Promoting Excellence and Trust in the Nonprofit Sector
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Leadership of Standards for Excellence

 

Heather Iliff, President and CEO

Heather Iliff is President & CEO of the Standards for Excellence Institute and its sponsor, Maryland Nonprofits, and is responsible for advancing both organizations’ vision to create a highly effective, ethical and accountable nonprofit sector that drives change through collective action and advocacy. Ms. Iliff previously served as Vice President of Maryland Nonprofits and Director of the Maryland Nonprofits Consulting Group, She is an experienced facilitator, trainer and manager with international, national and local nonprofit organizations. Ms. Iliff served a 4-year term as an elected member of the Prince George’s County, Maryland Board of Education, and was appointed to County Executive Rushern Baker’s Commission on Educational Excellence for Prince George’s County. Previously, Ms. Iliff was Deputy Director of Alliance for Nonprofit Management and Assistant Director of the Institute for Educational Policy at Open Society Institute – Budapest. Ms. Iliff has been featured as a speaker at national conferences including Organizational Development Network Annual Conference, The Philanthropy and Non-Profit Performance Conference, Alliance for Nonprofit Management Annual Conference, and the Association of Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action. Ms. Iliff holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from The American University and a Masters in Political Science from the Central European University (University of the State of New York).

443-438-2314
Amy Coates Madsen, Director

Amy Coates Madsen is the Director of Programs for Maryland Nonprofits and the Director of the Standards for Excellence Institute, a national initiative to promote the highest standards of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations, and to facilitate adherence to standards by all organizations. The Standards for Excellence Institute is a program of the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations where Amy has served for more than twenty-four years. Amy is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the association’s comprehensive ethics and accountability program and efforts to replicate the program nationally. She serves as a frequent trainer and writer in the areas of board conduct, program evaluation, program replication, fundraising ethics, and nonprofit management. She has taught courses on nonprofit ethics and accountability at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies Certificate Program on Nonprofit Management.

She has held positions at the Trenton lobbying firm of the Princeton Public Affairs Group, and the Public Policy Liaison Unit at the world headquarters of Catholic Relief Services. Amy received her Master of Arts in Policy Studies degree from the Johns Hopkins University – Institute for Policy Studies in Baltimore, Maryland; and her Bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. Amy is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Amy was appointed by the US Department of the Treasury to serve on the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities (ACT), and served one term as the co-chair of the ACT’s Exempt Organizations subcommittee. Amy is a former member of the Disaster Action Team of the Central Maryland Chapter. She has also served as the former President of Central Maryland CAN TOO and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the largest United Methodist Church in Baltimore City. She serves as the Finance Chair of her church and is an active volunteer with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland.

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Kate Hull, Accreditation and Recognition Program Manager

Kate Hull manages the accreditation and recognition program of the Standards for Excellence Institute, a national initiative established to promote the highest standards of ethics, effectiveness, and accountability in nonprofit governance, management, and operations. Kate’s role is to lead organizations through the accreditation and recognition process.

Kate started her nonprofit career at Maryland Nonprofits as the program associate for the Standards program and went on to pursue her Masters in Nonprofit Management and work in fundraising, development, stewardship and program management for several organizations in the Baltimore/DC area. She is glad to bring her experiences and expertise back to Maryland Nonprofits. Kate is an active volunteer with WTMD and the Maryland LGBT Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time, Kate is a concert enthusiast and volunteers with a variety of wineries at tasting rooms and festivals year-round.

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Rachel Mygatt, Program Manger

Rachel Mygatt oversees Maryland Nonprofits’ group buying and contract training programs and manages event sponsorships and logistics for signature events including the annual conference and Legislative Preview. She also provides program support to the Standards for Excellence Institute, is a member of the Strategic Engagement Team, and manages the volunteer intern program.

Before coming to Maryland Nonprofits, Rachel worked in nonprofits in New York City, served in leadership positions on several Baltimore nonprofit boards, and in development for KIPP Baltimore. A social worker by training, Rachel earned a master’s degree in social work from Fordham University Graduate school of Social Service in 1994. She also holds a B.A. from Dickinson College.

443-438-2344
Darryus Johnson, Member Relations Manager

Darryus Johnson is the Member Relations Manager at the Standards for Excellence Institute and its sponsor, Maryland Nonprofits. He manages all customer retention activities and takes initiative in customer satisfaction via process improvement plans and efficient reporting and flow of information. He acts as a “first-responder” handling feedback from customers, advocating their concerns, resolving and escalating as needed. He develops understanding of member issues, offers suggestions and identifies alternatives and develops unique solutions. He also maintains database information as well as assists members with using fundraising databases.

Darryus previously worked for the MVA, Air Tran Airways and Danya International. Darryus’ work as Communications Coordinator for Danya International and as a flight attendant for Air Tran Airways afforded him the opportunity to support global as well as domestic business operations, and to work with all levels of employees, from frontline staff to executive leadership.

443-438-2327
Juliana Thomas, Finance Manager

Juliana Thomas is an accomplished financial and human resources manager with experience in nonprofit and for-profit businesses. She served as accounting and human resources manager for Juele Enterprises, PTC International, and Mid-Atlantic Lifespan and its subsidiaries. She was also tax associate for Reznick, Fedder and Silverman CPAs. Juliana attended Coppin State College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Management Science. Outside of work she is stays busy in ministry work with her church and spending time with family and friends, all of which she enjoys. Juliana enjoys traveling with her family and friends also.

Governing Body

The Standards for Excellence Institute is governed by members of the Maryland Nonprofits Board of Directors and its Standards for Excellence Committee, and individual volunteers who serve on the Standards for Excellence Council.

The Standards for Excellence Board Committee provides oversight and support to the staff of the Standards for Excellence Institute in the implementation of its goals and objectives. The Committee acts as a liaison between the Standards for Excellence Institute and the Maryland Nonprofits Board of Directors. The activities of the Committee include: maintaining the Standards for Excellence certification of the Corporation, and ongoing compliance of the Corporation with the Standards for Excellence code; serving as an advocate for the Standards for Excellence program as a whole and helping to inform the Board of Directors of the program’s features.

The National Standards for Excellence Council is charged with overseeing the Accreditation and Recognition Programs of the Standards for Excellence Institute. The Council’s main roles and responsibilities include: Providing advice and guidance to staff regarding the periodic review and evaluation of the application policies, procedures, and processes; providing advice and guidance to staff regarding the periodic review of content of the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector; and reviewing and approving or denying all Accreditation or Standards Basics Enhanced applications.


Maryland Nonprofits Board of Directors

CHAIR
Kimberly Corbin, Greater Washington Urban League

VICE CHAIR
Violet Apple, Girls Scouts of Central Maryland

SECRETARY
Carl Delorenzo, Howard County Government

TREASURER
Cheryl Thomas, CPA, Thomas and Associates

MEMBERS
Dirk A. Butler, St-Large-Executive Committee Member, Center for Policing Equity
Natasha M. Cavanaugh, J.D., At-Large Executive Committee Member, Twilio

Erica Joseph, At-Large Executive Committee Member, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore
Chloe Bernardi, LICSW, LCSW-C, Hearts & Homes for Youth
Veronica Cool, 
Cool & Associates LLC, Maryland Latinos Unidos
Hon. David Harrington, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid Altantic States
Kate Mcguire, Arc of Baltimore
Will Pass, Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.

Walter Simmons, Employ Prince George's
Dana Vickers Shelley, ACLU of Maryland
Duane Yoder, Garrett County Community Action

 

PRESIDENT & CEO
Heather Iliff

Standards for Excellence Council

Edward (Ted) Bilich

Before founding Risk Alternatives, a risk management and process improvement consultancy based in the DC Metro, Ted was a Distinguished Visiting Professor from Practice at Georgetown University Law Center. Before that, Ted spent more than 20 years in the Washington DC office of the international law firm of Jones Day.  He is a member of the American Law Institute, where he serves on the Member Consultative Group for the ALI's current project on Principles of the Law: Compliance, Enforcement, and Risk Management for Corporations, Nonprofits, and Other Organizations. He has served on the Arlington Economic Development Commission and the boards of the Leadership Center for Excellence, Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, Latino Student Fund, Washington Humane Society, and the Hispanic Bar Association of DC Foundation. He also was a member of the DC Bar Litigation Section Steering Committee.  Ted speaks regularly before large and small groups throughout the United States on risk management, board governance, civic engagement, ethics, and numerous other issues. He is the author of three editions of a leading law school casebook on class actions and other multi-party dispute resolution.  Ted received his B.A. in economics summa cum laude from Wake Forest University, and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School.  

Marla Bobowick

Marla has more than 20 years of nonprofit experience and a history of creative problem solving. Specializing in nonprofit management and leadership, she has extensive experience with board governance, strategy, and publishing. She has worked with nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes, including regional healthcare and social service providers, educational institutions (independent schools and colleges and universities), family and other private foundations, and local and national offices of federated organizations and professional associations.

Marla is affiliated with BoardSource as a senior governance consultant and Standards for Excellence® as a licensed consultant. She is the co-author of Assessing Board Performance: A Practical Guide for College, University, System, and Foundation Boards (Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges © 2018).

Previously, Marla was a Vice President of Products at BoardSource, where she oversaw publications, online products, and research. During her tenure at BoardSource, she was an active consultant and trainer, developed educational curriculum, managed regional capacity building projects, oversaw the global program, and coordinated the annual conference.

While at BoardSource, Marla managed the “Nonprofit Governance Index,” a research project that gathers baseline data about board practices in the United States. She was also a member of the working group for The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards (BoardSource © 2005) and developed a corresponding online survey. She managed “Governance Futures: New Perspectives on Nonprofit Governance” a multiyear research project that culminated in publication of Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards (John Wiley & Sons © 2005).

Previously, Marla was an acquisitions editor at John Wiley & Sons, where she developed Wiley's Nonprofit Law, Finance, and Management Series and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Fund Development Series.

Marla holds a bachelor's degree in English from Amherst College, a master's degree in business administration and a certificate in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University. Marla is the past board chair of Maryland Nonprofits.

Stephanie Cory

Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Stephanie Cory has dedicated her career to the nonprofit sector since 2003. She has served as an executive director for a health advocacy organization as well as held development and program management roles for nonprofit organizations serving seniors and people with disabilities. Stephanie has also consulted for a variety of educational organizations. Stephanie has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2008 and received her designation as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from the American College in 2007. A graduate of the Association of Fundraising Professional's Faculty Training Academy, she has been an AFP Master Trainer since 2010. Stephanie is a Certified Governance Trainer through Board Source. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Southern California. Stephanie is a frequent trainer on a variety of fundraising and nonprofit topics. Her own service as a board member includes officer roles for the local chapter of a professional association, district representative on an international board of directors, board member for a grassroots community redevelopment organization with no paid staff, and president of her local Junior League. Stephanie has worked for a Standards for Excellence® accredited organization and has volunteered as a peer reviewer for Standards for Excellence replication partner Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) since 2010.

William Gorman
Joan Harrington (Chair)
Julie Hart

Julie is the Senior Director of Museum Standards and Excellence. She has been involved with accreditation and efforts to nurture institutional excellence throughout her 20 + year tenure at the American Alliance of Museums. Her access to, and assessment of thousands of museums’ operations, plans, governance, and policies during her two decades at AAM—plus service on other non-profit certification review panels—provides her with unique and holistic insight into the best practices and challenges faced by museums and non-profits. Julie is regularly sought after by other countries and industries as an expert to advise and speak about the US/AAM museum accreditation model. She has delivered numerous presentations and trainings on accreditation and museum standards across the U.S. and at international venues including Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, China, Taiwan, and Canada. Also, she recently led a comprehensive, five-year reinvention of the Accreditation Program, which included everything from streamlining forms and processes to creating a new economic model to developing new preparatory programs.

Julie has been an Ethics Standards Committee Member for the Maryland Nonprofits’ Standards of Excellence Program since 2015, and served as a Peer Reviewer for eight years prior to that. She holds an M.A. (1996) in Art History from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Father Hector Madrigal

Rev. Hector J. Madrigal has 35 years of pastoral experience serving in Bilingual (English/Spanish) communities. Through the last 22 years he has served as a trainer, facilitator, and speaker in various Church settings leading groups to a greater appreciation of Culture and working together to fulfill the mission of the organization. Fr. Hector has used his knowledge and skills to professionalize the regional and national Hispanic Ministry organizations that he has served, leading the organizations through strategic planning, increasing their membership, becoming more effective in their programming, and become more mission driven. Since 2014, Fr. Hector has been a consultant for the National Leadership Roundtable assisting parishes in implementing the Standards for Excellence. 

Tiffani Mensch

Tiffani Mensch is the Director of Community Engagement for the Alliance for Better Nonprofits (ABN), a nonprofit resource center serving nonprofits in 25 East Tennessee counties by helping them achieve their missions and make a bigger impact in their communities. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, marketing, and community outreach, Tiffani is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve greater mission impact. Tiffani currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Trustees for Girls Inc. of Knoxville and is a member of the 91.9 Inc. WUOT Advisory Board. Prior to joining the Standards Council, she spent 3 years as a Peer Reviewer for the Standards for Excellence Institute. She also volunteers with several local nonprofits. She earned an MA from Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology.

Robin Mockenhaupt

Robin E. Mockenhaupt, PhD, MPH, MBA, retired after 40+ years working in non-profit organizations. She worked at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for 21 years until retiring in December 2020. She provided leadership on RWJF’s health policy and strategic relationships, worked as Chief of Staff, Associate Chief of Staff, deputy group director for the Health Group, and senior program officer, where she specialized in the areas of health behavior, obesity, and chronic disease management. She supported the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, including supporting several workgroups of the Board.  Before joining the Foundation, Mockenhaupt spent 16 years with AARP in Washington, D.C., where she specialized in health and aging.  She has also worked in non-profits in maternal and child health and community health. Mockenhaupt received a PhD in health education from the University of Maryland, a graduate certificate in gerontology from the Center on Aging at the University of Maryland, a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University, and a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University.  Robin has served on several non-profit Boards, including the American Psychological Association, George Mason University College of Health and Human Services Advisory Board and the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health’s Dean Council.  She formerly chaired Grantmakers in Health (GIH) and was the vice chair of the Francis E. Parker Memorial Home Board of Trustees.  A native of Pittsburgh, Mockenhaupt now lives in Virginia. She and her husband, Ralph, have two adult children and one granddaughter.

Joanne Randolph

Joanne Randolph is the former President & CEO of The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship and the Women’s Business Center of North Alabama (WBCNA), which she helped launch in 2000. She was also the CEO of BizTech, Huntsville’s technology incubator which she helped launch in 1997. She retired in June 2020 after a 48-year extensive career in aerospace and defense, nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, and business incubation.

Ms. Randolph spent the first 20 years of her career in the IT industry, working for NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center and Grumman Data Systems. Ms. Randolph began exploring small business opportunities in the early 90’s, an adventure that equipped her with experience in entrepreneurship, business management, international marketing, and telecommunications consulting. In the late 1990’s, Ms. Randolph applied her diverse background and expertise to the non-profit industry serving entrepreneurs.

Under Ms. Randolph’s leadership, WBCNA was selected as the Alabama 2010 “Women’s Business Center of Excellence” by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the 2010 BBB of North Alabama Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics, and the 2007 “Non-Profit of the Year” by the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. The SBA selected Ms. Randolph as the 2007 “Women in Business Champion” for the State of Alabama and 6-state region. She was also selected as the 2006 Small Business Advocate of the Year by the National Small Business Association (NSBA) for the Lower South Region comprised of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and Texas.

Ms. Randolph was honored in 2016 as the Huntsville Association of Small Businesses in Advanced Technology (HASBAT) "Small Business Advocate of the Year" for her “exemplary service to the small business community over the last two decades.”

In 2012, Alabama Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey appointed Ms. Randolph to the State Personnel Board, the State Employee’s Insurance Board, and the State Flexible Benefits Board, where she served for three years. Ms. Randolph received her most prized recognition in 2019 when she was chosen as the “Entrepreneur Champion of the Year” by The Catalyst and the Board of Directors named the award in her honor. She is a graduate of the 2000 Huntsville-Madison County Leadership Class and the 2003 Leadership Alabama Class.

 

 

Tywanna Taylor

Tywanna Taylor joined Family League as Senior Director of Grants and Contracts in January 2018 and was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Tywanna has over 10 years of experience in Human Services with most of those years spent managing grants and contracts. In her capacity with Family League, she is responsible for leading the development and implementation for operational policies and standard operating procedures that support greater operational efficiencies and excellence. Prior to joining Family League, Tywanna worked as both a Baltimore City and State of Maryland public servant. As such, she managed grants and contracts for various programs ranging for youth violence prevention to workforce development for unemployed and underemployed parents with child support obligations. Tywanna obtained a master's degree in public administration with a concentration in nonprofit leadership from the University of Delaware in 2003. She feels strongly that life has been her greatest teacher and considers herself an interminable student. Outside of professional pursuits, Tywanna enjoys Latin and Afro-Caribbean dancing, foodie road trips and travel to less frequent parts of the globe.

Cyrus White

Cyrus N. White (Russ) is a consultant, speaker, and facilitator. He works with the CEOs and board chairs of foundations and other nonprofit organizations in healthcare, education, the arts, and social services. Russ has extensive experience as a nonprofit CEO and as trustee of private operating and community foundations. In addition to private clients, he is a Standards for Excellence® Licensed Consultant and a BoardSource® Certified Governance Trainer. Russ was in the inaugural 2019 class of the Sociocracy Academy, discovering how sociocracy and dynamic community governance can enhance the performance capacity of nonprofit organizations.

Russ is an active member of the Governance Section of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), BoardSource, the Standards for Excellence Institute, and multiple state nonprofit associations.  For more information, please visit SCGnonprofits.com or LinkedIn.com/in/CyrusNWhite. Pronouns he/him.