The New York Women's Foundation
Staff Biographies
Ana L. Oliveira, President & Chief Executive Officer

Ana Oliveira became the President & CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation® in February 2006. She has worked in the health and human services field for over 20 years, developing programs for vulnerable populations throughout NYC. She served as the first woman and Latina Executive Director of Gay Men’s Health Crisis for over seven years, overseeing a complete turn-around of the agency. Before working at GMHC, Oliveira directed innovative community-based programs at Samaritan Village, the Osborne Association, Kings County and at Lincoln Hospitals. Oliveira was a member of the New York City HIV Planning Council and was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg to the New York City Commission on AIDS in 2004. Her awards feature: Mutual Welfare League Certificate, (Osborne Association); Liberty Award, (Lambda Legal & Education Defense Fund); Community Service Award (Empire State Pride Agenda); and Rosie Perez Fuerza Award, (Latino Commission on AIDS). She was profiled in Newsweek (2005) as "America’s Best," a series highlighting ordinary individuals using their extraordinary vision on behalf of others. Oliveira was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and resides in Manhattan. She has an M.A. in Medical Anthropology from the New School for Social Research and is a Licensed Acupuncturist.
 
Tamar Copeland, Director of Development

Tamar is responsible for spearheading all of the Foundation's fundraising efforts, including the CWB and annual and major giving programs. She has more than 16 years experience in creating resources for nonprofit arts, academic and cultural institutions. Preceding the NYWF®, she spent six years as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at NYU. Prior to that, she facilitated the restructuring of the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre as their Managing Director. Before moving back to the New York area from Pittsburgh, she co-founded and ran her own theatre company, where, as Artistic Director, she focused on producing and directing new works by and about women. Tamar holds a BA in Social History and well as a Masters in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Jacqueline Ebanks, Director of Programs

Jacqui oversees the Foundation’s Programs Department including grant–making and other mission–related advocacy and public–policy initiatives. Before joining the Foundation she was the Regional Director for the Northeast and Puerto Rico for Citi Community Relations. Prior to assuming the Regional Director role, Jacqui was the Vice President & Director of U.S. Partnerships and Program Development for Citi’s Global Community Relations Division where she managed strategic partnerships with national nonprofit organizations. Jacqui has over sixteen years work experience in the NYC nonprofit sector, as the former Vice President for Community Investment at United Way of New York City, Child Welfare Policy Analyst at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, Director of United Neighborhood Houses’ Staff Development Initiative; Director of Program Development and Quality Assurance at the Society for Seamen’s Children (Staten Island), and Director of Development at Harlem United Community AIDS Center. Jacqui holds a M.S. in Policy Analysis and Public Management from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She resides in the Bronx with her husband and three daughters.

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Megan Guzman, Program Officer

Megan joined The New York Women’s Foundation in August 2008 and is especially interested in women’s health and sexual rights as well as and programs for girls and young women. Her previous professional experience includes Executive Assistant to Fran Barrett at Community Resource Exchange, and work as a finance deputy for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign and the political action committee Democracy for America. Megan spent five summers as teacher and administrator at Aim High, a tuition-free academic program for public school students of color in the Bay Area. Additionally, she has served as the chair of the Sisterhood Fund, a program that trains young women in philanthropy and grant-making. She volunteers weekly at the Housing Works Used Bookstore Cafe in SoHo. A native of Oakland, California, Megan earned a bachelor’s degree in US History and International Development Studies from McGill University in Montreal.

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Madeline Lamour Holder, Associate Director of Individual Giving

Madeline identifies and cultivates philanthropic opportunities to expand partnerships with diverse affinity groups and individuals in New York City. She is the founder of C.H.A.N.G.E.R., a membership organization engaging low-wealth homeowners and partners with media, legal groups and social services to develop and win lasting policy changes designed to protect minority homeowners in NYC. Prior to that, Madeline spearheaded the Sisters Lending Circle (SLC) of the Central Brooklyn Partnership, a former NYWF® grantee partner, which promoted financial education, sustainability, as well as leadership among low-income women in Central Brooklyn. Madeline also coordinated a Community Outreach Program at the Center Against Violence in Brooklyn. For many years, she volunteered at Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees in Brooklyn where she taught English-as-a-Second-Language to adult Haitian immigrants and launched a health empowerment collective for women. Madeline received a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology and a certificate in Not-for-Profit Management from Columbia University Graduate Business School's Institute for Not-For-Profit Management. She currently serves on the Board of C.H.A.N.GE.R. and Marenn Parenn pou Haiti. Madeline is a recipient of the Open Society Institute's NYC Community Fellowship Award. She is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, and Spanish.

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Cathy Levy, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations

Cathy is responsible for corporate and foundation fundraising at The Foundation. She has over eight years of experience in fundraising and marketing for nonprofits besides her previous for profit background. Most recently, Cathy was a Director of Development at the Advertising Council focusing on corporate and foundation relations for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Prior to that, she spent approximately six years as Director, Business Development at the American Lung Association developing corporate partnerships, including cause marketing relationships, educational outreach initiatives, event/program sponsorships, and licensing agreements. Cathy holds a BA in Economics and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

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Alejandra Naranjo. Senior Director of Major Gifts and Strategic Campaigns

Alejandra manages development campaigns including gifts from high-net worth individual and institutional donors. Before joining the NYWF®, Alejandra served as Executive Vice President for Visión México; a U.S. based nonprofit organization that serves Mexicans living in México and in the US. In this capacity, she secured grants in the $10 million range. In the last two years she acted as U.S. Director for Centro Fox, the first presidential library and public policy center developed in Mexico. As head of the U.S. office for Centro Fox, she secured individual gifts in the million-dollar range and worked directly with the former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox. Alejandra holds a Masters in Public Administration, with a concentration in Non Profit Management, from Baruch College at the City University of New York and a Bachelors of Art degree in Economics from ITAM in México City. Alejandra was born and raised in Mexico City

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Talib Nichiren, Director of Individual Giving and Special Events

Before joining the NYWF®, Talib was the manager of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Gay Men’s Health Crisis for over five years. During his tenure, he raised millions of dollars to uplift the lives of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Talib has also served the community with Congressman Richard J. Santorum (PA), the United Way of New York City, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, and Brooklyn College Foundation to make all of New York City and the USA a better place to live and work. Talib holds a BA in Political Science and in Communications and Information Arts from Seton Hill University, formally known as Seton Hill College a historically women’s catholic liberal arts college, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He is also a proud alumnus of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship in Public Policy, The Washington Center Fellowship (public policy), The Marshall Fellowship (journalism) and is a past recipient of the Points of Light Foundation Award from President George Bush for his work with at-risk-youth in Pennsylvania. Talib is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, now calling his hometown New York City.

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Pamela Plate, Executive Assistant

Prior to coming to the Foundation, Pam volunteered at The Fourth Universalist Society (4th U), where she chaired 4th U's 1st Auction Gala in November 2004. She currently serves on 4th U's Finance Committee and is the Founder/Manager of the Bookstore. Prior to her work at 4th U, Pam was Executive Assistant and Office Manager of Paul Ward Associates, Inc. (PWAI) for 15 years, where she managed the day-to-day operations; PWAI provided training and consulting services for real-time software development teams worldwide. Pam holds a BA cum laude in Philosophy and German from the University of Buffalo (SUNY). Her studies included two years at the University of Wurzburg, (West) Germany. She is fluent in German and speaks conversational French.

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Talatha Kiazolu-Reeves, Director of Strategic Initiatives

Talatha oversees and manages Volunteer resources, Communications and Media Strategies and other Strategic Projects. She has over fourteen years experience in nonprofit management. She relocated from Phoenix, Arizona where she started a management consulting company targeting non-profit organizations in the health promotion and social justice fields. Prior to that, she was the Director of Women and Family Services at GMHC and spearheaded the launch of the Women’s Institute at GMHC. She was born in Liberia, West Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Masters in Divinity.

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Ruth Sanderson, Finance & Administrative Manager

Ruth is responsible for the financial and office operations including audit, budget and personnel matters. Ruth has over 20 years experience in administration and management and has held positions from Manager of Affiliate Database to Operations Manager at corporations in the television and cable industries as well as architectural and medical firms. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the Public Affairs Coordinator at Time Warner Cable where she was responsible for the administrative operations as well as managed the corporate sponsorships and contributions program. Ruth has an Associates Degree in Business Administration and has a broad expertise in all aspect of office administration, from systems and database management to accounting, payroll and benefits administration. She also received her certificate in Non-Profit Accounting from Fiscal Management Associates. Ruth has served on several non-profit boards as Financial Officer at Bridge Street Church and currently as Treasurer for Illuminated Access, Inc., an after-school interactive program for adolescents to encourage and support positive adolescent development. Ruth also served on the Member Relations Committee of the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG).

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Tarnisha Smart, Development Associate

Tarnisha lends her expertise to a broad range of development activities. She is responsible for database management and procedures as well as development research; coordinating internet-based communication; developing fundraising materials; and assisting with all fundraising activities. She has worked in the non-profit fundraising and development field for over ten years. Before joining The New York Women’s Foundation, she spent over five years as an Assistant Development Director at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx where, most recently, she played an integral part of a $10,000,000 Capital Campaign. Prior to that, Tarnisha worked at The American Numismatic Society for five years assisting the Executive Director and Development Director and managing their Raiser’s Edge membership database. She also has extensive experience assisting with the planning and coordinating of events, as well as, experience in desktop publishing which includes annual appeal brochures, magazines, fundraising journals, invitations and flyers.

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