Laurence A. Pagnoni, Chairman
Jessica Williams, Director of Government Grants
Sara Kirkwood, Associate for Campaigns
Sheldon Bart, Senior Associate
Bob Serow, Senior Counsel, Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE)

Laurence A. Pagnoni, Chairman

Laurence A. Pagnoni, MA, MPA, is chairman of LAPA / Laurence A. Pagnoni & Associates, Inc. and has 25+ years of executive and nonprofit management experience. Prior to establishing LAPA, Mr. Pagnoni served as executive director of three non-profit agencies. He holds advanced degrees in Public Administration, Theology, and Spirituality. He is a seminar facilitator and an informed public speaker who motivates and inspires audiences on executive support and advanced fundraising. As chairman of LAPA, he gathers effective consultants to serve a diverse client base. He has also served as a trustee to many nonprofit board of directors and provides counsel about strategic planning, diversification of revenue, leadership support, and community relations. Click here to view Mr. Pagnoni's resume.

Jessica Williams,
Director of
Government Grants

Jessica Williams, LMSW, LAPA’s Director of Government Grants, discovered her significant interest in urban community health and grant writing while completing a social work internship at a community health center in New York City. She holds an MS in Social Work and an Advanced Nonprofit Management Certificate from Long Island University. Before joining LAPA as Director of Government Grants, Jessica served as Development Officer of Public Grants for Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). Prior to that, she held the position of Grants Manager at AHRC Health Care (dba ACCESS Community Health Center). In both positions, she established comprehensive systems for public grants procurement, implementation and management. A fervent dance enthusiast, Jessica also writes freelance dance reviews and features all while studying, teaching and choreographing a diverse array of dance techniques and forms.

Sara Kirkwood,
Associate for Campaigns

Sara Kirkwood's passion for fundraising began at a young age when her sister was diagnosed with diabetes. Along with her family Sara began raising money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation through the organization’s Walk for a Cure and later by holding an annual jazz benefit concert. She began her professional career in fundraising as a Phone Outreach Fundraiser for Hillel in college. Sara has worked as a Development Associate for EngenderHealth focusing on monthly giving, database management, and online giving. Most recently Sara served as the Director of Online Communications and Outreach for SCOPE, building their online presence and developing donor communications strategies. At LAPA, Sara is an Associate in charge of campaign fundraising and related project management. She completed her BA at the University of Rochester in 2006, graduating cum laude with Highest Distinction in Philosophy. She continued her education, and was awarded a Masters in Public Administration from the Baruch College School of Public Affairs in 2011, graduating near the top of her class.

Sheldon Bart,
Senior Associate

Sheldon Bart, Senior Associate, is a writer of fiction and nonfiction who possesses extensive editing experience. At LAPA his focus is identifying corporate and foundation donors for nonprofit clients and crafting high-quality grant proposals. Sheldon is president and founder of Wilderness Research Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to conducting scientific research in the High Arctic. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the American Polar Society. Prior to joining LAPA, Sheldon served as Development Associate at the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge and as Editor/Marketing Director at Newport Legends Publishing. His writing has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, and the New York Times Book Review.

Bob Serow, Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Senior Counsel, has enjoyed a lifetime career in the fund raising profession, where he has served as chief development officer for a number of distinguished institutions, including Yale-New Haven Hospital, New York University Hospitals, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, American Heart Association Heritage Affiliate, Hospital for Joint Diseases, Calvary Hospital, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Community Renewal Team (of Greater Hartford). In addition, Bob has served as fundraising and management consultant for an array of clients, including Teachers College at Columbia University, University of Connecticut Foundation, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, American Heart Association, Health Power, SUNY Stony Brook and Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk. In this capacity, Bob has provided counsel for campaign feasibility studies and implementation, internal audits, case development, organizational assessments, strategic business plans, board training and staff mentoring. Further, he has served in interim staff capacities, senior-level management to clients during staffing transitions. Bob is a highly regarded teacher, coach and mentor. He has presented at international, national, regional and local conferences. Further, he has provided training to management and volunteers alike on a myriad of areas. Bob’s career has been distinguished by leadership in Association of Fund Raising Professionals (AFP), where he has held both National and Chapter leadership positions. Of note, Bob served on the boards of National AFP and the National AFP Foundation for Philanthropy, was president of AFP Greater New York Chapter and chaired Fund Raising Day in New York, the nation’s largest and premier single day conference for fund raising professionals.

Affiliates

American Management Association
Association of Fundraising Professionals
Governance Matters
Hispanic Federation
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
National Minority AIDS Council
New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau
New York State Department of Health, Office of Minority Health
Nonprofit Coordinating Committee
Small Business Administration
United Way of New York
Westchester Association of Development Officers

Click here to see our Affiliates

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