Cooper Coleman Recruits Chief Development Officer for Rainforest Flow

October 10, 2024 – Virtually every industry needs top-drawer chief development officers. CDOs play a key role in planning, coordinating, and administering capital campaigns, corporate giving, and galvanizing new donors while keeping previous funders content. Implementing funding strategies that “keep the lights on,” according to recruiters specializing in the function, is Job No. 1.

Following an extensive national search, Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has placed Maggie McDow as vice president and chief development officer of Rainforest Flow. “I consider it my privilege to connect passionate leaders with worthy missions, then witness the incredible work that transpires as they do what they are called to do,” said Johnny Cooper, co-founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman. “This match is no exception. Maggie and Nancy share a vision for Rainforest Flow that will profoundly impact the intersection of global health and climate. Furthermore, their vision is underpinned by the dedication and leadership of board chair Samuel Schwan, which will serve as a model for funders well into the future.”

“We are excited about Maggie’s placement to our leadership team as our new VP and chief development officer and are looking forward to a meaningful and prosperous relationship,” said Nancy Santullo, founder and executive director of Rainforest Flow. “We could not have done it without Johnny, Jennifer, and their team. We are grateful for the care they demonstrated on our behalf. Cooper Coleman was an absolute pleasure throughout the many months of the search and hiring process. It means the world to us.”

Ms. McDow brings 10 years of experience in international development and non-profit leadership and more than a decade on Capitol Hill to her new role at Rainforest Flow. Most recently, she served as chief development officer at Health in Harmony, leading fundraising initiatives that resulted in an average year-over-year growth of 50 percent. Previously, Ms. McDow held roles in the U.S. Congress, focusing on education and environmental policy. “Her deep understanding of environmental issues and proven track record of driving organizational growth make her the ideal candidate to lead Rainforest Flow’s development strategies, ensuring the organization’s continued impact and expansion as it proliferates its scalable, replicable model of training Indigenous communities and policymakers on building simple, effective clean water infrastructure,” the organization said.

Rainforest Flow, an international non-profit organization founded by Ms. Santullo, develops integrated clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs in collaboration with Indigenous people in rainforest communities, specifically in the Manu Biosphere Reserve in Peru’s Amazon rainforest.

Founded in 2020, Cooper Coleman is a full-service executive search and consulting firm partnering exclusively with non-profit organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions to drive meaningful growth. Its team moves organizations forward by placing “the right leaders in the right roles at the right time” and helps to strengthen their management and fundraising capacity to amplify their mission and impact.

Experienced Recruiters

Bill Coleman is principal and co-founder of Cooper Coleman. He has more than 16 years of leadership experience throughout the social sector. He partnered with his father-in-law, William B. Coleman, to establish Cooper Coleman as a firm that “prioritizes making the essential services of executive search accessible to organizations across the social sector, knowing the transformational impact having the right leaders in the right roles can have on an organization and its mission,” the firm said. Mr. Coleman has more than 25 years’ experience in retained executive search, including leading his own firm, Coleman Search Consulting LLC, for more than 10 years until its sale in 2018.

Mr. Cooper has worked with publicly and privately held corporations in the recruitment of C-level operating, finance, human resources, sales/marketing, supply chain, and technology executives. Prior to Cooper Coleman, he founded and led Coleman Search Consulting LLC, for more than 10 years before selling the firm.

Recent Searches for Development Officers

A number of search firms have been called in to lead development officer searches for various organizations in recent months, here is a sampling from the Hunt Scanlon Media newswire archives:

Greenbrae, CA-based Cook Silverman Search has been selected by Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative in San Francisco to lead its search for a chief development officer. The organization is seeking an experienced chief development officer, who will be responsible for planning, executing and evaluating all fundraising and development initiatives. The CDO will establish fundraising priorities and objectives; create fundraising strategies to meet specific program goals; identify and profile current and prospective individual, business, and foundation prospects; develop and cultivate positive relationships with donors and prospects; and solicit and steward major donors.

Boston-based Pearl Street Collective has assisted in the recruitment of Laura Perez Hamilton as chief development officer of Treehouse, a Seattle, WA-based non-profit focused on the specific educational needs of youth in foster care. Ms. Perez Hamilton brings over 20 years of advancement and development leadership including major gift fundraising experience to her new role. She most recently served as the chief advancement officer for Northwest Harvest where she led a 20+ person team focused on philanthropy, community engagement, communications, and volunteer management. In her new position with Treehouse, Ms. Perez Hamilton will primarily be responsible for directing a growing development program that ensures that the organization meets its strategic and financial goals through philanthropy and communications, and for working intentionally with the team to lead all engagement relationships through an equity lens, utilizing the principles of community-centric fundraising.

Following a national search Dallas-based executive search and talent development firm Bryant Group has assisted in the recruitment of Jessica Chapman as chief development officer at Target ALS. Sarah Hempen, vice president, led the assignment. “We are thrilled to welcome Jessica Chapman to Target ALS as our chief development officer,” said Manish Raisinghani, CEO of Target ALS. “Her distinguished expertise in leading development initiatives for research-focused missions along with her profound commitment to the ALS community make her an excellent addition to our team. Together, we will enable innovation in ALS research, advancing effective treatments to realize a world where everyone lives.” An experienced fundraiser in development and charitable gift-giving, Ms. Chapman brings a wealth of knowledge to the position. She spent seven years with The ALS Association, serving as their director of planned giving, senior director of individual giving, vice president of development and most recently as their vice president of mission equalities.

Related: BrainWorks Assists Visterra Landscape Group in the Recruitment of Chief Development Officer

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

Share This Article

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments