Candidate's Statement: 

As the current advisor to the Development Committee, I look forward to the opportunity to continue the work of implementing the fundraising & development strategy and the development calendar that our committee team crafted in 2026. My goal in continuing in this role is to provide continued, ongoing support to help NDEO expand their programming and resources for members, and beyond. 

Specifically, I hope to secure resources so that the NDEO can be secure in long-term programmatic goals, and reach an even broader swathe of the dance educator network, unrestricted by socio-economic circumstance. My goals include expanding the reach of our giving community to not only individual and planned gifts, but to corporate grants, gifts in kind, and foundational charitable giving. The work of the NDEO is aligned so beautifully with many of the charitable giving goals of the foundations and corporations that I am already familiar with, and I look forward to making connections that support the interests of both the generous supporters and NDEO as a beneficiary. 

Beyond my 20 year career as a performing and teaching dance artist, I have experience working specifically with development and fundraising in arts organizations in the dance, dance education and circus fields, and have run successful fundraising campaigns, developed effective strategies, and reached long term goals with those organizations. Having worked both as a team member and as a team leader, I have access to empathy and skills for both collaboration and direction. I have strong organizational and time management skills, and an adaptability for working on both short and long term projects. Further, I have experience in grant-writing, writing letters of inquiry, relationship tracking and developing relationships with potential donors. I also have useful systems for organizing opportunities and deadlines which I look forward to implementing with NDEO in a bespoke way. I’m also able to speak to, and write about, the impact of the NDEO in a style that feels effortless and rich in anecdote, given my long career in the industry. I find that some of the most nuanced and effective ideas and strategies are born from diverse experiences and fields of thought, and I look forward to getting to know the team at NDEO, and expanding it, to that end. 

Personally, coming from predominantly small, scrappy, low-budget organizations has afforded me the experience of having to think creatively, lean into the varied experiences of the team, and delegate thoughtfully. I thrive in leadership roles because I care deeply about people. My work is always to keep humanity and community care at the center of every project, and I’ve found when that stays true, a team can flourish. 

One of the more memorable teams to have worked with in a leadership role was for a small circus organization in New York. I devised and created a paid-internship program that brought 3 interns to our summer-long project, each with specific goals and focus as part of the broader staff. Together with two other staff members, I led the team through a summer fundraising campaign that featured “immersive marketing events”, where we embedded experiential learning and immersive performance into community events such as Farmer’s Markets and Local Festivals. Simultaneously, we marketed and fundraised for our own upcoming events, while enriching the local community with family-friendly performances and fun, workshop-style learning! Our team was able to not only exceed our fundraising goal and fill our house for our performances, but established our organization as a pillar in the community - and I dare say the interns left the summer feeling like they learned a ton! 

I have been a long-time member of the NDEO, have attended many of the conferences and programs, and have experienced both its strengths and its weaknesses. I look forward to honoring those that came before me in support of this organization, and those that will come later. It would be an honor to have the opportunity to make an impact for this organization, and in effect, make an impact for the constituents that benefit (or will benefit!) from NDEO in the future. Thank you for your consideration!