Colton Strawser

11/22/2024 |

President, Colton Strawser Consulting

Dr. Colton Strawser, PhD, is a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant and the President of Colton Strawser Consulting—a consulting firm that works with mission-driven organizations to develop the funding, data, and leadership skills necessary to create change.He has provided consulting and coaching to organizations and leaders at community foundations, United Ways, homeless shelters, senior service agencies, youth programs, arts and culture organizations, and more.
Colton has trained over 1,500 organizations, generated over $25 million in government grants, and supported local and national research efforts to understand social issues and community challenges better. His research has been featured in numerous academic journals and practitioner outlets, including The Foundation Review, Journal of Advancement Analytics, Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, GrantCraft, CFInsights, and Candid.
Established in 2012, Colton Strawser Consulting was created to serve a need in the nonprofit sector to merge practical nonprofit management with rigorous academic research to address social issues. With a special emphasis on empowering organizations to create change®, Colton Strawser Consulting assists clients in the areas of organizational development, fundraising/philanthropy, research/evaluation, and leadership development.

Elizabeth Searing

11/22/2024 |

Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas

Dr. Elizabeth Searing (she/her), PhD, CNP, studies how nonprofit and other social economy organizations become more resilient. This normally involves financial management, but also relies on strategic management, program evaluation, and the local community. She is a firm believer that scholars should be rooted in the needs of the community, and she focuses on finding (and teaching others to find) data-driven answers for social economy organizations around the globe.

Jesse Simmons

11/22/2024 |

Senior Evaluation Officer, St. David’s Foundation

Jesse Simmons (he/him), MS, is the Senior Evaluation Officer at St. David’s Foundation, a health equity funder in Central Texas. Jesse develops, implements, and manages comprehensive evaluation strategies for the Foundation. In this role, Jesse supports team members in developing theories of change, documenting current thinking and assumptions, and incorporating continuous learning practices. He is also responsible for analyzing demographics trends, community needs, and the impact of Foundation strategies. He received his Master of Science in Applied Sociology from Texas State University and brings a strong work ethic and future-oriented vision to his job.

John Shearer

11/22/2024 |

Executive Director, Academy 4

John Shearer has served as Academy 4’s Executive Director since 2017. John oversees all operations of the organization and administration of programs, works with the Board of Directors to identify and execute strategic goals, oversees director-level staff, and works to build and expand community partnerships. Before becoming the Academy 4 Executive Director in 2017, John Shearer was the VP of Product Development with Praesidium, the national leader in abuse risk management – helping hundreds of organizations keep children safe. Shearer’s prior experience is in corporate learning and development and organizational development. He had his own consulting firm, developing custom learning courses and facilitating leadership development experiences for almost 10 years. The rest of his career was spent in a variety of roles in the learning and development world. John is a proud graduate of Texas Tech University with degrees in Economics and Technical Communication.

Josh Skolnick

11/22/2024 |

Executive Director, Dallas College Foundation

Josh Skolnick, JD, serves as Dallas College Foundation’s Executive Director. Before joining Dallas College Foundation, Josh led the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a yearlong leadership program for mayors from around the world at Bloomberg Philanthropies. He also played an instrumental role in the design and development of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University. Prior to his time at Bloomberg Philanthropies, Josh served at the U.S. Department of Education as Deputy Director of Strategic Partnerships in the Office of the Secretary. There, he led the launch of the Success Mentors Program, a chronic absenteeism reduction effort in 30 school districts around the U.S., as part of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. Before serving in the federal government, Josh worked at the New York State Education Department and the New York City Department of Education to advance education innovation initiatives. He holds a J.D. from Boston College Law School and graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s in political science.

Joshua Arce

11/22/2024 |

President & CEO, Partnership With Native Americans

Joshua Arce (he/him), JD, is President & CEO of Partnership With Native Americans, one of the largest Native-led and Native-serving organizations in the U.S. A citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, he has 20+ years of experience in Indigenous leadership, Tribal law, social work, and the advancement of Native communities. Josh became CEO of Partnership With Native Americans in 2020, after serving on their Board. Before PWNA, he served as Chief Information Officer of Haskell Indian Nations University, advancing their IT infrastructure and services to better meet their mission. He has also volunteered for the Kansas court-based Citizen Review Board for child welfare and Lawrence+Memorial Hospital for health equity, diversity, and inclusion. Josh earned his B.A. in social work from the University of Kansas and then a J.D. specializing in Tribal law, applied Indigenous leadership, federal Indian law, and Indian gaming law. He brings in-depth knowledge of social issues facing Tribal communities, such as food insecurity, education barriers, the digital divide, emergency preparedness, and misconceptions about Native people, history, and funding. As a Native thought leader, he helps organizations become more NativeAware® and engaged as change agents.