No one believes in Greensboro like we do.

H. Walker Sanders

President

Walker is from Charlotte, NC and attended Sewanee: The University of the South where he double majored in Economics and Political Science (although his father always said it was a double major in Bourbon and Water). He started his career in the investment and insurance business in 1989 and earned his Certified Financial Planner certification in 1991. His philanthropic career started in 1993 with his work at Foundation for the Carolinas. He became the first President and CEO of a healthcare conversion foundation in 1996 and was later hired as the President of CFGG in 1999.

Walker enjoys many things about Greensboro: being involved in the arts, visiting local parks, ACC, UNC Greensboro, NCAT, Greensboro and Guilford basketball, and the many fantastic hiking trails. Walker and his wife, Dabney, enjoy traveling, cool and outstanding dining adventures, and entertaining at their home.

Fun Fact: Walker has two dogs: Hudson who is a Bernese Mountain dog and Scout who is a Labrador/Springer mix.

Marci Peace

Chief Financial Officer

Marci is originally from Hastings, Nebraska, but has called Greensboro home for the last 23 years. She graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Hastings College, earned her MBA from Wake Forest University, and is a licensed CPA in North Carolina.

Marci was inspired to go into nonprofits from her father who raised her on the phrase, “go do some good in the world”. Since then, Marci has spent the last 20 years working at a private college, a public charity, and now CFGG. Marci has two beautiful daughters (Lia and Emme) and a wonderful husband (Grady) who also does good in the world by teaching.

Fun Fact: when Marci isn’t counting pennies, she is hiking on nearby trails, reading a good book, or spending time with friends over a good meal.

Martin Acevedo

Vice President
Marketing and Communications

Martin moved to Greensboro from San Antonio, TX. Prior to moving, he worked for seven years for San Antonio’s community foundation. He has three decades of experience in fund development, communications, marketing, and strategic planning. He has worked for and consulted with nonprofits in the following fields: philanthropy, public and private education, low-income housing, leadership development, civil rights, the arts, Spanish-language radio, and digital content.

Martin is a graduate of Yale College (B.A., English) and the University of Texas at Austin (M.A., Latin American Studies). He has also earned certifications in investment fundamentals, leadership development, and nonprofit management. He has served in volunteer leadership roles for literary, faith-based, alumni, philanthropic, and cultural organizations, and he currently sits on the Board of Directors of Casa Azul of Greensboro and the Greensboro Literary Organization (Greensboro Bound).

Fun Fact: Martin is a foodie and will taste (and cook!) anything once.

Cathy Knowles

Vice President
Development & Donor Engagement

Cathy Knowles recently returned to Greensboro after 20+ years living in New York and Los Angeles. She achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Communication from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1998. She is thrilled to be back in Greensboro working for an organization that is by, of, and FOR this community.

Cathy was born in Nairobi, Kenya, to an Ethiopian mother and an American-born Caucasian father. After living in Karachi and Geneva, she and her family moved to North Carolina in the late 1970s. Her passion for social justice and equity, complemented by her 20+ years of experience as a professional fundraiser, shapes her strategy to each initiative.

Cathy’s love of bringing people together through philanthropy and community engagement shines through every facet of her work as a development professional. She is very proud of her experience in top development departments in New York and Los Angeles for organizations including the American Cancer Society and The Salvation Army. Additionally, she found great fulfillment as a volunteer tutor for the International Rescue Committee, as a founding board member of South Bronx United, and as a volunteer for The Salvation Army’s Territorial Anti-Trafficking Initiatives in the Social Justice Department.

Fun fact: Cathy is an avid equestrian and is resisting the pull to buy a horse for as long as she can.

Emily G. Thompson

Senior Director
Donor Engagement

Emily is from Rustburg, Virginia and attended school at Mary Baldwin College (Go Fighting Squirrels!) where she majored in Sociology and Asian Studies. She has worked in nonprofits for her entire career. Emily started out in annual giving in higher education for the first 13 years of her career. She then worked at Greensboro Day School for 7 years prior to coming to CFGG in 2018. Emily values her work her at CFGG because she can see the impact our work makes on our amazing community every day.

Emily’s favorite activities around Greensboro include running on the Greenway and in the parks with her girlfriends, attending Grasshoppers games, and enjoying the many restaurants and breweries! She also spends a lot of time at the Aquatic Center (GAC), various baseball fields, and various basketball courts with her kids, Will and Charlie, and her husband, Kenny.

Fun Fact: Emily has a cat named Roger (inspired by Mad Men) and a dog named Indy.

Kathy Johnson

Controller

Kathy was born in Reidsville, NC and moved to Greensboro when she was 1 year old. She attended UNC Greensboro and majored in Accounting. Kathy got her start in nonprofits by working at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. She worked there for 12 years before coming to CFGG.

While there are many things that Kathy loves about Greensboro, her favorites include walking at the various parks, shopping, and attending concerts. She also loves to spend time with her family which includes her two daughters and four grandchildren (and one on the way!).

Fun Fact: Kathy has two dogs – a Lab mix and a Chihuahua. She is also a foster parent for a dog rescue organization and currently has one foster.

Keevie Martin

Director,
Employee Engagement and Operations

Keevie was born in Pinehurst, NC and lived in Rockingham, NC for a short time before moving to Greensboro. She is a three-time graduate from UNC Greensboro: B.A. in Political Science, B.S. in Accounting, and M.S. in Accounting. Keevie started her career as a business manager at a small independent school here in Greensboro for many years before joining CFGG.

Keevie enjoys playing lots of tennis, taking long walks, and gardening. She also enjoys the many things that Greensboro has to offer such as live music, parks, great restaurants, and local shops. Her favorite activity, however, is traveling near and far whenever she can and spending as much time as possible with her grandson.

Fun Fact: Keevie has two cats who are sisters: Sophie (calico) and Chloe (all black).

Ann Flynt

Director
ETWI and Guilford Apprenticeship Partners

Ann is from Wyckoff, New Jersey and received her B.S in Business from Wake Forest University and her MSA in School Administration from UNC Greensboro. She began her nonprofit career 3 years ago with CFGG as the four-county Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator with the Eastern Triad Workforce Initiative.

Ann has spent over 20 years in Education including being an elementary school teacher at Greensboro Day School and principal at St. Pius X Catholic School. In her free time, Ann enjoys hiking on all of the beautiful trails here in Greensboro, walking, gardening, reading, and spending time with her son and daughter.

Fun Fact: Ann is an avid sports fan. She loves watching all college sports and her favorite team is (of course) Wake Forest!

Mary Herbenick

Director
Guilford Nonprofit Consortium

Mary is a servant leader with a 25-year career as a strategy consultant, nonprofit executive, writer, facilitator, and community change agent. She has led grassroots efforts and established organizations, galvanizing people across multiple sectors to work together to achieve a common goal. She is passionate about connecting people and resources to help address Guilford County's biggest challenges.

Most recently, Mary served on the executive leadership team at the Kellin Foundation and in a variety of roles at Ready for School, Ready for Life, including executive director.

A Dayton, Ohio native, Mary lived and worked in DC, Chicago, and Denver before making her home in Guilford County. She is the proud mom of two teen daughters who keep her laughing and grounded.

Fun Fact: Upon moving to North Carolina, Mary's first volunteer experience was serving as a volunteer consultant with the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium.

Dena Maginnes - Jeffrey

Director
Community Engagement

Dena is a Greensboro native and is enthusiastic about the city's continued development. She obtained a B.S. in Marketing from ECU and UNCG. She has spent most of her professional life working for nonprofits because it gives her the opportunity to be more creative and varied while also allowing her to make a positive impact on others and her community.

Dena loves the growing culinary and brewery culture in Greensboro, as well as the gorgeous parks and greenways, live music, the Grasshoppers, the Wyndham, and all things ACC. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her spouse (Phillip) and two grown children (Jack and Sophie).

Fun Fact: Dena is an avid sports fan! She was a caddy on the PGA Tour for 5 years and has been to 48 of the 50 states.

Megan Quiñones

Program Officer,
Grantmaking Programs

Megan is originally from Tacoma, Washington and relocated to Winston-Salem, North Carolina from Greater Boston in May of 2022. Megan graduated from St. Martin’s University in 2020 with a B.A. in Political Science and a second B.A. Sociology/Cultural Anthropology. Before working in nonprofits, Megan spent her summers working at a low-income summer camp for youth in Lakewood, Washington. She also worked as a peer mentor for university 101 classes and held various jobs within the Diversity and Equity Center while in college. Megan was introduced to the nonprofit world while in college where they interned with Earth Day Network in Washington D.C. and the Mary Bridges Children Hospital Volunteer Services Department in Tacoma, Washington.

After graduating college, she relocated from Washington to Boston, Massachusetts where they completed a year of service as a FoodCorps AmeriCorps service member with the Mayor’s Office of Food Access (now Office of Food Justice) in Boston, Massachusetts. After completing her year of service, Megan went on to become the Volunteer Services Coordinator, and then Volunteer Services Manager, at St. Francis House, the largest day shelter for adults experiencing homelessness and poverty in Massachusetts. Megan’s previous work experience was focused on food and housing security, as well as equity-focused work more largely.

Megan loves going to the Greensboro Farmers Market and making pesto out of carrot tops and other unsuspecting greens. You can also find her trying different coffee shops throughout Greensboro. Megan enjoys trying new recipes, watching cooking competitions, and crafting in her spare time.

Fun fact: Megan has two dogs- Cora, a Basset Hound Boxer mix and Hershey, a Chocolate Lab Setter mix- and if the dogs get excited enough, they can jump level to Megan’s head.

Connie Leeper

Donor Engagement Manager

Connie is from Ottumwa, Iowa and has attended both Buena Vista University and UNC Greensboro, majoring in Elementary Education. In the beginning of her career, Connie worked as a Kindergarten and 1st grade teacher. After leaving teaching and becoming a stay-at-home mom, Connie accepted a job with Guilford Nonprofit Consortium before then transitioning to a position at CFGG.

Some of the activities that Connie enjoys around Greensboro include walking at Guilford Battleground Park and Country Park, dining out, and listening to live music. She also enjoys solving NY Times crossword puzzles, reading, and spending time with friends.

Fun Fact: Connie and her husband have been married for 36 years and share two children and one grandchild. She also has two cats, Salem and Lily.

Sherrie Simpson

Accounting Manager

Greensboro native married to a Greensboro native, Jim. 3 adult children, Jake, Hallie and Ashley. 2 dogs. Degrees from UNC-Greensboro: Accounting and Business Information Systems. Worked in variety of industries, most recently non-profits. Active with church, hiking and kayaking (non-extreme).

Kabrina Shamburger

Marketing Manager

Kabrina is a Greensboro native and graduate of the Middle College at GTCC Greensboro. She attended Appalachian State University where she earned a degree in Communications with a concentration in Creative Advertising and a minor in Sociology.
Kabrina got her start in nonprofits as a member of the Kids Voting Student Advisory Board in high school. She continued her philanthropy as a member of the YWCA High Point Marketing Committee. Kabrina has gained Marketing experience working across a multitude of industries from manufacturing to utility construction before joining the CFGG team.
In her free time, Kabrina enjoys traveling, painting, exploring downtown Greensboro, attending Grasshoppers games and visiting local restaurants.
Fun fact: Kabrina has a cat named Charlei and a horse named Bojangles.

Sarah Britt

Development Manager

Sarah is a lifelong resident of Greensboro. She is a two-time graduate of UNC Greensboro, earning both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Studies, focusing on storytelling and empowerment within nonprofit organizations. She has spent her entire career in nonprofits, overseeing marketing and fundraising operations as the Development and Communications Manager for North Carolina African Services Coalition and as a Director of Development for Victory Junction. She has also spent time volunteering with various human rights organizations in Uganda, Thailand, and Romania. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys reading, crocheting, playing video games, and gardening. She and her husband Dallas have two children, Milo and Lorelai, and love spending the weekends exploring all the different parks around Greensboro together. Fun fact: Sarah’s cat, Tirian, is a Bengal mix who was rescued after being processed as evidence from a crime scene in New Orleans.

Cynthia Tyler

Executive Assistant

Cynthia is a native of Boston, MA and has lived in Greensboro for over 20 years. She graduated with a B.A. in Business Administration from WSSU. She has a background in Administrative Management, Project Management, and Information Technology. Cynthia is very involved in the community -- volunteering with the community gardens, food pantry distribution, teaching classes, and working with youth and elderly.

Cynthia got her start in nonprofits by volunteering and serving on six Boards over the past 20 years. Before transitioning into nonprofits, she spent 10 years in corporate, 20+ years in higher education, and 35 years serving as a Track & Field Official. Cynthia enjoys going to the Farmers’ Market, local parks, and other outdoor activities. She also loves spending time with her family.

Fun Fact: In her free time, Cynthia enjoys officiating track meets, gardening, arts & crafts, and cooking.

Felicia Coleman

Development & Donor Engagement Assistant

Felicia is from Asheboro, NC and has resided in Greensboro for almost ten years. She attended UNC Greensboro and earned her B.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies with a minor in Social Work. Felicia has always been passionate about serving her community and has locally volunteered for a number of organizations and causes ranging from refugee resettlement to animal rescues. Some causes that are particularly close to her heart are permanent housing and food insecurity.

Felicia began working with non-profits in college. She was a member of AmeriCorps-Partnership to End Homelessness, as well as, AmeriCorps VISTA. She accrued experience in many different areas, but mainly got to focus on case management, marketing & development, and event planning with fundraising. Felicia spent the past seven years working as a Children’s and Youth Minister for local Episcopal churches.

Felicia loves spending her free time gardening(playing in the dirt), spending time with her friends, attending concerts or shows, and most importantly spending time with her husband and their fur babies(their dog, Luna Bear and their cat, Mo).

Fun Fact: Felicia is a major “Swiftie”. Her favorite day of her life so far (besides her recent wedding day) was meeting Taylor Swift in college.

Kelsey McSwain

Database and Donor Engagement Assistant

Kelsey grew up in the Cary/Apex area of North Carolina but fell in love with the city of Greensboro during her time attending UNCG majoring in Elementary and Special Education. She served as a special education teacher in the Triad for six years and earned her master’s degree in special education. She has always had a desire to help others and her passion to make an impact in the community continues to grow.

In her free time, Kelsey loves spending time with her family and friends, travelling, watching her favorite shows, playing board games, and dining at local restaurants with her husband, Adam.

Fun facts: Kelsey considers herself a “cat person” and her cat, Louis, is named after Louis Armstrong. She also loves all things Disney!

Erika Woodruff

AP Specialist & ETWI/GAP Program Assistant

Erika is originally from Fayetteville, NC and recently relocated to the Greensboro area from Charlotte, NC. Erika graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2014 with a B.A. in Business Administration and later received her M.S. in Sport Management from Wingate University. Erika’s introduction to nonprofits began in her early college days where she regularly volunteered at Loaves and Fishes, Girls on the Run Charlotte and Second Harvest Food Bank. Erika’s began her professional career in management and transitioned into working with nonprofits in 2016 as an Intern with the Big South Conference HQ, then promoted to Assistant Director.

As a new resident of Greensboro, Erika is looking forward to trying new restaurants, visiting museums, and learning the history of Greensboro as a whole. She and her husband, Daniel, recently married and they enjoy spending quality time with family & friends, participating in athletics, traveling, and helping others.

Fun fact: Erika is an acrylics painter and enjoys abstract artwork!

Amber Smith

Administrative Assistant, Grants and Community Impact

Amber, originally from Winston-Salem, NC, has been living in Greensboro since 2013. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Salem College, she devoted the last fifteen years to offering crucial administrative support across various industries. While this marks her debut in the non-profit sector, Amber has a background in Pop Warner Little Scholars, participating as a child and later engaging as part of the coaching staff. Beyond her professional pursuits, she cherishes moments with her husband, family, and friends. She finds joy in retail therapy, exploring new music and books, and delving into thought-provoking podcasts.

Fun Fact: Amber's top 8 on Netflix's "My List" includes The Crown, House of Cards, The Harder They Fall, Bridgerton, Halston, The Witcher, Greenleaf, and In Our Mother’s Gardens.