PROGRAM
Join us for our January panel featuring three seasoned professionals who have successfully navigated the transition from fundraising roles to leadership positions as CEOs.
- Learn from their firsthand experiences: Hear Matt McGarvey, Wendy Ingham, and Terry Hernandez share their personal journeys, insights, and lessons learned.
- Gain valuable insights: Discover the skills and strategies that are essential for making a successful transition from fundraising to executive leadership.
- Discover new career possibilities: Explore the diverse career paths available in nonprofit leadership and find inspiration for your own professional growth.
The panelists bring a wealth of experience from diverse organizations:
- Matt McGarvey, Executive Director of Telligen Community Initiative, has extensive experience in regional health philanthropy and grantmaking.
- Wendy Ingham, Executive Director of Variety-the Children's Charity of Iowa, has a background in nonprofit organization management, event planning, strategic fundraising, grant writing, and planned giving.
- Terry Hernandez, the first Executive Director for the Chrysalis Foundation, has a long history of leadership in the nonprofit sector, including work with the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation.
Moderated by Joe Benesh, President and CEO of The Ingenuity Company, this panel discussion promises to be an engaging and informative event.
yOUR PRESENTERS
Moderator: Joe Benesh
President & CEO of The Ingenuity Company
Joe Benesh is the President and CEO of the Ingenuity Company, a strategic planning and organizational design thinking firm in Des Moines. He is a member of the University of Iowa teaching staff as an adjunct, where he is in his 8th year of teaching strategic planning and organizational design thinking in their Masters of Business Administration program.
Joe is the Economic Development and Community Engagement Chair and Vice President of Operations for the Downtown Des Moines Chamber of Commerce (nationally recognized as Chamber of the Year in 2018), where he has received the Service Honor award twice. He also serves (or has served) on the boards of several non-profits, a college board, is on the advisory board for the Capital Crossroads regional strategic planning efforts for greater Des Moines, and has been an organizing member of a think-tank that is dedicated to innovation and the success of the central Iowa region. Joe has also been a regular blogger for the Des Moines Business Record and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, where he writes a blog on organizational strategy and design thinking, which he is currently editing into a book on strategic planning.
Graduating in 1999 from Iowa State University with a Degree in Architecture, Joe holds a license to practice architecture in 3 states. He received a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Iowa in 2016, and is a graduate of the West Des Moines Leadership Academy, Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, and Leadership Iowa.
Panelist: Terry Hernandez
Executive Director of the Chrysalis Foundation
Terry Hernandez became the first Executive Director for the Chrysalis Foundation in 1997. She established all policies, procedures, and grantmaking programs for Chrysalis, which are still used today. In 2000, Hernandez left Chrysalis to work with the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation before returning to her position at Chrysalis in 2002.
Prior to Chrysalis, Terry served as Public Relations and Development Director for Iowa Lutheran Hospital, and she created the marketing department of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, where she worked for 5 years. She has also held positions in banking and the insurance industry.
Hernandez graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in marketing and management. She and her husband, RJ, live with their 4 rescue dogs south of Des Moines.
Panelist: Wendy Ingham
Executive Director of Variety-the Children's Charity of Iowa
Wendy is currently the Executive Director of Variety-the Children’s Charity of Iowa, whose mission is to improve the lives of children who are at-risk, underprivileged, critically ill or living with special needs.
Her professional career includes nonprofit organization management, event planning, strategic fundraising, grant writing, and planned giving. Before her role at Variety, Wendy spent 6 years as the VP of Development at Orchard Place and eight years as the Director of Development and Annual Fund Coordinator for Youth Homes of Mid-America (now known as Ellipsis). She has been a very active volunteer with organizations including The Junior League of Des Moines and the Western Hills Elementary School Parent Teachers Organization. She is a member of the Des Moines Business Record’s Forty under 40 Class of 2011.
Wendy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism & communication studies from the University of Iowa. In her spare time, Wendy enjoys cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and spending time with family and friends at Lake Okoboji.
Panelist: Matt McGarvey
Executive Director of Telligen Community Initiative
Matt McGarvey is the executive director of Telligen Community Initiative (TCI), the charitable foundation of Telligen, Inc., a private, nonprofit healthcare intelligence company headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa.
As executive director, Matt leads Telligen’s regional health philanthropy efforts and is actively involved in supporting projects and organizations that strive to improve the health of communities in Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Before joining TCI, Matt worked for over a decade as director of The Wellmark Foundation, leading the corporate grant making and employee volunteerism programming.
Matt currently serves on the Boards of United Way of Central Iowa (Health Cabinet), Iowa Cancer Consortium. He served as a volunteer grant reviewer for numerous local, state and national grant programs.
He is a graduate of Central College and received his master’s degree in public administration from Drake University, as well as a certificate in public health from the University Of Iowa College of Public Health.
PARKING:
Ample free parking is available on the north and south sides of the building.
REMINDERS:
As an AFP member, you may bring one guest annually FREE OF CHARGE to an AFP monthly education meeting. If you would like to use your free guest pass, please email Kim at afpcentraliowa@gmail.com.
MEAL OPTIONS:
We will enjoy catering from In the Bag for this month's luncheon. Please complete this google form to make your choice between: Basic Brown Bag Turkey sandwich, Basic Brown Bag Roast Beef sandwich, Basic Brown Bag Vegetarian sandwich, the Autumn River Salad, Chicken & Wild Rice Soup. Descriptions can be found here. Anyone who does not submit a lunch choice by 1/8/25 will receive the Basic Brown Bag Turkey sandwich.
RSVP DEADLINE:
Please register and submit your lunch choice by noon on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
CFRE CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:
This program is eligible for CFRE credits. To search CFRE credits for past AFP programs please visit: My Education Finder.