Pamela Cook, ACFRE (Retired) (she/her/hers)

Pam Cook, co-founder of Cook Silverman Search, has conducted searches for nonprofits since 2000. Prior to Cook Silverman, she founded and was principal of Pamela Cook Development Search.

Pam has more than thirty years of experience in philanthropy. She managed The Clorox Company Foundation and worked in senior development positions at the Stanford University School of Engineering, the California Academy of Sciences, the University of Virginia, and the United Way.

Pam co-founded a women’s giving circle in 2006 which supports international nonprofits that benefit women and children. She is on the board of the College of Marin Foundation and chairs the College’s Program Advisory Committee, serves on the Marin Advisory Board of 10,000 Degrees, and is a Steering Committee Member of the Marin Student Elections Ambassador Program (SEAP). Pam was president of the board of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP-GGC) and wrote fourteen articles about search and nonprofits published in AFP’s international magazine, Advancing Philanthropy. A Big Sister for ten years, she previously served on governing boards of the Fulbright Association and the SEMI Foundation and on the West Coast advisory board of the Institute of International Education.

A graduate of Duke University (B.A.), University of Virginia (M.A.), and a Fulbright Scholar at the Australian National University, Pam is an ACFRE (Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive), one of only 115 in the world. She received a certificate in corporate community relations from Boston College. and completed the Coro Community Leaders Program, Leadership Oakland, the Environmental Forum of Marin, and Stanford Advanced Management College.

Pam was named as the 2003 Hank Rosso Outstanding Fundraising Professional by the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Northern California Grantmakers.

Pam founded her book group in 1997. She loves to hike, swim, play pickleball and being a grandmother.