Leadership
Staff
Hilary Cherner
Graham N. Murphy
Claire Manibog
Associates
Alexandra Alderman
Matthew Anderson-Stembridge
Richard Bumgarner
Oliver Davidson
Thomas R. Dewar
Donnie Fowler
David Gardiner
Douglas Hattaway
Paul Isenman
Gerri Kahnweiler
Margaret Siegel
Mark Valentine
Ann Van Dusen
Staff
Leadership
Bruce Boyd
Principal, Managing Director, Chicago Office
Bruce Boyd joined Arabella Advisors in early 2007 after spending twenty years building and leading successful for-profit and not-for-profit ventures. Since joining Arabella Advisors, Bruce has led engagements with institutional foundations, families, and companies. Those engagements have included intergenerational strategic planning with families, development of a philanthropy framework for two major corporations, investigation of funding opportunities for large foundations, and evaluation of philanthropy programs for a range of clients.
Bruce has diverse experience in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Bruce left the practice of law to purchase a company out of bankruptcy, which he returned to profitability and sold to a Fortune 500 company. Following the sale, Bruce was named Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Illinois, a position he held from 1994 to 2007. During his tenure at the Conservancy, Bruce and his team launched ground-breaking local, regional, and global conservation programs while increasing revenue more than fifteen times.
Bruce has also provided leadership as a Board member for organizations working across the nonprofit spectrum including Chicago Wilderness, Opportunity International, and the Merit School of Music. He has also served on foundation boards, including the David K. Hardin Generativity Trust and his own family’s foundation.
Bruce graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College, earned his law degree from the University of Chicago, and studied business at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.
Eric Kessler
Principal and Founder, Managing Director, Washington, DC Office
Eric founded Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors following more than fifteen years of service in the nonprofit community and federal government. His personal experience in family philanthropy and extensive writing and speaking helped to launch Arabella Advisors as a thought-leader in effective philanthropy. Eric’s commentaries on effective philanthropy have been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Business Week Online, and National Public Radio’s Marketplace.
Eric’s public service includes working as the first National Field Director for the non-partisan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and as a White House political appointee in the Clinton Administration. He also spent six years working in the former Soviet Union, Southeast Asia, and throughout the Middle East where he helped encourage democratic reform.
Eric has had the honor of being an active third-generation member of his family’s foundation – which holds assets generated by the sale of their fifth-generation family-owned business. Eric currently serves as the Disaster Response Resource Lead for the Council on Foundations and is a member of its 2008 Philanthropy Summit Program Committee. Eric is also on the Selection Committee of the Brower Youth Awards. He studied at the University of Colorado and earned an MBA from Georgetown University.
Staff
Bill Lyons
Director
Bill focuses on our individual and family clients, helping them clarify their values and develop cohesive board and family governance structures and systems. He has served as a philanthropic and governance counselor to families, family foundations, and family offices for more than 10 years. Previous positions include working with James E. Hughes Jr., Asset Management Advisors and Gamble Partners, a single-family office and family foundation in San Francisco . Bill has a law degree from Georgetown University Law School and a Masters in Family Studies from Loyola University of Chicago.
Leslie Payne
Director
Leslie focuses on our corporate and institutional clients, providing program evaluation as well as advice on new investment strategies and nonprofit partnerships. Her previous professional experience includes work with the Tides Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility team at the World Bank, and the Business Civic Leadership Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Leslie holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Hilary Cherner
Associate Director
Hilary focuses on institutional clients, having managed a massive data collection effort for a large institutional foundation and overseeing the development of a global health strategy for a major international foundation. Previously, Hilary served as a Management and Program Analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she developed evaluation measures for the Community Food and Nutrition Program, managed grant reviews for the Administration of Children and Families, and conducted monitoring for Head Start grantees. Hilary holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado, and an M.A. in Public Affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management from Indiana University.
Graham N. Murphy
Associate Director of Operations
Graham is currently responsible for coordinating operations and human resources for Arabella Advisors, as well as assisting with financial oversight for the firm. Graham previously served as Operations Manager for Teach For America’s Washington, DC office, where he worked to increase operational capacity to manage the growth of the organization’s second largest office. Graham is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and holds a B.A. in Human Services from The George Washington University, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Claire Manibog
Analyst
Claire’s work at Arabella includes conducting research in support of client projects, managing print and web marketing, and providing office and administrative support. Claire previously worked for the International Food Policy Research Institute, where she assisted in mainstreaming gender in the Institute’s research. She has experience working with street children and migrant workers in the Philippines and Singapore. Claire is currently pursuing studies in graphic and web design from Boston University and holds a B.A. in International Development studies from McGill University.
Associates
Arabella Advisors draws on a national and international network of experts who track emerging issues and philanthropic activity in their areas of expertise. From local community movements to international development trends, our issue experts provide the most current and sophisticated analysis in a variety of areas of interest.
Alexandra Alderman
Associate – Evaluation
Alexandra Alderman joins Arabella Advisors from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, where as Associate Director she was responsible for designing, planning, and overseeing performance monitoring and impact evaluation plans, as well as conducting research and economic analysis of the Corporation's investments. She has managed USAID-funded projects to support the collection and use of education data in school policy and budget development in West Africa. Alexandra started her career in international development as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. She holds a Master Degree in Public Administration/International Development from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a B.A. in Economics and Latin American Studies from Northwestern University.
Matthew Anderson-Stembridge
Associate – Faith and Environment
Matthew’s experience within both the environmental community and the faith community provides unique and valuable insight and perspective. Matthew’s background includes training with Green Corps and working with Greenpeace. Matthew directed environmental and rural advocacy and education in Washington, DC for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as national campaign efforts on climate and energy for the National Council of Churches in Christ. Matthew has served as executive director of a multi-sector faith-based coalition and currently directs the Creation Care Fund, which provides financial and technical support to Christian environmental grassroots initiatives. Matthew graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in environmental studies.
Richard Bumgarner
Senior Associate – Public Health and Development Economics
Richard has had high-level exposure to and responsibility with a variety of global health and international development issues, including health and public sector economics, public-private partnerships, public advocacy, and high-impact strategy campaigns. During his 29 years at the World Bank, Richard became Principal Operations Officer, served as the Deputy Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme, and was the primary author of a book on the health sector in China and multiple reports on other countries. Richard completed course work and exams for a PhD and holds a Masters in International Public Administration from Syracuse University and a B.A. from Gonzaga University. He has served as an independent consultant for a wide range of international public and private sector clients since 2000.
Oliver Davidson
Senior Associate – Disaster Response
Oliver is a leading consultant on disaster programs who has worked within the public, private, and nonprofit sectors for 27 years to promote public-private cooperation during domestic and international disasters. He is currently advising the Business Civic Leadership Center of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and The Humane Society of the United States on disaster strategies. He worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for 23 years, including the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance where he directed 320 international disaster relief operations. Oliver also worked on public-private partnerships at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and as the Director of In-Kind Donations at the American Red Cross national headquarters.
Thomas R. Dewar
Senior Associate – Program Evaluation
Tom is an accomplished author and researcher and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of The Johns Hopkins University. In 2001, Tom stepped down as Director of Program Evaluation for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where he continues to serve as an advisor to the foundation on program priorities and strategies, as well as their impact. Prior to working at the MacArthur Foundation, he worked with Rainbow Research and was on the faculty of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Tom also served as a staff researcher for a U.S. Senate Committee and was a community organizer in Chicago’s west side neighborhoods. Tom has a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Sociology, and a Ph.D. in Sociology and Urban Affairs from Northwestern University.
Jamee Field
Senior Associate – Family Philanthropy
For the past ten years, Jamee has been involved with various foundations and non-profit organizations. After graduating from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business, she worked at the Chicago Community Trust before heading to Tanzania to help the World Wildlife Fund develop sustainable economies for local communities. Upon returning from Africa, she focused her efforts on the capital campaign for the Nature Conservancy of Illinois that she is currently co-chairing, in addition to running a small private foundation. Having been raised in a philanthropic family, Jamee understands the nuts and bolts of a family foundation and what it takes to make it successful.
Donnie Fowler
Senior Associate – Political Processes
Donnie has succeeded in both political and high technology circles through his work in Silicon Valley, at the White House and the Federal Communications Commission, and on the ground helping Democratic campaigns in every corner of the nation over the last twenty years. He has advised dozens of companies, policymakers, public advocacy groups, and political campaigns on how to successfully manage their media, policy, business development, and technology agendas. Donnie has also made frequent appearances in local and national media on political and technology issues. His campaign highlights include service as Al Gore’s national field director in 2000 and as a candidate for Democratic National Chairman in 2005, where he finished as the runner-up to Governor Howard Dean. Donnie’s technology background includes several years as vice president of TechNet, a Silicon Valley based network of venture capitalists and senior executives, and as a manager during the term of two chairmen at the FCC in Washington. Originally from South Carolina, Donnie currently lives in San Francisco and works in Silicon Valley.
David Gardiner
Senior Associate – Climate Change
David has over 25 years of experience analyzing and shaping successful federal and international environmental policy in the public and private sector. David served as the Executive Director of the White House Climate Change Task Force, where he participated in the development of domestic policy and in international climate negotiations. Preceding that, he served as Carol Browner’s Assistant Administrator for Policy at the Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to joining the administration, David was Legislative Director for the Sierra Club in Washington, D.C. His firm, David Gardiner and Associates, has provided research and analysis for leading U.S. foundations, including the Turner Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Douglas Hattaway
Senior Associate – Effective Communications
Doug is a strategic communications consultant. Since 1992, he has helped foundations, nonprofit organizations, and advocacy groups evaluate their communications programs and develop effective strategies. His clients have included the Woodcock Foundation, the World Bank, and Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He has conducted communications research, evaluations, and trainings for projects funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State, and the World Health Organization. Having served as spokesman for Vice President Al Gore, communications director for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, and an adviser to other Members of Congress, he brings high-level experience with decision makers to bear on his work with clients who seek to inform policy.
Andreas Hipple
Associate – International Development
Andreas has over a decade of experience working on international development issues in the field and as a researcher, with a special focus on Africa and post-conflict development. His background includes two years as a small business development advisor for the Peace Corps in Benin and his recent consulting work includes collaborating on a water and sanitation project proposal for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Andreas speaks fluent French and Swedish, excellent German, and intermediate Portuguese. He earned his B.A. in Economics from Carleton College, an M.A. (honors) in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and is currently an advanced Ph.D. candidate in SAIS’s international development program. Andreas served as project manager for Arabella’s evaluation of the Center for Global Development.
Terry Holt
Senior Associate – Political Processes
Terry has worked in Republican Party circles for 20 years, most recently as the Senior Advisor to the Republican National Committee in 2004. He was the Communication Director to the RNC’s Victory 2000 campaign and a Party spokesman for the 2000 and 2004 National Conventions. Holt has served as a senior advisor to House Minority John Boehner, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, and was the national spokesman for President Bush’s 2004 presidential campaign. Terry has managed campaigns across the country, from Maine to Washington. In the 1994 elections, the year of the “GOP revolution,” he managed the congressional campaign unseating the first sitting Speaker of the House in more than 130 years. Holt has also worked as field representative for the National Republican Congressional Committee and communication director for a key state Republican Party.
Paul Isenman
Senior Associate – International Development
Paul Isenman is an independent consultant on aid policy, working with such organizations as the World Bank, the Global Fund, the Agence Française de Développement and the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID). From 2000 to 2005, he was head of the Division of Policy Co-ordination at the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Secretariat, where he was one of the major contributors to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. He also led work of the Secretariat on aid effectiveness in governance, gender, fragile states, conflict, and environment. He had two decades of prior operational and policy experience in the World Bank. This included heading country departments in Africa, South Asia and Latin America, as well as serving as Chief Economist for East Africa, Director of Policy Planning, and staff director of a World Development Report (on poverty and human development). In his previous work with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) he spent four years in resident missions in Bangladesh and India and was deputy director of USAID’s central economic staff. He is a former member of the governance bodies of the Institute for Development Studies and Queen Elizabeth House and is on the board of The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA), an NGO working on gender issues.
Gerri Kahnweiler
Senior Associate – Family Philanthropy
For over 20 years, Gerri has been working with philanthropic issues and institutions in the Chicago area, including her work as president of a private foundation. As a former analyst and manager for a hedge fund, Gerri has used her financial and analytical skills to take the position of treasurer on numerous philanthropic boards. Most recently, Gerri has served as the Chairperson of both the Health and Violence Prevention Committee and the Evaluation Committee of the Chicago Jewish Women’s Foundation. In addition, she serves as the Chairperson of a committee for a local governmental grant making body. Gerri has an MBA from Northwestern University.
Margaret Siegel
Senior Associate – Family Philanthropy
Margie is one of the country’s most experienced consultants to family philanthropists. Margie helps clients develop areas of focus for their philanthropy; engage multiple generations in their foundation’s operations; and develop programmatic, governance, and administrative systems that meet their individual needs. Margie serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, is a member of the Steering and Executive Committees of the Washington AIDS Partnership, and has served on the steering committees of the Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants and the Community Development Support Collaborative. In addition, she was the co-chair of the Jewish Funders Network 2002 international conference. Margie studied at Douglass College and received her M.A. from the University of North Carolina.
Mark Valentine
Senior Associate – Sustainability
Mark has over twenty years of experience helping nonprofit and philanthropic institutions leverage their assets to achieve social change. Mark was a Program Director with the Packard Foundation, where he helped establish the nation's largest conservation grant making program with investments across the western United States, Mexico, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, and the small island states of the Western Pacific. He then went on to create an innovative interdisciplinary program that was focused on promoting strategic synergy across the foundation's reproductive health, conservation, and community development programs. Mark left the foundation in 2003 to found ReFrame It Consulting, which provides program design and assessment as well as organizational development services to organizations working across a diverse array of issues including smart growth and sustainable land use, marine and coastal conservation, social entrepreneurship, regional economic development, and international conflict prevention and resolution. Mark has a B.A. from Union College in New York.
Ann Van Dusen
Senior Associate – Strategic Planning
Ann is an advisor to leading domestic and international donor institutions on strategic planning, program development, and evaluation. She has spent her career working on issues of economic and social development, humanitarian assistance, and poverty alleviation both internationally and domestically. Ann served 24 years with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), overseeing policy development and program implementation throughout the agency, and was the Chief Operating Officer of Save the Children and the interim Chief Executive Officer of EnterpriseWorks. She works with a number of charitable organizations, including the Washington Area Women's Foundation, Catalogue for Philanthropy, Liberty's Promise, and CEDPA. Ann is Visiting Associate Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and has published on social indicators, health and poverty, women and family in the Arab world and, most recently, foreign aid reform. She has a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Sociology and Social Anthropology, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a B.A. with honors from Wellesley College.
Regine Webster
Associate – Disaster Recovery
Regine has over 12 years of leadership experience working with nonprofit organizations at the local, national, and international levels. She has sector expertise in humanitarian assistance, global health, and leadership development. Most recently, working with the Bill & Melinda Gates and Conrad N. Hilton Foundations, Regine has managed the development and execution of over 100 domestic and international grants totaling more than $50 million in the areas of emergency relief, human resources for health, homelessness, and education. Previously, while working at Kaiser Permanente and RAND, Regine conducted public policy research to improve health care services for women, as well as other key demographic segments.
Holly Wise
Senior Associate – International Development
Holly is a consultant on international development and corporate social responsibility. She spent 26 years in the foreign service with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), serving throughout Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. She founded and directed the Global Development Alliance, USAID’s award-winning public-private partnership program, which leveraged $4 billion in private funding to assist the world’s poor.
Ari Zentner
Senior Associate – Business Strategy
Ari Zentner specializes in business strategy and planning, organizational and operational design, finance operations, budgeting and forecasting, process reengineering, internal controls and management reporting. Ari is the Managing Director of True North. Over the past ten years, he has helped nonprofit and for-profit organizations effectively plan for and navigate their environments strategically, financially, and operationally. His work encompasses small and large organizations in a variety of situations, including start-up, rapid growth, maturity, and decline. Ari earned both his M.B.A. and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and his B.A. from Colgate University.
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