Tammy Dunne
Chair
Tammy is a senior business operations advisor at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Tammy has experience in risk management, human resources, strategic planning, and building organizational capacity. Tammy has worked in regional and statewide nonprofit organizations and as a paralegal in corporate, civil, and bankruptcy law. Tammy earned her BA in Political Science from Emory University. She lives in Wake Forest, and enjoys traveling, baking, and the beach
Ilona Sher
Vice Chair
Ilona Sher has more than 30 years of experience as an accomplished leader with extensive project and program management experience in financial, technology and not for profit organizations. Until December 2022, Ilona was an Adjunct Instructor at the Graduate School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she taught courses in Applied Project Management.
Ilona’s work experience includes organizations in New York and the Triangle, including FHI 360, IntraHealth, Corevist, Keane, Inc. (now, NTT DATA), and Merrill Lynch. Ilona has been an advisor for ESC of the Triangle since 2014.
Ilona graduated with a B.A. in Math and Science from McGill University and received her MBA from The Wharton School.
TBA
Secretary
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Susan Simone
Treasurer
Susan brings a lifelong passion for people and non-profits. Her work spans multiple disciplines with expertise in Human Resources and Organizational Design and Development. Susan has a strong business background with 8+ years serving on non-profit boards in various capacities. She is newly arrived to the Triangle with her husband of 40 years and her mother. Susan earned her BBA in Business Administration and her Master’s Degree in Organizational Performance.
Kenia Thompson
Member
As a 20-year veteran in her industry, Kenia Thompson aids professionals and leaders in discovering their authentic selves and identifying their most effective communication style. These methods include the art of storytelling, public speaking & media coaching as well as workshop training for large groups.
Kenia is the owner of WordCrumbs, founded in 2015. She has authored the book ‘Conversations Beyond the Screen’, a quick read designed to re-educate readers on how to reignite conversations outside of a chat or social media posts.
You can watch Kenia on PBS NC every Friday evening as the host of Black Issues Forum. The show is designed to push Black led stories about people and issues shaping the lives of Blacks in North Carolina. Her mission is to provide content that is relevant, uplifting, informative and instructive, engaging diverse audiences and communities toward these efforts in collaboration.
Cherith Roberson
Member
Cherith Roberson joins the board with extensive experience providing 1x1 help and educational support to small businesses through her role leading the Small Business Center at Wake Tech. She also leads the North Central region of the Small Business Center Network. She has previously worked in the world of nonprofits as a fundraiser. Her mission is to help individuals step into their power. She is a mom of two children and can be found outside during her free time. She loves the ocean and a good book.
Stephen Carlson
Member
Stephen is a treasury management professional with 20 years of experience in finance, consulting, and project management. He currently oversees treasury operations for REI, a national retailer that promotes outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship. He has a passion for helping organizations achieve their goals and optimize their performance. Prior to REI, he advised multi-national organizations on treasury and risk management practices and operations as a consultant at PWC.
Stephen moved to Durham in 2022 with his partner and their dog, and immediately fell in love with the community. In his free time, he enjoys being active outdoors cycling and hiking. He holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BBA from The George Washington University.
Bethany Griffith
Member
Bethany brings to the board more than a decade of experience as a senior financial planner with her work focused on individuals, family systems, and endowments. Bethany has her Certified Financial Planner(R) designation and is working towards her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy certificate.
Bethany recently shifted gears and is the practice manager at Peace Street Dental in downtown Raleigh where she works to create an outstanding patient experience and make Peace Street a great place to work for each team member.
Bethany has served on the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) South Region Board and as the chair of the NAPFA Genesis Board. She has been a volunteer advisor for Family Reach and Kiplinger’s Jump Start Your Retirement Plan Days, and she acted as a mentor for the CFP Board’s Women’s Initiative.
Weekends find Bethany chasing her two toddlers and pretending that counts as triathlon training.
Emily Everett
Member
Emily Everett has a rich and diverse 30-year history of nonprofit leadership experience that includes Hearts with Haiti, the Lung Transplant Foundation, Rise Against Hunger (formerly Stop Hunger Now), March of Dimes and American Red Cross. A native of Smithfield, NC, Emily earned a B.A. from the UNC-Chapel Hill and M.A. from the University of Arizona. Most recently, she served as a volunteer for 7 years on the Raleigh Chapter Board of Tri It For Life mentoring first-time female triathletes, and as a consultant for The Masters Group, a communications & marketing consortium. Emily and her husband, Eugene, live in Cary.
Sam McManus
Member
Sam is a Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) and Certified Fraud Examiner (“CFE”) with 15+ years of experience as a public accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and as a Principal Internal Auditor for SAS Institute, Inc. Sam has a passion for helping organizations achieve their goals, while navigating compliance requirements and developing strong internal control environments.
Sam graduated with a B.S. in Accounting from SUNY Geneseo. Outside of work, Sam enjoys traveling with his wife, Allison, and two children, Emily and Josh.