As nonprofit leaders in Greater Washington, Erica Beal, Jared D. Cohen, and Matt Gayer are invested in improving and advancing their organizations—and themselves. This year, we’re excited to announce them as our fifth annual David Bradt Nonprofit Leadership Awardees. Beal, Executive Director of School Leader Lab (SLL), Cohen, President & CEO of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area(PFNCA), and Gayer, Executive Director of Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy), will each receive up to $15,000 to attend an intensive executive training program of their choice.
Launched in 2017 as a salute to former trustee David Bradt and his many years of service to our community, the David Bradt Nonprofit Education Fund supports senior level nonprofit leaders in advancing their careers and leadership skills. Local business leader Alex Orfinger and Diane Tipton, David’s wife, established the Fund to surprise and honor David.
Tonia Wellons, President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, extends her congratulations to this year’s class:
“Congratulations to the 2023 awardees! We are thankful for all you have done and will continue to do to strengthen our community. The Community Foundation is so pleased to support investments in exceptional nonprofit leaders and support the Fund’s impact in our region. Our thanks to David for the inspiration, and to Diane and Alex for creating such a wonderful way in which to honor him.”
Read on to meet these inspiring local leaders.
MEET OUR AWARDEES
Erica Beal is the Executive Director of School Leader Lab (SLL). SLL collaborates with educators to dismantle racism, inspire staff, and champion rigorous learning. SLL develops school leaders at all levels through cohorts, 1:1 coaching, and tailored support projects. Under Erica’s leadership, SLL has established new partnerships with DCPS, TFA, TNTP, and GreenhouseE3. SLL will launch a new Executive Leader Cohort in Fall 2024. Erica was named Teacher of the Year at KIPP DC and was selected as a finalist for TFA’s Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. She led at a Tier 1, Bold Improvement School in Ward 7. SLL has supported nearly 75% of the school networks in Washington DC and 400+ educators in the DMV. Erica has a BA from Georgetown and a ME in Educational Leadership from Columbia. Erica plans to use the award to attend Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program on Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.
Jared D. Cohen, President & CEO of the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA) since 2013, oversees management, strategic-planning and implementation of comprehensive programs and services for people impacted by Parkinson’s Disease. During his tenure, PFNCA has received honors and recognition for excellence and innovation from the Center for Non-Profit Advancement, the Public Interest Registry and software provider CVENT. PFNCA has also been honored as one of the Best Small Non-Profits in the Greater Washington Region by the Catalogue for Philanthropy since 2013. Under his leadership, PFNCA has grown services and strengthened its financial position. He previously served as Executive Director of Multicultural Community Service, a Washington, D.C. non-profit fostering community engagement. He earned his MBA from Johns Hopkins University and his MA and BA from American University. He hopes to use his award to attend Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program on digital excellence.
Matt Gayer, Executive Director of Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy, joined the organization in 2017. Matt leads Spur Local’s dedicated team of staff in supporting local nonprofits and driving community engagement. He grew Spur Local’s capacity building program to have about 5,000 annual nonprofit participants and has personally led training opportunities for over 20,000 nonprofit participants. Spur Local has also raised over $57M for DMV nonprofits since its founding, with about $5M now raised annually. Prior to Spur Local, Matt worked in healthcare consulting and public health. Matt received his BA in Public Policy and Political Science from Southern Methodist University, where he also studied economics and human rights, as well as a Masters of Public Administration from Syracuse University. Matt is a Truman Scholar, and a 2022 recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s “40 under 40” leadership award. He hopes to use his award to participate in Leadership Greater Washington.