Deborah A. Ellwood, Executive
Director
800-292-6149 ext. 605
Deborah joined CFLeads as Executive Director in December of 2009. An award-winning
graduate of Bowdoin College and Harvard’s Kennedy
School of Government, Deborah Ellwood has a broad background as an advocate,
policy analyst, grantmaker, fundraiser and community builder. She served
as both a board and staff leader during 10 years with Rochester Area Community
Foundation (NY), moving its grantmaking from responsive to highly focused
and launching successful children’s advocacy and after-school initiatives.
She was co-chair of the public policy subcommittee of the Council on Foundations'
ProNet affinity group, and was at the forefront of community foundation
leadership activities while on the board and staff of the Rochester Area
Community Foundation.
Deborah has advocated for children, low-income families and clean indoor air at Children Now in California, the Fiscal Policy Institute in New York and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, respectively. She previously served as director of development at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, which is leading community development efforts in Pittsburgh's Northside neighborhood.
CJ Callen, Program
Director
800-292-6149 ext. 610
CJ Callen has a twenty-year history of leadership and management in the
philanthropic and nonprofit sector. She brings to her work an extensive
background in public policy advocacy, grassroots community organizing,
and foundation strategy and program development. Previously, she served
as Executive Director of Changemakers, a nonprofit organization dedicated
to promoting diversity in philanthropy. During her tenure at Changemakers,
she provided the vision for the “Beyond the Choir” campaign
and the ”Re-imagining Philanthropy Dialogues Project,” which
focused on story-telling and the use of video to engage people in a public
conversation about giving and community change. Before then, as Director
of Programs at Northern California Grantmakers, she was responsible for
overall planning, integration and assessment of the organization’s
professional development, organizational effectiveness, public policy,
and family philanthropy work.
CJ is a board member of the Whitman Institute, a private foundation based in San Francisco and also serves the Advisory Board of the Foundation Center’s San Francisco Branch. She is a former member of the Public Policy Committee of the Independent Sector and a past board member of Women & Philanthropy. CJ received her JD from Stanford University and her BA in political science and philosophy with honors from New York University.
Deanna Silke, Director of Member Services
800-292-6149 ext. 620
Deanna Silke has been Director of Operations since May 1993.
In addition to general office operations, Deanna is responsible for project
management and oversees member services, grants management and event planning.
She is involved in every aspect of the CFLeads' work. Deanna is working
towards a B.A. in Psychology.