Staff
E. Miles Wilson, Director
Miles Wilson is Director of The Grantmaking School at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership. Prior to this position he was an independent nonprofit consultant supporting nonprofit capacity building, civic engagement, and philanthropic efforts in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio and nationally. Miles’ clients included Social Venture Partners Cincinnati, Interact for Change, and Happen Incorporated.
Prior to consulting Miles served as Director of the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement & Nonprofit Development at Northern Kentucky University. As a Program Director at The Omidyar Foundation in Redwood City California, Miles worked with a small team of professionals assisting the founder and chairman of Ebay with his charitable endeavors. Prior to this, he served from 1998 through 2003 as Vice President for Grants and Programs with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, a regional Community Foundation that serves Southwestern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana.
Other important areas of Miles’ past history includes nearly 5 years with the Corporation for National and Community Service where as Senior Program Officer he managed a large grantmaking portfolio, funding both government and nonprofits in 10 Midwestern states. Miles was also part of the original start-up team that initiated the AmeriCorps National Service program after the legislation passed in late 1993. Miles served as Associate Director in the Office of Community Service Learning at Ohio Wesleyan University, and a Research Associate with R/K Dawson & Associates - a nonprofit and government consulting firm based in Columbus Ohio.
Miles is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He holds a Bachelors degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Masters degree in Higher Education Policy & Leadership from The Ohio State University.
Joel J. Orosz, Founding Director
Joel J. Orosz, Ph.D., a nationally recognized authority on philanthropy, is Distinguished Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Grand Valley State University. He is only the third person in GVSU's nearly 50-year history to hold the title of Distinguished Professor.
Dr. Orosz has edited For the Benefit of All: A History of Philanthropy in Michigan; and is the author of The Insider’s Guide to Grantmaking; How Foundations Find, Fund and Manage Effective Programs.
Dr. Orosz also co-authored Agile Philanthropy: Understanding Foundation Effectiveness. He serves two private foundations as a trustee, and assists the Center for Effective Philanthropy of Cambridge, Massachusetts as an advisory board member.
His latest book is Effective Foundation Management: 14 Challenges of Philanthropic Leadership- And How to Outfox Them.
In addition to his duties as Distinguished Professor, Dr. Orosz is the founding director of The Grantmaking School, which was started under the Philanthropic and Nonprofit Knowledge Management (PNKM) Initiative; funded by a five year $3.4 million grant from W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Dr. Orosz is a former program director in Philanthropy and Volunteerism at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. He earned his Ph.D. in American history from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Orosz and his wife, Florence, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan with their four children, who range in age from 22 to 16.
Other News and Publications:
On October 17, 2002, Dr. Orosz delivered one of the Waldemar Nielsen Lectures at Georgetown University entitled, Terra Incognita: Poorly Understood Challenges and Trade-offs of Managing Private Foundations. The Nielsen lecture series brings leading academics and practitioners in philanthropy to Washington, D.C. to discuss pressing issues facing the field.
Dr. Orosz authored two entries in the recent book, Notable American Philanthropists: Biographies of Giving and Volunteering, edited by Robert Grimm. The entries featured W.K. Kellogg and Henry and Edsel Ford.
Dr. Orosz authored three entries in the recently published Philanthropy in America: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia, edited by Dwight F. Burlingame. The entries were on the subjects of Grantmaking, W.K. Kellogg, and Henry and Edsel Ford.
Along with co-authors Karin Tice and Sarah Van Eck, Dr. Orosz wrote an article in the recent four-volume Handbook of Applied Developmental Science, edited by Donald Wertlieb, Francine Jacobs, and Richard M. Lerner.
Allison Lugo Knapp, Associate Director
Allison Lugo Knapp is Associate Director of The Grantmaking School. In this role, she provides leadership with the marketing and planning of The Grantmaking School and its courses, as well as assisting in research for curriculum development. She is also the newest addition to faculty at The Grantmaking School. Prior to her role at the Johnson Center, she was a program officer at the Battle Creek Community Foundation focusing on arts & culture initiatives, youth grantmaking and other community projects.
Ms. Lugo Knapp has a B.A. in International Relations from James Madison College at Michigan State University and a Master's in Public Administration and Urban Planning from Grand Valley State University. She has been the recipient of a Ford Fellowship through the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and the Ford Motor Company Fund; serving as an intern for the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. She is also a graduate of the Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Emerging Leaders program. She currently serves on the board of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids.
Allison has lived in Latin America and India, and has had volunteer experience with nonprofits abroad and in her local community.
Faculty
Lynn Alvarez
Lynn Alvarez, J.D., draws on her expertise as a senior program officer andlaw professor to provide intensive and comprehensive training toprogram officers and other program staff.
In her former role assenior program officer at The California Endowment, and more recent status as consultant, Ms. Alvarez led the development of a new grantmaking program, the implementation of a customer satisfaction survey, and the refinement of grantmaking procedures. She contributed to programmatic and process improvements throughout the foundation. She managed a $30 million grant portfolio that encompassed two strategic initiatives: Native American health and a health grantmaking partnership involving 25 community foundations. The development of these major initiatives involved convening key stakeholders, managing evaluation plans, disseminating findings, and developing funding criteria and objectives.
Ms. Alvarez has a varied background in grantmaking, which includes working at the California Community Foundation and the Peninsula Community Foundation. As a program officer at those foundations, she worked extensively in the areas of child development, education, human services, affordable housing and the arts. She managed several grantmaking programs and donor advised funds.
Ms. Alvarez earned her Juris Doctor degree from the Boalt HallSchool of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work
as an attorney focused on immigrant and refugee issues. She was the legal director of a community based organization representing Central American refugees and her work as an attorney focused on the rights of immigrants. As a professor, she has taught several courses on immigration law and professional ethics. Fluent in three languages and conversant in two more, she brings a global perspective to the field ofgrantmaking.
Ms. Alvarez has served on the boards of Para Los Ninos, Human Rights Watch and the Central American Refugee Center. She was also appointed to the California State Bar's Immigration and Nationality Law Advisory Commission, and has chaired the Committee on Legal Services to the Poor for the State Bar. She served as a member of The Grantmaking School Advisory Board.
Hugh C. Burroughs
Hugh C. Burroughs, president of Independent Philanthropic Advisors, is an experienced and highly regarded veteran of the grantmaking world. His career includes senior staff positions at six national foundations,board service at a major community foundation, and directorships at eight national philanthropic infrastructure organizations.
Most recently, Mr. Burroughs was President and CEO of The BerryGordy Family Foundation in Los Angeles. Prior to that assignment, he served in leadership staff positions at the John Hay Whitney Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation.As senior program officer at the Hewlett Foundation, he designed the Foundation's first Northern California grants program, and implemented that program in the fields of community economic development, youth employment, community foundation endowment and human services. As director of external affairs for the Packard Foundation, he managed Foundation relationships with government officials, philanthropic and nonprofit leaders, as well as the public at large, and supervised portions of its funding programs.
Among infrastructure organizations, Mr. Burroughs has served on the Boards of The Council on Foundations, The Foundation Center, the Association of Black Foundation Executives, Hispanics in Philanthropy,Women in Philanthropy, Northern California Grantmakers and CIVICUS. He delivered the Eighth Annual James A. Joseph Lecture: "Changes in Philanthropy and The Role of Affinity Groups" in 1999. He has also co-edited More Minorities in Health, and contributed to Perspectives on Collaborative Funding.
Mr. Burroughs earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics and education from Columbia University in New York City, and completed the certificate program of The Nonprofit Management Institute at Harvard University. He served as a member of The Grantmaking School Advisory Board.
Kenneth L. Gladish
Ken Gladish is President of the Austin Community Foundation in Austin, Texas. He is a Senior Teaching Fellow and has served as Director of The Grantmaking School at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy. In addition, Ken maintains an appointment as Visiting Scholar at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. Appointed to his current post in April 2008, Ken has been a leader in philanthropic and charitable
organizations for more than a quarter century.
Ken holds a Bachelor’s degree from Hanover College (IN) and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. In addition, he has been awarded three honorary degrees. He has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and in professional education courses at the University of Virginia, Butler University, Indiana University, and Springfield College. His primary fields of teaching have been politics, leadership, philanthropic and non-profit studies, and organizational management.
In prior executive roles, Ken served as president and chief executive officer of three organizations spanning service at the local, state and national levels. From 1983 thru 2006, Ken has worked progressively as president for the Indiana Humanities Council, the Indianapolis/Central Indiana Community Foundation and the YMCA of the USA. In addition he served as founding staff director for the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance (IGA) the regional association serving the Hoosier state’s foundations.
As a volunteer, Ken has served as trustee, director and officer of a wide range of charitable and philanthropic organizations encompassing the cultural, educational, social service, foundation, and religious worlds. As a professional and volunteer he has led development efforts that have raised in excess of $500 million dollars.
Ken is especially interested in the themes of democracy and philanthropy, philanthropy and faith, leadership development, and the culture of diversity.
Robert F. Long
Robert F. Long retired from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation after 15 years during which he served as a Program Director, Senior Program Officer, and Vice President for Programs. The Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.
Before joining the Foundation in 1993, Bob served as the endowed McElroy Professor of Youth Leadership Studies at the University of Northern Iowa where he also directed the Division of Youth and Human Service Administration. Bob started his career as a youth development specialist for the Cooperative Extension Service in Illinois and Nevada. He is a member of a number of organizations, including the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation Board of Directors, Woman & Philanthropy, the Association of Black Foundation Executives, and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations.
Born and raised in rural Illinois, Bob earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in educational leadership and evaluation from the University of Illinois. He studied the effects of financial decline on the leadership of community education programs. His current interests include the relationship between youth development and community development and the role of service in building the capacity of young people to become contributing members of society. Bob has developed programs and published in the areas of youth leadership, diversity, nonprofit management, and philanthropy.
Alvertha Penny
Alvertha Bratton Penny is Vice-President of Programs at the California Community Foundation. In this role, Ms. Penny oversees the planning, strategy development and distribution of a $20-million annual competitive grants budget. She is also responsible for a $23 million Program Related Investment Fund and a budget of more than $4.5 million for special initiatives.
Ms. Penny’s background includes nearly 30 years of development, management and administration of community development and human services programs in the nonprofit and public sectors nationally and statewide. Previously, Ms. Penny was the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation President’s Senior Advisor on community development issues and the Family and Community Development Program Director. This included leading the Hewlett Foundation’s $30 million, comprehensive multiyear urban community revitalization demonstration effort. Prior positions also include serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Congress for Community Economic Development in Washington, D.C.; Program Officer for urban affairs at the San Francisco Foundation; and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Planning and Community Services with the City of New Orleans.
Ms. Penny chairs the National Community Development Institute’s Board of Directors in Oakland, California and is a member of the Nonprofit Finance Fund Board of Directors based in New York. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans.
Albert Ruesga
Albert Ruesga is currently the President and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. Prior to this position, he served as Vice President for Programs and Communications at the Meyer Foundation in Washington, DC. The Meyer Foundation is one of the oldest and largest foundations in Greater Washington and has earned a national reputation for its work in communications and capacity building.
He was the founding director of New Ventures in Philanthropy, a national initiative that has helped generate more than $500 million in new philanthropic resources against an investment of $14 million.
Before going to New Ventures, he served as Donor Resouces Manager at the Boston Foundation. His duties there included grantmaking, managing the Foundation's special funds,and providing a wide range of philanthropic services to theFoundation's major donors and donor prospects. In addition, Mr. Ruesga designed and facilitated courses to introduce young professionals to the world of philanthropy. His knowledge of the nonprofit community comes from many years of nonprofit management and fundraising consulting.
He currently serves as the chair of Hispanics inPhilanthropy, a transnational network of grantmakers committed to strengthening Latino communities across the Americas. He is the treasurer of The Communications Network, and serves as advisor to the National Center for Family Philanthropy and on the board of the Greater Washington Catalogue for Philanthropy.
Mr. Ruesga earned his Ph.D. at MIT and taught ethics and logic at Gettysburg College before entering the world of philanthropy. He also served as a teaching fellow at Harvard University. An accomplished writer, his articles have appeared in Social Theory and Practice, The Journal of Popular Culture,and other publications. He was for many years a contributing writer toThe Boston Book Review, and he is currently a guest contributor at the on-line Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Gwen I. Walden
Gwen Walden is Principal of Walden Philanthropy Advisors (WPA) which she launched in 2007 after a 21-year career in philanthropy. Gwen’s more than two decades of experience encompasses major programmatic, management, and executive leadership assignments at two of the largest foundations in the United States: The J. Paul Getty Trust and The California Endowment. Gwen’s distinguished career is marked both by her encyclopedic knowledge of the history and practice of philanthropy, and by her hands-on experience managing major foundation initiatives and functions.
Gwen’s tenure at The California Endowment culminated in the opening of the 145,000 square foot Center for Healthy Communities building in Downtown Los Angeles. In the short time since its opening in 2006, The Center has become the recognized venue for movement-building among individuals and organizations committed to improving the health of communities in Southern California and the entire State. As its founding Director, Gwen was instrumental in developing all aspects of the Center from the architecture and design of the building to the overall vision and implementation of its programs to the day-to-day operations of its facilities and conference center.
Gwen managed the development and implementation of grantmaking programs for both The Getty Foundation and The California Endowment during their crucial start-up phases when their endowments were first being organized for payout distribution. As a member of the management teams at the foundations, she handled the creation of grantmaking and administrative budgets, development of procedures for selection and disbursement of grants, planning for staffing and communications, and implementation of management policies. Gwen is known for her versatility having been engaged in every aspect of foundation management including program, facilities, strategic communications, planning, finance, evaluation, and human resources.
In her current practice, Gwen is focused on applying her organizational and planning experience to help non-profit organizations and foundations achieve greater impact. She works individually with each client to assess their overall strategic focus and to align their organizational structure, processes, and policies to it. Her goal is to assist the organizations in reaching higher levels of effectiveness and to provide them with tools for on-going performance improvement.
Gwen has received national recognition for her numerous articles on current issues in philanthropy. She has written for all of the major trade publications including Foundation News & Commentary, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly as well as in special editions of the annual State of Philanthropy and New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising.
Gwen has been an active member of the field of philanthropy for many years serving on numerous professional boards and committees. She is especially proud of her efforts to increase the diversity of the profession.
Gwen earned a Bachelor's degree from The George Washington University and a Master's degree from The Johns Hopkins University.