Who We Are
Our mission is to promote stewardship, growth and service through communication.
Mark Goldstein, CFRE
President and CEO
Mark is most sought after as an expert proposal writer and project strategist. 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. He has raised more than $40 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. Mark is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Western NC and the Grant Professionals Association. He has served as a founding board member for a public access television station and for Carolina Public Press. He regularly provides training sessions through a number of venues, including the Duke University Continuing Studies Nonprofit Management program, Alliance for Better Nonprofits, 4Good, and WNC Nonprofit Pathways.
Jaime Roscoe
Project Manager
Jaime Roscoe specializes in crafting compelling grant proposals for a variety of clients (ranging from large hospital systems to small arts organizations and everything in between) and helping clients plan projects that will provide measurable impact in their communities. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Environmental Conservation, and worked at the UNH Writing Center as a writing fellow and academic writing tutor. Through her nonprofit career, she’s served as a development director for a youth services organization and a foundation and corporate relations officer for a university and an environmental organization. She currently serves as the Association of Fundraising Professionals Western North Carolina Chapter’s board secretary.
Taryn Chase Jackson
Senior Proposal Writer
Taryn has twenty years of communications experience, including ten years with nonprofits working on grant writing and development. She spent five years developing grant proposals with university faculty at Radford University for sponsored programs and research. Her additional experience includes museum administration, educational technology, and the launch of a nonprofit to support independent journalism. With an MFA in creative nonfiction writing, Taryn teaches writing workshops and understands the persuasive power of true stories. Her volunteer service has included literacy, environmental, and social justice causes, as well as downtown revitalization and community gardening. She’s a member of the Asheville Choral Society, and has served as the marketing chair on their board.
Alice Sabo
Administrator
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 she has honed her administrative skills, and has now alighted in Asheville. She still pursues painting and writing in her spare time.
Valerie Munei
Proposal Writer
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. Her 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.
Emily Robison
Proposal Editor
Emily earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Ohio University in 2005 and went on to complete a two-year Peace Corps assignment in Yap State, The Federated States of Micronesia. There, she took on the role of Assistant Director of the Traditional Navigation Society and the Yap State Living History Museum, funding several cultural and educational projects through government grants from Micronesia, Australia, China, France and the United States. Emily moved to Asheville, North Carolina, in 2010 and has since led fundraising and development activities for several large area non-profits serving the arts and individuals living with low incomes or homelessness. In her spare time, Emily is an international explorer with 26 countries checked off her list, an essayist, and a visual artist working in textiles.
Jason Rogers
Product Manager
Jason has a diverse background of business operations and nonprofit fundraising experience. He graduated from Knox College (Galesburg, IL) with a bachelor’s degree in Economics and went to work in the corporate world, spending 12 years in different roles in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the country. Over the last few years, Jason has transitioned into a career focusing on strengthening the fundraising activities and operational efficiency of nonprofit organizations. Jason is married with three children and is active in foster care, coaching, and serving his community with a small group which he leads with his wife.
Sarah Collins
Senior Proposal Writer
Sarah’s passion for non-profit development and grant writing began at the College of Charleston. Earning her bachelor’s in Arts Management, she built her fundraising skills at various organizations in the South Carolina Lowcountry and western North Carolina. Her professional experiences include maintaining the finances for her hometown chamber of commerce and leading a county arts council as the sole staff member. Prior to joining Communication Mark, she supported the fundraising efforts and completion of a capital campaign for the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Sarah gets most excited about evaluating organizational structures and finding revenue streams to maximize programming efforts. She balances life through lots of playtime with her son.
George Ivey
Proposal Editor
George has expertise in major grant/major gift fundraising (especially grant proposal writing), project management, organizational development, and training for non-profit organizations and government agencies. His primary areas of experience include public lands and parks, agricultural lands, conservation, recreation and education.
Mary Beth Gordon
Proposal Editor
Mary Beth Gordon, a Kansas City native, has been writing grant proposals for 30 years. She has significant experience in the areas of health care, education, youth and disadvantaged populations. In the last five years, her proposals have secured more than ten million dollars for clients. Mary Beth also teaches grant writing at the Writers Place in Kansas City. An avid writer, she has authored books on criminal justice reform and voting trends and edited two award-winning newsletters. In her spare time, Mary Beth writes short plays, several of which have been produced.
Judy Chaet
Proposal Writer
Judy Chaet has more than 45 years of experience in nonprofit organizations. Her experience runs the full range of nonprofit work — from addressing envelopes and setting up the room to helping families and communities build a better life to working with legislators. Judy has been writing grants for nonprofit organizations for 40 years. She has experience with all types of grants – from small private foundations to large federal government grants. She has 17 years of supervisory experience. She has developed and implemented positive employee evaluation processes using the tools of Appreciative Inquiry, Self-Directed, and 360 Evaluation. She is on the Board of Hope for Horses, equine rescue and rehabilitation. In her spare time, she can be found playing with her dogs and horses, swimming and hiking.
Leland Malkus
Proposal Writer
Leland Malkus has been a social worker and a grant writer for a wide range of nonprofits. He has helped university faculty and nonprofits raise more than $7 million for research, homeless services, and several other social service and environmental programs. He has degrees in social work and anthropology and enjoys hiking, gardening, and is always happiest outdoors.
Transform your Organization with Focused Funding
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