July smorgasBoard: Diversity in numbers and an unsually eclectic set of assignments & placements

Recent placements on the BoardWalk
...announced since our last smorgasBoard:

Roger Dermody headshot

Roger Dermody

Deputy Executive Director for Mission

Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

Louisville, KY

Rev. Roger Dermody has been named Deputy Executive Director for Mission of the Presbyterian Church (USA). In this role, he will oversee mission activities for a denomination comprising more than 2 million members in more than 10,000 congregations.

"I truly believe that our mission and message are compelling," said Dermody, "because they are Christ's mission and message."

Dermody has served as a pastor for 13 years, including the past nine as executive pastor of Bel Air Presbyterian Church, a thriving 3,000-member congregation in Los Angeles, California.

Read more about Roger Dermody and PC USA »

Matthew DeGalan

VP, Global Strategic Partnerships

Heifer International

Little Rock, AR

As the new vice president of global strategic partnerships for Heifer International, Matthew DeGalen will lead the grants, international resource development and corporate relations team.

Matthew has devoted more than two decades to international development causes, most recently as a senior fellow at the Nike Foundation. At Nike, he helped create partnerships with multi- and bi-lateral funding agencies to build support for the Foundation's mission of empowering adolescent girls. Previously, he was a senior vice president at Mercy Corps, where he managed the 70-member fundraising, marketing and communications team.

Read more about Matthew DeGalan and Heifer International »

Kelvin Cochran

Atlanta Fire Chief

City of Atlanta
Department of Fire Rescue

Atlanta, GA

Cochran has 29 years of fire service experience. He had served as Fire Chief of the City of Atlanta from 2008-2009 before being appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the U.S. Fire Administrator ("America's Fire Chief") in Washington D.C.

In accepting the appointment, Cochran said,"It's an extreme honor to have been appointed by Mayor Kasim Reed to return to Atlanta as the next Fire Chief of the City of Atlanta's Department of Fire Rescue. Serving at the Federal level has truly been a highlight of my fire service career. Being America's Fire Chief cannot be understated, but I believe being Atlanta's Fire Chief is my career purpose and calling."

Read more about Chief Kelvin Cochran and the City of Atlanta Department of Fire Rescue »

Kirk Whalum

Chief Executive Officer

Soulsville Foundation

Memphis, TN

Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist and music educator Kirk Whalum has been appointed president and CEO of the Memphis-based Soulsville Foundation.

The 51-year-old Whalum is no stranger to Soulsville, having grown up in the famed South Memphis neighborhood and having served as the Stax Music Academy's artist in residence since 2006.

"I felt I was already invested in Soulsville on so many levels," said Whalum. "And so it was a matter of asking myself, 'Is this something you can do?' And the answer was yes."

Read more about Kirk Whalum and the Soulsville Foundation »

Mark Wender

Chief Operating Officer

Soulsville Foundation

Memphis, TN

Memphis businessman Mark Wender has joined Soulsville as the foundation's chief operating officer

Wender's résumé includes service as chief operating officer of National Mortgage Co./Boatman's National Mortgage Co. from 1981 to 1997. Also, for more than a decade starting in the late-'90s, Wender was the owner and president of Lunar Productions, a corporate marketing and communications company based in Memphis. In addition, he is one of the founders of Memphis Jewish High School, and he has served on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Memphis Jewish Federation and the Center for Southern Folklore.

"Hopefully Kirk and I can build on the great legacy of Stax to create an outstanding environment for the children. We want to make this the premier music academy, the premier museum. That's our goal."

Read more about Mark Wender & The Soulsville Foundation »

Chris Rose

Executive Director

Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation

Palo Alto, CA

Chris Rose joins DSRTF, a leader in funding biomedical research centered on improving cognition for individuals with Down syndrome, at an exciting time for the organization. With the identification of five drug targets, the viability of DSRTF's founding premise has become apparent. .

Before joining DSRTF as Interim Executive Director at the outset of the search, Chris had served as the Executive Director of the nationally acclaimed Meth Project, responsible for strategic fund development, program oversight and partner development as the Meth Project expanded from Montana to seven additional states. Upon receiving recommendations on a national slate of candidates, the board affirmed Chris as the permanent executive director.

Read more about Chris Rose and DSRTF »

Bernard Bable

Director of Development

Salvation Army

Atlanta, GA

Bernard joins the Salvation Army following four years as Director of Development with Georgia Agape. Prior to Georgia Agape, he concluded over two decades in key sales and marketing management roles with AT&T. Bernard serves in a leadership position with the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the chair of the Sponsorship Committee.

As Development Director at the Samvation Army's Metro Atlanta Area Command, Bable will direct and oversee communications, direct mail, grants, and other fundraising efforts supporting operations in 13 counties and a budget of about $20 million.

Read more about Bernard Bable and the Salvation Army »

Nancy Friauf
Executive Director

Genesis Shelter

Atlanta, GA

Genesis Shelter enables homeless families to remain together, creating a participatory community in which parents have the opportunity to live with their children in privacy and with dignity. Nancy Friauf comes to Genesis from the Gwinnett Children's Shelter, where she was executive director for more than 16 years.

There is a "clear need" for places like Genesis that can lead to "long-term, generational changes," Nancy noted. Her message to donors is simple: "You're not giving fish, you're teaching people how to fish."

Read more about Nancy Friauf & Genesis Shelter »

Mary Norman

Regional Development Manager

Youth Villages

Atlanta, GA

Mary Norman recently joined Youth Villages Georgia as Regional Development Manager. Norman has more than 25 years' experience in organizational leadership, fundraising, marketing and communications. She comes to Youth Villages from the Jane Goodall Institute, where she was senior vice president of development and communications.

Read more about Mary Norman and Youth Villages »

Deborah Mullen

Dean/EVP

Columbia Theological Seminary

Decatur, GA

Deborah F. Mullen has been named Dean of the Faculty & Executive Vice President at Columbia Theological Seminary. Her appointment, which includes the faculty rank of associate professor of American Christianity and Black church studies, is effective October 1, 2010.

A seasoned academic administrator and an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Dr. Mullen is currently on the faculty of McCormick Theological Seminary, in Chicago.

Previously, Dr. Mullen was associate dean of students/director of minority student affairs at her alma mater, the University of Rochester. She received the M.Div. degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer Theological Seminary, and the Ph.D. in the history of Christianity from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago.

Read more about Deborah Mullen and CTS »