Consultant Bios: Doctor’s Hours for Fundraising, July 24

Register here for Doctor’s Hours after 11:00 AM EST on July 3.

These bios provide an opportunity for you to research which consultants would be appropriate for the advice and feedback you are seeking.

David Dean, Development and fundraising

David Dean has over 25 years of experience as an arts administrator and non-profit fundraiser. He was the Executive Director of Printed Matter for five years and has worked for a range of other organizations in both the United Kingdom — where he was born and educated — and the United States, including Queens Museum of Art, Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, The French-American Foundation, English National Opera, and The National Trust. He is a graduate of Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Jackie de Dios, Development Manager at Queens Council on the Arts

Ms. de Dios has worked in fundraising and philanthropy since 2001 for organizations that focus on the arts, after-school programs, and higher education across New York City. These include: Bronx Museum, Learning through an Expanded Arts Program (LEAP), East Harlem Tutorial Program, New York University and the University of Cambridge. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Goddard College and a Bachelor of Arts in comparative literature and Asian/Pacific/American Studies from New York University. She has served as an advisory member to NYU’s liberal studies program at the College of Arts & Science as well as the 2012 Catalyst Campaign. She was a 2012-2013 Fellow for the inaugural class of the Queens Fellowship program for non-profit professionals from Cause – NY, Jewish Community Relations Council and The NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.

Cynthia Flowers, Executive Director of Soho Rep.

Cynthia is the executive director of Soho Rep. a a leading hub for innovative contemporary theater in New York City. Cynthia also served as the Director of Development at Atlantic Theater Company from 2010–2012. At Atlantic, Cynthia oversaw an annual fund campaign that successfully grew from $1.4 million to $1.9 million. Significant achievements included increasing gala net revenue by 35%, increasing individual contributions by 45%, and working with the education department to develop and secure funding for the largest arts education program in Atlantic’s history. Cynthia also worked closely with Atlantic’s Managing Directorm Jeffory Lawson, to develop fundraising strategies for Atlantic’s $8.3 million capital campaign, which was 90% complete at the time of her move to Soho Rep. From 2006-2010, Cynthia was the Manager of Individual Giving at Playwrights Horizons, where she oversaw the company’s Patron Program and created Generation PH, a new membership group for Playwrights Horizons donors in their 20s and 30s.

Jennie Greer, Development and fundraising

Jennie is a development consultant focusing on capacity building and strategic fundraising planning for small- to mid-size artist-driven organizations. Previously, she worked at New Dramatists for eight years, most recently as Director of Advancement, overseeing development, institutional communications, and branding. In that position, she also served as a member of a four-person leadership team guiding the organization’s planning and growth; during her tenure, New Dramatists achieved substantial expansions in both artistic programming and contributed revenue. Earlier in her career, she was the director of development for New Dramatists. Between those two positions, Jennie was Director of Theatre Advancement at Signature Theatre Company, where she oversaw development and marketing strategies, as well as the implementation of a new branding and communications campaign. She has also served as Executive Director for The New Harmony Project, an Indiana-based organization dedicated to developing new works for theatre, film, and television, and she subsequently sat on the board of directors and chaired the development committee. Jennie is currently a development consultant for Soho Rep and Clubbed Thumb and a member of New Georges’ Kitchen Cabinet. She is a proud graduate of the University of Evansville Department of Theatre and the MFA Performing Arts Management program at Brooklyn College, where she teaches a graduate fundraising class.

Vanessa Rose, Director of Development at the Lark Play Development Center

Vanessa’s appointment to this new position occurred at a pivotal moment for the Lark, which — after 20 years — now nears a $2 million budget and is expanding its individual giving program and global funding reach. Previous to the Lark, Vanessa was the first managing director of The Knights, a New York-based orchestra who has quickly established themselves in the classical music industry as a forward-thinking model for innovation, engagement, and quality performances. In this role, Vanessa developed a Board of Directors, created a fundraising program, and oversaw an international tour, WQXR radio residency, and several recording projects. Previous to her appointment, she was Associate Director of Patron Program and Membership at the Metropolitan Opera, cultivating and soliciting hundreds of donors giving $2,000–$24,999 annually to the Met. She was promoted to this position after working in their major gifts department, supporting fundraising efforts for gifts of $25,000 and higher. In 2006, Vanessa completed the League of American Orchestras’ prestigious Orchestra Management Fellowship Program, which included residencies with the Dallas Symphony, Elgin Symphony, Aspen Music Festival and School, and San Francisco Symphony. Vanessa is an active freelance violinist and has performed with, among others, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, and Spoleto Festivals (Italy and USA). She comes from a musical family and attended the Eastman School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Netherlands. Vanessa lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, with her musician husband, two children (who seem to enjoy music), and two cats.

Vladimir Vukicevic, Founder & CTO, RocketHub

Vlad is an entrepreneur and established thought leader in the world of social media and innovation. He has taught Fortune 500 companies how to apply innovative technologies, combined culture with management theory, and believes that crowdfunding is the new path to creative, entrepreneurial, and academic empowerment. Vlad is CTO of RocketHub, one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world. RocketHub has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, NBC, Economist, ABC, and many other news outlets. RocketHub works with global brands like A&E to provide superior value and to empower the future of crowdfunding. RocketHub has helped thousands of artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists raise millions of dollars.