Mitch Eisman works closely with the president and CEO and the senior leadership team to provide direction of the human resources function. He joined Independent Sector in March 2010, bringing more than 14 years experience in managing human resources. He spent five years as the senior manager for human resources at IS member, AARP, where he managed talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits for designated business units.

Mitch previously worked in a number of human resources roles, including serving as the director of human resources for PGI, Inc., a global event production and destination management company, and the associate director of human resources for Hyatt Corporation. Mitch is skilled at diversity initiatives, has written employee handbooks, and while with Hyatt obtained training certification as a “Hyatt University” instructor. He holds a B.A from the University of Delaware.

Lois Fu leads Independent Sector’s public policy agenda for the nonprofit and philanthropic community. Lois has more than 30 years of public sector and non-profit experience in program management and policy development.  In her most recent position as the program area director and senior advisor to the president of the National Academy of Public Administration, Lois provided program, policy, and operational advice to the president and board.  She secured and supervised over $4.9 million in foundation and government grant and contract work, including projects related to the federal budget and the national debt. In partnership with the National Academy of Sciences, Lois led a successful two-year National Academy effort that resulted in the joint report, “Choosing the Nation’s Fiscal Future.”

Lois has also served as a senior advisor at the Federal Transit Administration, the Transportation Security Administration, and in the U.S. representative’s office at the World Bank, and was staff director for the Senate Committee on Aging. She held a number of leadership positions at IS member, the American Red Cross, over 14 years. In addition, Lois has volunteered at and been an elected member of the board of directors of the Arlington Free Clinic, which provides free medical care to low-income residents of Arlington County, VA. 
   
She holds a B.A. in political science and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan and did post-graduate work in economics at George Washington University.

Michael Goff is the chief development officer at Independent Sector. Michael has more than 25 years of senior executive experience including development, communications, and a long-standing interest in government, public policy, and nonprofit institutions. Michael served for 21 years as the vice president for development and college relations at Loyola College in Maryland. During his tenure, he led five major capital campaigns, raising over $200 million in annual and capital support for the university. Michael also managed external relations, community relations, and media relations. Previously he served as director of planning and development at The Gilman School, also in Baltimore, from 1982 to 1987, and was director of advancement and special assistant to the president at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, Pennsylvania, from 1977 to 1979.

Michael earned a Ph.D. in Government at Georgetown University in 2002, specializing in American Politics, Public Policy, and Political Theory. He also holds an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in Political Science from Saint Joseph’s University. His research in the area of fundraising during the early stage of the presidential nomination process was published in 2004 in his book The Money Primary: The New Politics of the Early Presidential Nomination Process.

Erica Greeley leads Independent Sector’s efforts to expand and engage its diverse network. Erica’s role includes strengthening IS’s current membership, while investigating the how people, organizations, and networks can best work together in today’s dynamic environment. Erica joined IS in 2007 as Director, Strategic Initiatives.

Prior to IS, Erica served the National Council of Nonprofit Associations (now the National Council of Nonprofits) as Director of Strategic Policy Planning and then Deputy Director.  In that capacity, she oversaw an initiative that convened over 100 town hall meetings across the US to discuss the needs of local nonprofits. Her 18-years in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector also includes managing fundraising and marketing campaigns, evaluating community-building initiatives, chairing local grant-making committees, and directing after-school programs for at-risk youth.

Erica is an adjunct faculty member of Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate Program and serves on the board of Microfinance Opportunities. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MPP from the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University.

SANDRA HARRIS
Senior Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness and Business Development

Sandra Harris is the Senior Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness and Business Development for Independent Sector. Sandra oversees IS's business development, information technology, membership, conference operations and organizational effectiveness. Sandra brings to IS more than 30 years of experience leading innovation in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors. She previously served as director of administrative services for IS member, the Ford Foundation for 12 years, overseeing information management and technology, facilities management, and general office services. Sandra has extensive experience in the consumer products industry (food, apparel, and health care) and has also been a general management executive in the nonprofit sector. She has an undergraduate degree from Brown University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University.

Nadine Jalandoni is senior director for research and evaluation at Independent Sector. Her responsibilities include providing research support to departments across the organization; promoting organizational effectiveness; contributing to strategic planning; and developing and managing the program content for the IS Annual Conference. She has been with IS since 1999 and worked on IS’s Giving and Volunteering series, in addition to co-authoring two key nonprofit resource publications, The Nonprofit Almanac, and Social Justice Grantmaking.

Nadine serves on various nonprofit research advisory committees and is responsible for calculating the annual dollar value of volunteer time. She has been involved in managing the IS international program and represented IS at the CIVICUS Global Assemblies. During this time she also co-chaired the Steering Committee of the Affinity Group of National Associations (AGNA). Prior to Independent Sector, Nadine worked as associate executive director for a major corporate foundation in the Philippines, as research manager for the United Way of Southeastern PA, and other research positions with nonprofits and consultancy firms. She holds a B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University and an M.A. in international development from American University.

Terri O'Brien works to ensure that Independent Sector’s infrastructure and financial plans cohesively support the strategic direction and advance the mission of the organization. Terri oversees accounting, finance, human resources, and administration and brings her finance and business expertise to the CEO and senior leadership team. Prior to joining Independent Sector in April 2010, Terri worked six years as the CFO and vice President of finance and administration development at BoardSource, where she played a key role in developing and implementing two strategic plans and aligning people, processes, and financial resources.

For 15 years, Terri held a variety of roles at World Wildlife Fund, the most recent of which was the director of financial operations where she led smart business practices for the home office and 16 field offices and integrated multi-year program strategies and plans with budgeting. Terri also held positions at Miles & Stockbridge and the consulting firm of Yaffe & Offutt, both in Baltimore. She has volunteered on a number of school financial committees and currently serves as a trustee for Thomas Benjamin Combs Trust.

Terri graduated from Towson University, where she majored in communications with a concentration in journalism. She passed the Certified Public Accountant exam in 1995.

Mikaela Seligman directs Independent Sector’s efforts to strengthen leadership, accountability, and effectiveness in nonprofit organizations of all sizes and missions. She brings to Independent Sector deep experience as a leader in and consultant to both the public and charitable sectors. Her career includes co-founding The OCL Group, which engages creative approaches to addressing organizations’ toughest leadership challenges.

Mikaela joined Independent Sector in April 2010. She has taught leadership at the master’s level at George Mason University and St. Mary’s College and has provided consultation to leaders in international and domestic nonprofits, corporations, foundations, and governments.

Mikaela was a program officer in the early years of AmeriCorps, vice president and COO for the largest coordinator of volunteer services in Greater Washington, and senior advisor for education to Washington, DC, Mayor Tony Williams. She began her career as a charter corps member of Teach for America and taught elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. Mikaela holds an M.P.A from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, a certificate in leadership coaching from Georgetown University, and a degree in journalism from Boston University.

Lorraine Snebold joined Independent Sector in July 2009 as vice president of communications and marketing with more than 30 years experience in brand strategy, research and creative marketing services. She was one of the first executives recruited to launch the National Geographic Channel on 01-01-01. As senior vice president of brand management, she lead a team that won more industry recognition, achievements, and first place awards than any other network in their nonfiction category.

Prior to launching NGC, Lorraine worked closely with the news divisions at network-owned stations in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. In 2004, she founded her own research and brand consultancy practice, Absolute Focus. Her clients include Farmers’ Almanac TV, WQED Multimedia, Pittsburgh Magazine, and Retirement Living TV. Lorraine holds a B.S. in speech communications from Clarion University in Pennsylvania.

Claire Wellington joined IS in November 2004, and now leads the organization's efforts to bring together theorists, researchers, and practitioners to identify the emerging trends in the nonprofit sector. She was most recently vice president and general counsel to the American Association of Exporters and Importers, where she provided legal and policy advice and prepared reports on a range of regulatory and legislative matters. Prior to AAEI, Claire was chief of staff and senior advisor of the enforcement division at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, where her work included anti-corruption efforts and sanctions policy.

Claire received a bachelor's degree in government from Smith College, a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She is a member of the Minority Outreach Advisory Board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and co-author of “The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Avoiding the Pitfalls,” published in the Preventive Law Reporter. Among other accomplishments, she received the Treasury Department's Secretary's Honor Award in 2001.