Who we are

Our People
• Staff
◦ Alex Counts, President
    ◦ Salvatore Pappalardo, COO
    ◦ Partner Services and Geogr
    ◦ Capital Mgmt & Advisory
    ◦ Grameen Technology Center
    ◦ Social Performance
    ◦ Partner Technology Support
    ◦ Monitoring and Evaluation
    ◦ Development
    ◦ Finance
    ◦ Marketing
    ◦ Operations
    ◦ Strategic Planning Center
    ◦ Si White, Acting CFO
    ◦ Human Capital Center
    ◦ Human Resources
• Board Members
• Committees and Councils
• GF Advisory Council

Our Grameen Heritage

Values

Awards and Recognition

Partnerships

Contact information

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Staff : Development

Development Staff

Sandra Adams, Vice President of External Affairs
Megan Beck, Regional Development Officer
Mary Irvine, Regional Director of Development
Rachelle Jacobson, Development Associate
Matt Mechenbier, Development Technology Officer
Patrick Meriweather, Director of Business Development
Cheri Mitchell, Director of Corporate Relations
Christina Santiago, Development Assistant
Cathy Yi, Corporate Relations Manager
Helen Yuen, Director of Annual Giving

E-mail: development@grameenfoundation.org

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Sandra Adams
Vice President of External Affairs

Sandra Adams brings three decades of nonprofit development, communications and marketing experience to Grameen Foundation. Throughout her career her focus has been on women’s and health issues in positions with the AAUW Educational Foundation, American Nurses Association, and National Breast Cancer Coalition and on environmental protection through her work with the National Parks Conservation Association and The Wilderness Society. An avid student and proponent of philanthropy, she has served as President of the Washington, DC chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, was twice elected Chair of the AFP national board of directors, and is currently on their advanced certification board. She was named Washington’s Outstanding Fund Raising Executive of the Year in 1994. Sandra has also served on the board and chaired the finance committee of EarthShare. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Mercyhurst College, a Master’s from the University of Massachusetts and a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language from Georgetown University. She and her husband Tom Roberts enjoy reading, travel and kayaking.

Megan Beck
Regional Development Officer

Megan Beck is a Regional Development Officer based in the Seattle office of Grameen Foundation and focuses on the network of supporters in the Western US. Megan was most recently Campaign Director for The Salvation Army, where she managed all development aspects of capital campaigns in the Northwest, including major donations of $10,000 - $1,000,000 from individuals, foundations, and corporations. She managed all aspects of a campaign to raise $8 million for a Kroc Community Center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Megan graduated from Boston University with degrees in International Relations and Journalism and is currently an MBA candidate at the University of Washington. She speaks fluent Spanish and has lived in Mexico, Spain, and Argentina. Her hobbies including travelling, skiing, reading, and mountain biking.

Mary Irvine
Regional Director of Development

Mary Vokes Irvine joined Grameen Foundation in 2008 as the Regional Director of Development for the Western US based in Los Angeles. Mary brings 17 years fundraising experience at leading health, educational, international and policy organizations. Most recently, she was director of development at the RAND Corporation where she led the fundraising efforts for the health and child policy programs as well as for a special RAND Palestine initiative. Her previous positions include six years at CARE as a senior development officer based in Chicago and later as national director of development for Basic and Girls’ Education. During the war in Kosovo, Mary served as a member of CARE’s emergency response team in Albania. She has traveled extensively throughout the developing world. A New Englander by birth (New Hampshire) and education (University of Vermont), Mary is a Californian who has a fondness for all things Chicago.

Rachelle Jacobson
Development Associate

Rachelle joined the Grameen Foundation in 2008. She currently serves as Development Associate, focusing on mid-range donations to Grameen. She has experience working in local and federal government, including market research and export assistance for the U.S. Commercial Service branch of the Department of Commerce. Rachelle holds a B.A. in International Studies, as well as a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of North Dakota, focusing on development and trade economics and nonprofit management. She spent a semester living abroad in Moss, Norway and is proficient in both Norwegian and French.

Matt Mechenbier
Development Technology Officer

Matt joined the Development Team in 2005 where he focuses on operational efficiency and connecting with donors through technology. Prior to Grameen Foundation, Matt worked for Ashoka – where he found himself drawn to the incredible scalability of the Grameen approach to poverty. He is a graduate of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Patrick Meriweather
Director of Business Development

Patrick Meriweather is Director of Business Development. He brings 17 years experience in program and organizational management and nonprofit business development to the organization. Prior to joining Grameen Foundation, he was the Assistant Director for Bids & Proposals at the Academy for Educational Development (AED) for five years. In addition, he worked as a Contract Administrator, Nonprofit Administrator, Project Finance Manager, and Project Backstop at other nonprofits and at the International Trade Administration. He was worked in many regions of the world and is familiar with key organizations, staff, concepts, and trends in the international development industry. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, he is a graduate of Georgetown University (BS 1990) and American University (MS 1997).

Cheri Mitchell
Director of Corporate Relations

Cheri Mitchell is the Director of Corporate Relations for the Grameen Foundation. She brings fourteen years of experience in relationship management, marketing strategy, project management, and strategic planning in both the private and non-profit sectors with particular expertise in developing strategic alliances that incorporate corporate social responsibility into economic development strategies. Prior to joining Grameen, Cheri was the Corporate Relations Manager at FINCA International for over five years. Before joining the non-profit world, Cheri worked in the private sector for nine years as a strategist and account manager in marketing communications, and began her career as a sales and marketing manager for a Fortune 200 company. A world traveler, yet mid-Westerner at heart, she graduated from the Ohio State University.

Christina Santiago
Development Assistant

Christina joined the Grameen Foundation in 2008 where she directly supports the VP of External Affairs as well as the Development Team. She brings knowledge of Microfinance from her time at FINCA International. She also has Capital Hill experience where she represented a major Chemical Manufacturing Trade Association. She has a Bachelor's in Economics and a minor in Rhetoric from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD-CP). At the UMD she was an elected officer in the International Economics and Finance Society (IEFS), where she held the position of Director of Internal Communications. She was also the editor of the IEFS Newsletter and coordinated member communications.

Cathy Yi
Corporate Relations Manager
Cathy Yi joined Grameen Foundation in October 2008 as the Corporate Relations Manager. She brings more than 14 years of experience connecting donors and volunteers to great causes that have resulted in the long-term protection of unique natural areas, fulfilled the dream of hundreds of low-income families to become homeowners and assisted women and children with shelter and supportive services at international and community-based organizations.  Most recently, she was the Regional Development Officer at Conservation International where she was responsible for securing funding for projects in China and the Indo-Burma region. She has traveled widely and enjoys reading and camping. Cathy holds a B.A. in English and Art History from James Madison University.

Helen Yuen
Director of Annual Giving

Helen brings a combination of fundraising, communications, policy, and international experience to Grameen Foundation. At GF, Helen oversees building the organization's fund for unrestricted gifts, the James F. and Betty Sams Fund. She comes to GF after working abroad for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) in Rome, Italy and the South America and Caribbean headquarters of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Santiago, Chile. After completing a fellowship at Senator Kennedy’s office of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, she left policy analysis to develop her communication skills of writing, photography, and print and web design. She holds a B.A. in Chinese Studies from Wellesley College and a Masters in Public Affairs from Columbia University.

Grameen Foundation : Who we are : Our People : Staff : Development