Buckman Fellowship - News and Announcements

The Buckman Fellowship Panel on Philanthropy's Role in Society

November 14, 2012 - 5:00 to 6:30

McNamara Alumni Center, Ski-U-Mah Room

Communities here in the U.S. and across the world are changing - and changing fast. We are all challenged in our respective fields to respond to the speed and scale of change and direct our energy and resources where we think we can make the greatest difference. Philanthropy, and foundations specifically, have significant resources to adapt to changing needs, but they have lots of choices and tough decisions to make as they chart their courses.

Join a panel of foundation leaders, from local and national foundations, to hear how they think about philanthropy and its evolving role in addressing key issues in our changing communities and our world.

Carleen Rhodes, president and CEO of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners and chair of the Buckman Fellowship Board, will facilitate a discussion with the following foundation leaders:

Suzanne Immerman, director of strategic partnerships, U.S. Department of Education
Ann Mulholland, vice president of grants and programs, Minnesota Philanthropy Partners
Eric Nonacs, vice president for alliances and partnerships, Skoll Global Threats Fund
Gayle Ober, executive director, The George Family Foundation, and board member, Mardag Foundation

Their thoughts about managing change, creating collective impact and deploying the assets created through generosity should inspire us all.

This event is free and open to the public, however seating is limited.

To register for this event, please fill out the form below:

Speaker Biographies:

Suzanne Immerman, U.S. Department of Education

Suzanne Immerman serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the U.S. Department of Education and a Senior Advisor to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In this role, Suzanne leads the Department’s private sector collaboration, encouraging and facilitating alignment, coordination and partnerships between the philanthropic and business community and the Department of Education’s cradle-to-career reform agenda.

Suzanne brings to this work over 15 years of experience in the independent sector, spanning corporate, private and family philanthropy as well as nonprofit program development in education. She served as the Deputy Director of the September 11^th Fund, a $530 million national foundation established in response to the terrorist attacks, and Director of the Wolfensohn Family Foundation, established by Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn.

For several years, Suzanne worked in the corporate sector as a Senior Consultant to the Verizon Foundation on its education portfolio and the Manager of Public Affairs for NBC, overseeing the network’s national corporate philanthropy. Suzanne cut her teeth in public-private partnerships at PENCIL running New York City’s Principal For A Day Program, created to inspire private sector support for public education. A graduate of Brown University, she began her career as Program Director for New York Cares.

Ann Mulholland, MN Philanthropy Partners

A longtime advocate for the city of Saint Paul, Ann now serves as vice president of grants and programs for Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. In this role, she works to ensure that MN Partners’ financial resources support nonprofit organizations and community groups that address the state’s most crucial needs.

Ann joined MN Partners in 2010. Prior to this, she spent five years falling in love with Saint Paul while serving as the city’s deputy mayor. Additionally, Ann volunteers on a number of nonprofit boards, including the Saint Paul Public Schools Foundation, MinnCAN, The Nature Conservancy and the Minnesota Wild Foundation. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in telecommunications and political science.

When Ann is not working toward a better community, she is likely kayaking or relaxing at her cabin in Britt, Minnesota. She lives in the Selby-Dale neighborhood with her husband and four daughters.

Eric Nonacs, Skoll Global Threats Fund

Eric S. Nonacs is the Vice President for Alliances and Partnerships at the Skoll Global Threats Fund. Until recently, Eric was the Managing Director for Global Affairs at Endeavour Financial, a merchant bank based in Vancouver, Canada. Concurrently, he served as a Senior Advisor to the William J. Clinton Foundation. From June 2002 until August 2007, he was the Foreign Policy Advisor to President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. Eric holds an AB from the University of Chicago, an MA from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an MBA from New York University.

Gayle Ober, George Family Foundation, Mardag Foundation

Gayle Ober is the executive director of the George Family Foundation where she is responsible for managing all aspects of the grantmaking process, advising and assisting the Trustees in meeting their grantmaking goals and serving as the Foundation’s first point of contact to the community.

Most recently, Ober was the director of Classical Music Programming for American Public Media/Minnesota Public Radio (APM/MPR). APM/MPR is the largest producer of classical music broadcast content and brings award-winning programs to more than 4.2 million people each week. Prior to joining APM/MPR she served as the director of Arts, Culture and Entertainment for the City of Saint Paul in Mayor Randy Kelly’s administration and was the executive director of the Dale Warland Singers from 2000 to 2005.

Ober serves the non-profit community through her present and past service on a variety of boards and committees including the Mardag Foundation, Chorus America, Children’s Home Society and Family Services, The Saint Paul Foundation, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and others.

Gayle Ober holds a bachelor of music degree from the University of Minnesota and a master’s of non-profit management degree from Hamline University. She lives in Mendota Heights, Minnesota with her family.

For more information about the this event or the Buckman Fellowship contact Colleen Kahn at kahn0024@umn.edu