Who We Are
Our mission is to promote stewardship, growth and service through communication.
Our mission is to promote stewardship, growth and service through communication.
Mark is most sought after as an expert proposal writer and project strategist. In 2019, he was selected by his peers at AFP as the chapter’s Outstanding Fundraising Executive. He is the creator of the Open Communication Fundraising Model, a system that enables all nonprofit agency stakeholders to effectively work together toward organizational and fundraising goals. Mark has consistently served nonprofits as a staff member, board member or consultant since 1991.
Mark has raised more than $85 million for his clients and employers by obtaining grants for organizations of all types, sizes and locales, particularly for health, human service, community development and technology needs. He is currently President of the Grant Professionals Association North Carolina Chapter and is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Western NC. He has served as a founding board member for a public access television station and for Carolina Public Press. Mark has provided training sessions through many organizations, including WNC Nonprofit Pathways, the Duke University Continuing Studies Nonprofit Management program, and Alliance for Better Nonprofits.
Outside of work, Mark enjoys spending time with his wife and son, curling up with their furry family members, and bingeing on TV or audio. He is an avid tennis player and puzzle solver.
Terri grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She spent her summers as a child at her grandparent’s home in rural Minnesota. Her mid-western roots are evident when she says "pants" or "bag." Terri received her BA in Business Management & Marketing from Michigan State University.
Terri’s career has taken her to Wisconsin, Georgia, South Carolina, and now Western North Carolina. As Director of Flow at Communication Mark, Terri stewards Marketing, Human Resources and Business Management.
On a personal note, Terri lives in an intentional community at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ask her about it - she loves to share that part of her life.
Monica, a former CEO of an integrated community behavioral health center and federally qualified health center, has been a community health leader and development expert for health care services since 2005. She has taught grant writing seminars in Alaska and Hawaii for the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In her career, she has raised over $48 million dollars for healthcare services from infrastructure to operations for both new and existing projects.
Monica has served on federal grant review committees for the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She has experience working with federal, state, local, foundation, and individual donors for a wide array of projects.
Monica holds and Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and a MBA in Healthcare Administration from Loma Linda University and currently lives and works out of her home in Utah.
Manda started her nonprofit career twenty-three years ago as an Intern for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America receiving her first grant award for the Start Smart Program. Her true passion for the underserved and voiceless led her to form her own 501(c)(3) to assist children in need within the urban landscapes of Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Throughout her career, Manda has held the titles of Executive Director, Director of Development and Consultant, being awarded 329 grants and raising over $48 million dollars for amazing organizations to fulfill their missions. She has a wide variety of experience throughout the nonprofit sector with a focus on workforce development, shelter medicine, youth development, the arts and educational advancement.
During her tenure with Dreams Closet she was awarded the Mayoral Accommodation for Community Service by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and the Elite Partnership Award from Win Win Entertainment both for her innovative sustainable program implemented in over 150 schools. Manda is a former board member of Pensacola Little Theatre, America Business Women’s Association and Gulf Breeze Rotary Club.
Manda holds a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University, currently serves on three committees in her local community to assist nonprofits organizations with fundraising, regularly pro bono consults, and believes that transparency is the key to success. When not working, Manda can be found with her “blended to perfection” family enjoying lazy weekends in their backyard oasis with their ridiculous number of loving pets in Navarre, Florida.
Tina began her nonprofit career over twenty-five years ago as an AmeriCorps member with City Year in Boston. Over the years, her passion for helping others led to a lifetime career as a nonprofit professional. As a staff member and consultant, she has served as a campaign manager, development director, program specialist, grant writer, and reviewer. Tina has experience working with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations focused on areas such as education, homelessness, health, youth development, and the arts.
Tina is a former board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Atlanta Chapter, where she served in several roles, most notably as Vice President of Diversity when she implemented the award-winning and nationally recognized Diversity Fellows Program. In addition, she was a faculty member with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits Non-Profit University, teaching grant writing classes.
Tina served as the 2022 President of the Georgia Grant Professionals Association (GPA), has a degree in Business Administration, and enjoys spending time with her son and fur baby, and volunteering at the Atlanta Fox Theatre and in walkathons.
Susannah’s interest in global development and international relations introduced her to the world of nonprofit grant writing during her undergraduate studies. She received her BS in Global Studies & Cultural Geography and her MA in International Affairs & Development from Middle Tennessee State University. Her time interning with the Nashville International Center for Empowerment allowed her to work in refugee resettlement development. This solidified her passion for nonprofit development work and led her to pursue a career focusing on grant research and writing.
Grant writing has allowed Susannah to work with displaced families attempting to build new lives in a foreign country, vulnerable children in the inner cities, and groups working abroad to bring healthcare and education to underdeveloped countries.
Whether addressing neglected tropical disease across the globe or focusing on local needs throughout Middle Tennessee, Susannah values any time spent with empathetic and passionate people working together to create positive change.
Susannah nurtures a love for piano and can be heard playing for churches in her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, every Sunday. When not making music, she collaborates on art pieces for a local graphic design studio.
Dianne’s lived experiences, both personal and professional, make it a joy for her to assemble narratives that change lives. She brings public and private sector leadership expertise to Communication Mark from more than a decade in Polk County, NC, government administration and years of organizational consulting and brand ambassadorship.
Dianne has written successful grant applications to expand rural transportation for seniors, people with disabilities, and residents with low wealth; preserved and protected cultural heritage with Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership; and supported tourism and economic development in craft and music venues. Through government assignments she was the steward of millions in federal grants. She has also provided coaching and grants management support to small businesses and nonprofits.
Dianne’s love of collaborative synergies and ability to listen and synthesize information provides a grounded approach that achieves desired outcomes. In her personal life, Dianne makes a difference through cherished expressions of unity in an intentional community in Western North Carolina.
Valerie brings a variety of experiences to her primary role of writing proposals and researching potential grant opportunities for Communication Mark’s diverse clientele. She grew up in Hawaii, received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago in Germanic Languages and Literature, and began her career in publishing with positions at Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Joint Commission. Valerie then moved into marketing communications and to the Carolinas, working for both forprofit and nonprofit organizations.
Valerie’s nonprofit experience includes volunteer service as the Lake Wylie Lakekeeper, and as a board member of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Western North Carolina Chapter. Valerie currently volunteers with Mountain True/French Broad Riverkeeper.
Alice grew up in suburban New Jersey, where she developed a bad case of wanderlust. After attending college in New Jersey and Massachusetts, she finished her Bachelors in Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico. Since that time, she has worked in a variety of jobs, from managing a quick print store to freelancing as a scenic artist.
During her travels Alice has honed her administrative skills, and has now alighted in Asheville. She still pursues painting and writing in her spare time.
Get in touch with us today to work towards your goals for growth and success.