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Valerie
S. Lies, President and CEO
Valerie S. Lies was appointed President and CEO of Donors
Forum, a regional association of grantmakers in June
1987. Donors Forum has a membership of 195 foundations
and corporations and over 1,200 nonprofit Forum Partners.
Donors Forum operates the second largest philanthropic
library in the country serving more than 6,000 individuals
annually through five locations, including four suburban
Philanthropy Centers.
Prior to her joining Donors Forum,
Ms. Lies was Vice President for five years of the Public
Education Fund, a national grantmaking foundation located
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She started her career
in philanthropy at the Otto Bremer Foundation in St.
Paul, Minnesota, in 1974 as a program associate. She
became its first Executive Director in 1977, a position
she held until December 1981.
Ms. Lies has had extensive volunteer
leadership positions over her philanthropic career.
She has served as a board member of the Minnesota Council
on Foundations; as a vice chair and board member of
INDEPENDENT SECTOR; and the Council on Foundations.
She was a founding board member and subsequent chair
of Women and Philanthropy. Ms. Lies chaired a four-year
collaboration between the Council on Foundations and
the Regional Associations of Grantmakers and served
as the founding chair of the Forum of Regional Associations
of Grantmakers. She is currently chair of the board
of the National Center for Family Philanthropy. Ms Lies
is a steering committee member of the Chicago Global
Donors Network and WINGS (Worldwide Initiatives for
Grantmaker Support) in Brussels. Ms. Lies is co-chair
of the Illinois Attorney General's Charitable Advisory
Council. Ms. Lies is a member of The Chicago Network.
Ms. Lies was named Person of the Year
by the Corporate Responsibility Group of Greater Chicago
in 2004. She was named one of The NonProfit Times'
Top 50 Power and Influence leaders in 2005. Ms.
Lies is a member of the Panel on the Nonprofit Sector
and in 2005 she co-chaired the Panel's Government Oversight
and Self-Regulation Work Group.
Claudette
G. Baker, Vice President, Library and Nonprofit Services
Claudette G. Baker is Vice President
of Library and Nonprofit Services at Donors Forum. In
this position, Ms. Baker plans and directs operations
and services of the Donors Forum Library, has oversight
of developing curriculum for technical assistance workshops
and programs of interest to the nonprofit sector, and
oversees the financial growth and revenue production
from library services and activities. Her career has
spanned the for-profit, government and nonprofit sectors
for more than 25 years. She has an in-depth understanding
of the complexities in managing and governing nonprofit
organizations. Prior to returning to the Donors Forum,
Ms. Baker served as the Senior Director of Center Development
for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
Robin
Berkson, Senior Vice President, Membership and External
Relations
Robin Berkson is Senior Vice President
of Membership and External Relations at Donors Forum.
Ms. Berkson is the primary liaison to the membership
and is responsible for all educational services provided
to members as well as membership recruitment and retention.
She is also responsible for providing oversight to special
initiatives involving philanthropy and manages organization-wide
networking and educational events.
Ms. Berkson has extensive experience
in grantmaking, social research and fundraising, and
has been a consultant to philanthropic and nonprofit
organizations. She is the former director of United
Way's Priority Grants and Needs Assessment Program in
Chicago where she facilitated volunteer oversight, produced
city-wide needs assessment reports, and managed grant
making. At United Way, her specializations included
education, employment, poverty, and family life issues.
Ms. Berkson also managed United Way's needs assessment
and grant making that specifically addressed discrimination
in education, employment, health and housing. Her other
nonprofit experience includes proposal writing at arts
and social service organizations. Ms. Berkson is a founding
faculty member of the University of Illinois at Chicago's
online Certificate in Nonprofit Management, a web-based
professional education program offered through the Great
Cities Institute.
Ms. Berkson served on the Committee
on Family Foundations of the Council on Foundations
and participates in planning national conferences for
corporate grantmakers. She has served as Chair of the
Board of Directors of Chicago Women in Philanthropy.
Ms. Berkson holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in philosophy
from UIC.
Moss
J. Cail, Director, Research
Moss J. Cail is Director of Research
at Donors Forum. In this position he oversees the development
of all proprietary research projects and products including
the Directory of Illinois Foundations, Giving
in Illinois and Illinois Funding Source.
Prior to joining the Donors Forum, Mr. Cail served for
several years as the Development Manager for the Arts
& Business Council of Chicago. His diverse nonprofit
experience at organizations in Chicago and throughout
Central New York has included fundraising, developing
programs and research, strategic planning, and numerous
appointments to advisory committees and steering groups.
Mr. Cail holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology
from Hobart College and a M.P.A. in Nonprofit and Public
Management from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and
Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
Robert
W. Eder, Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration
Robert W. Eder is Senior Vice
President of Finance and Administration at Donors Forum.
In his role Mr. Eder is responsible for accounting,
technology, human resources administration and facilities.
Prior to joining the Donors Forum in 2003, Mr. Eder
worked in for-profit business (including the telecommunications
and consulting industries); and for three years as the
chief financial officer of another nonprofit organization.
He has served on a number of nonprofit boards and finance
committees; and has also served as an elected member
of his local public school board of education. Mr. Eder
completed his Bachelors degree in Psychology at Michigan
State University, and an M.B.A. in Economics from the
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Sheryl
McKenna, Director, Technology
Sheryl McKenna is Director
of Technology at Donors Forum. In this position she
oversees all aspects of the organization's technological
infrastructure. Prior to joining the Donors Forum, Sheryl
was the Manager of Technology for a nonprofit membership
association. She has been in the technology field for
15 years. She holds an A.A.S. in Computer Information
Systems from College of DuPage and a B.S. in Business
Administration from Elmhurst College.
Celeste
Wroblewski, Vice President, External Relations
As vice president of external relations for Donors Forum,
Celeste Wroblewski directs the organization’s statewide
marketing, communications, and fundraising activities.
She has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector,
including executive leadership positions in marketing,
communications, volunteer development, fundraising,
and management. Former employers – all based in
Chicago -- include Anixter Center, Lakefront Supportive
Housing, Public Allies, and YMCA of the USA, where she
authored a number of publications, including two comprehensive
manuals, The YMCA Communications Handbook and
The Seven Rs of Volunteer Development.
Celeste was graduated cum
laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in comparative literature.
She has served on the Communications Committee of INDEPENDENT
SECTOR and as board chair of the Jane Addams Center
of Hull House Association. A Fellow of Leadership Greater
Chicago, the class of 1998, she currently volunteers
for her son’s school and for other community causes.
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