Center for the redress of inequity through community-engaged scholarship

For the past twenty years Mary Davis has worked as a mediator, facilitator, trainer, and coach for organizations in both the public and private sectors. She has extensive substantive and practical knowledge in the areas of collaborative decision making, conflict resolution, negotiation, and leadership. She is originally from Virginia but has spent the last two decades in Colorado and New Mexico working for two nonprofits focusing on complex multi-party policy stakeholder deliberations. Mary Davis holds a Master’s of Counseling and a Master’s of Planning and Policy from the University of Virginia and is certified as a coach by the International Coaching Federation.

Cindy Fredrick has 30 years of professional experience in the fields of non-profit management, constituent engagement and volunteer community service. At the University Virginia, Cindy leads the alumni and parent engagement office where she as a founding staff member and prior to this role served as the Executive Director for Madison House, the student volunteer center. Prior to her work at U.Va., she served as the Associate Director for the Virginians Aligned Against Sexual Assault, Managing Director for Theatre for Children, and Director of Social Services, Admissions and Recreational Activities for long term care facilities. Cindy is an active volunteer the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and has served as a faculty member for four national programs, speaker for two webinars, chair for district conference and board member for CASE District III. At the community level, she served as chairperson for the Charlottesville Social Service Advisory Board, Virginia Campus Outreach Opportunity League, and the Jefferson Area Board for Aging Retired Senior Volunteer Advisory Board. In addition, she has served as a board member with the Field School, Charlottesville Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and Offstage Theatre. Cindy has presented over 50 times at the local, state and national level on volunteer management, board development, grant writing, strategic planning, program evaluation, educational travel and alumni and parent engagement. Cindy holds a B.S.W. in Social Work from Luther College and a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from California State University.

Victoria’s experience covers an array of activities in development, from annual fund work for small and mid-sized nonprofits to major gift and corporate development in a large healthcare setting. In her role as consultant for The Curtis Group, she is responsible for a variety of clients’ planning studies, trainings, and campaign management.

Prior to joining The Curtis Group, Victoria served as the Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations for Bon Secours Hampton Roads. There she oversaw all grant writing activity while also managing a major gift portfolio of individuals, as well as local and national corporations for three hospital foundations. Victoria has completed specialized fundraising training through The Advisory Board, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, AFP International, the Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council, and the Virginia Fund Raising Institute.

Victoria holds a BA from The College of William and Mary. She serves on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Hampton Roads chapter and the Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council, and is Program Chair for the Virginia Fund Raising Institute. Victoria currently serves as Steering Committee member and Projects chair of the Downtown Norfolk Council’s DT100, is co-chair of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Future Leadership Partners, and is a member of the Virginia Aquarium’s Aquarium Connection. She is also a current member and past board member of the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach. In 2015 Victoria was selected by Inside Business as a top “Forty Under 40” honoree, recognized for both her career and community accomplishments.

Ms. Walden has over a decade of community development experience working with a diversity of practitioners and residents to transform communities. She leverages her experience as an urban planner and community builder to design and facilitate community workshops, trainings and engagement processes that explore race, equity, and the creation of more just and inclusive communities.