Kim Buckner Patton oversees Candid's Northeast region including our New York and Washington, DC, regional centers. Prior to her current position, she designed and delivered training programs and curriculum for Candid geared toward developing and expanding the leadership and capacity of nonprofit organizations both domestically and abroad.

Prior to joining Foundation Center in 2007, Kim worked as a nonprofit director, fundraiser, and grantmaker for more than 20 years with organizations such as Hawaii Public Television, the Council on Foundations, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She received her J.D. from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio and her B.A. in Communications from the University of Cincinnati.

Elizabeth is the Community Outreach Manager at Foundation Center Northeast DC. In this role, she helps increase Foundation Center’s visibility by connecting the social sector to our capacity-building trainings and resources. In addition to delivering training courses on nonprofit management and fundraising best practices, she organizes special programs and networking events on topics related to philanthropy and the social sector. In collaboration with her Social Sector Outreach teammates, she serves as a relationship manager to our Funding Information Network partners throughout the region. She is also the go-to person for the DC team’s social media activities.

With a Master of Arts in Teaching from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Management from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, Elizabeth brings to Foundation Center over 10 years of experience in training, adult learning and program management in the nonprofit sector. Elizabeth is a proud alum of The New Teacher Project (TNTP) and served as a Nashville Teaching Fellow in Metro Nashville Public Schools. In her previous position, she served as Director of Volunteer Programs and later as Deputy Director for the Washington English Center, a community-based nonprofit English language school serving over 1,500 adult immigrants in the DC area each year.

Catalina Spinel is the New York Lead at Candid, as such she manages the day-to-day operations of Candid Northeast’s New York library and learning center where she connects social sector professionals to the resources they need to thrive. Catalina brings 14 years of experience in liaising between diverse groups of stakeholders to take a broad range of projects off the ground. Prior to joining Candid, she supported the expansion of the District-Charter Collaborative, a program of the New York City Department of Education that facilitates collaboration with the goals of improving instructional practices, student outcomes, and eliminating disparities along racial lines. She also led the creation of the United Nations Victims of Terrorism Support Portal, a global resource hub for information on issues on victims of terrorism.

Catalina has consulted for UN Women, Luker Foundation, and Carvajal Foundation on their fundraising strategy. Over the past four years, she has served on the Board of Women Advancing Microfinance New York and has volunteered as a mentor for iMentor. Catalina holds a Master in Public Administration from Columbia University and a Business bachelor from Universidad de los Andes. She practices Kung Fu and loves riding her bike.

Susan Shiroma, Senior Social Sector Librarian provides leadership and support for Foundation Center public services for social sector professionals in the NY metro area. Susan's achievements since joining the organization in 1995 include directing the national expansion of Foundation Center's proposal writing seminar program and managing prospect and philanthropy research for over 1,000 nonprofit members of Foundation Center's historic Associates Program. She is a popular and engaging Foundation Center training expert and public speaker.

Previously, Susan was an associate curator at New York University and adjunct professor of library sciences at St. John's University and Long Island University. She is former Chair of the Consortium of Foundation Libraries, an affinity group of Council on Foundations. Susan is currently on the Board of Directors of King Manor Museum in Jamaica, NY and has contributed over a decade of public service and advocacy work on behalf of New York City's community education councils. She has an M.L.S. from Columbia University and a B.A. from Barnard College. 

Tracy Kaufman is the community outreach manager at Foundation Center, where she plans public workshops related to nonprofit management, fundraising, and other issues relevant to philanthropy and the social sector, tailored towards the needs of growing nonprofits. Tracy also works as a reference librarian in Foundation Center’s library, offering personalized guidance for grantseekers looking to build capacity and expand their funding options. She has a decade of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Previously, Tracy held positions with the Association of American Publishers and the New York Public Library. She earned her degree in writing seminars from Johns Hopkins University.

Teleange′ Thomas was named director of Foundation Center Midwest, January 2016. She provides leadership for deepening the organization’s impact in thirteen Midwestern states, while enhancing the organization’s value proposition to the Cleveland community.

Ms. Thomas has 14-plus years of professional experience in the fields of healthcare, public health, human services, and philanthropy. Prior to joining Foundation Center, she served for seven years as a program director with the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, overseeing strategies to reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations through strategic grantmaking, systems and policy change.

Teleange′ earned a bachelor’s of business management and entrepreneurial studies from Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the boards of directors for Health Policy Institute of Ohio, Green City Growers, and the Conservancy of Cuyahoga Valley National Park; a fellow of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; and is published in professional and academic journals.

Dave Holmes is Cleveland Lead at Candid, coordinating the training, reference, and research services for the midwest region. He returned to the Foundation Center (now Candid) in 2015 from a position as Senior Consultant at Grants Plus, writing grants and doing research for a variety of large and small nonprofit clients. In his initial nine-year tenure with Foundation Center, Dave served in various roles including Regional Training Specialist, Interim Director of Foundation Center – Cleveland, and Director of Capacity and Leadership Development.

Earlier in his career, Dave served as a Program Officer for the Stocker Foundation in Lorain, Ohio, and as the Director of Grants and Prospect Research at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. He is a current board member of Joel's Place for Children and a former board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Cleveland Chapter and of Joyful Noise Music School. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA from Villanova University, and an MLIS from Kent State University.

Samantha Peddicord is the Community Outreach Manager at the Foundation Center Midwest. She recently joined the Foundation Center after operating a consulting group that worked with a variety of clients including universities, private and nonprofit organizations and the City of Cleveland. Before consulting, she served as chief of staff for Cleveland City Council and as a family liaison for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She is an involved community member and serves as the Vice Chair of a Global Ambassadors Language Academy (GALA) a Spanish and Mandarin immersion school, a member of Global Shapers and, a former member of the Refugee Services Collaborative. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Akron, an M.A. from John Carroll University.

As the director of Candid – South, Maria is responsible for providing and connecting the South’s diverse social sector with the tools, resources and knowledge it needs to strengthen impact and elevate the reach of philanthropy through strong capacity building within the wide social sector landscape.

Maria brings 20 years of recognized leadership, management and program development, and has worked at every level within diverse social work fields ranging from mental and public health, criminal justice, immigration, entrepreneurship, and school- and community-based work. She brings a deep passion and strong commitment to communities through emphasizing strong and sustainable programming, innovative partnerships and strategic multi-sector collaborations.

Prior to this role, Maria worked at the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs as the inaugural Director of Programming and has taught at GSU’s School of Social Work. Maria holds her Bachelors of Social Work degree from Georgia State University and her Masters of Science in Social Work degree from Columbia University, where she graduated summa cum laude. She is very involved in her community in the realms of social and civic engagement and her career-long commitment to inclusive access to knowledge, information and tools stems from her experiences as an immigrant.

Ivonne has over 15 years of comprehensive experience developing strong relationships with students, school leaders, and peers to expand educational access. In addition, she has a talent for teaching that has translated successfully from the middle school math, to adult GED classes, to freshman seminar at a community college.

Starting with her time as an undergraduate student leader at Boston University, Ivonne has created impactful programming, and managed large- and small-scale events. With that in mind, she decided to pursue a Masters in Higher Education Administration, and that led to a role  advising Graduate students at the City University of New York.

Ivonne relocated to Atlanta with her husband and two boys in 2005. After expanding her family from 4 to 5, she took a role with a non-profit that really allowed her to grow and flourish. As regional manager she was the face and voice in the Southeast, setting the tone for their work with over 30 independent schools, numerous organizations, and over 500 families annually. She enjoyed  supporting students and their families through their educational journey, and the organization enjoyed tremendous growth under her leadership. Ivonne is excited to bring her eloquence, humor, and natural gift for connecting with people to Candid. Making the world better has always been a motivation in her work.

As the director of Candid West, Michele Ragland Dilworth is responsible for elevating and expanding the reach of Candid across the western region by building partnerships and strategies that help to strengthen services to the social sector.

Michele has 20+ years of experience raising brand profiles, building teams, and contributing to the success of both private and nonprofit organizations. She began her career in high tech product development and marketing before transitioning to the nonprofit sector where she has worked in the arts (Asian Art Museum), social services (Edgewood Center for Children and Families), and global affairs (World Affairs Council/Global Philanthropy Forum).

Among her many volunteer roles, Michele serves on the board of trustees for the San Francisco Friends School.

Ganga Dharmappa is the community outreach manager, providing outreach and training throughout the Bay Area and Western United States. For more than a decade, Ganga has led training, capacity-building, and development efforts within the nonprofit sector, and she has focused on increasing access and safety for marginalized and underserved communities. Prior to joining Foundation Center, Ganga worked at the Asian Women's Shelter in San Francisco and Girls Incorporated of Lynn, Massachusetts. Ganga holds a B.A. in English from Cornell University and an M.F.A. in writing from the University of San Francisco. She is a short fiction writer and occasional poet. In her spare time, she also serves as a postpartum doula for newly expanded families.

As City Lead for San Francisco, Lori oversees Foundation Center public services and programming for the social sector in the Bay Area — helping nonprofits in the region find the information and tools they need to be successful. She has worked in information services for more than 15 years, specializing in business and marketing topics, including corporate social responsibility. A native of Chicago, she earned her Masters in Library & Information Science from Dominican University in River Forest, IL.