Alexandria, VA – September 28, 2021 – CFRE International is pleased to announce the election of India Alexis Ehioba, MNA, CFRE (Chicago, IL, USA); Phillip Rothwell, MBA, CFRE (Warwick, UK); Mark Stuart, CFRE (San Diego, CA, USA); and Astrid von Soosten, CFRE (Munich, Germany) to three-year terms (2022 – 2024) on the CFRE International Board of Directors.
CFRE International is governed by a Board of Directors of 11, including 10 CFRE certificants and one public member. The Board strives to be representative and embrace diversity in the broadest sense. For this reason, CFRE International utilizes a slate of candidates for voting purposes, rather than a general election. This ensures the Board mirrors the certificant population in its diversity, as best possible, and protects against any one group overly influencing board makeup through sheer voting size. The candidate slate is the result of an open nomination period followed by the vetting of nominees by the CFRE International Committee on Directorship, who determine the final slate of candidates.
This year the CFRE International Committee on Directorship, chaired by Heather Hill, CNM, CFRE, had the task of selecting a slate of four candidates.
The slate of Ehioba, Rothwell, Stuart, and von Soosten was elected by a 97.1% majority of current CFRE certificants who cast their ballots in the election closing August 31, 2021. Their terms of service on the CFRE International Board of Directors will begin January 1, 2022. Biographical information for the CFRE International Board of Directors Class of 2022 is below.
INDIA ALEXIS EHIOBA, MNA, CFREUnited States
Ms. Ehioba is passionate about supporting individuals with disabilities and has been involved with disabilities advocacy for more than four decades. Ms. Ehioba obtained her CFRE certification in 2008. Ms. Ehioba has been responsible for many successful capital campaigns in community organizations across the country. Additionally, she is a highly accomplished major and planned giving fundraiser, establishing successful multi-million dollar planned giving programs.
She is a well-known speaker, trainer, and presenter of philanthropy and nonprofit management. In addition to fundraising organizations, Ms. Ehioba serves on the Board of Directors of the Walter S. and Lucienne B. Driskill Foundation, a Chicago-based grantmaking foundation, as well as the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (IARF).
Ms. Ehioba holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University, and has a Certificate in Leadership from the University of Delaware Leadership Institute on Developmental Disabilities.
PHILLIP ROTHWELL, MBA, CFRE
Director of Development
Warwick Independent Schools Foundation
Warwick
United Kingdom
Phillip currently serves as trustee and Deputy Chair of the Institute for Development Professionals in Education (IDPE). He is also a Governor of Chipping Campden School, a large state academy school in the Cotswolds. Phillip gained his CFRE accreditation in 2015, has served as UK CFRE Ambassador for two years, and is a regular speaker and contributor to best practice in the UK fundraising sector.
He gained a BA in Theology and Religion from the University of Durham, where he also returned recently to undertake an MBA from Durham University Business School.
MARK STUART, CFREUnited States
For 14 years, he led San Diego Zoo Global’s (SDZG) Development and Membership Department. SDZG has the world’s largest membership programs with 450,000 individual members—all up for renewal each year. Stuart also oversaw government and community relations for SDZG.
Mark served as Associate Dean of Development and Alumni Relations for the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. During his tenure, the school prepared, launched, and executed a five-year $100 million campaign.
Mark received a master’s in educational administration from McDaniel College and a bachelor’s in English, political science, and public service from Albion College. In 2012, Mark received the Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals-San Diego Chapter. He has led or presented at regional and national CASE and AFP conferences.
Mark and his husband, Tim, live in the Village of Point Loma in San Diego, California.
ASTRID VON SOOSTEN, CFREGermany
Currently, Astrid is a partner at Brakeley Fundraising Consultants GmbH in Munich, Germany, as well as a leadership coach at Week53 Leadership Seminare und Coaching. Previously she served as a board member at Deutscher Fundraising Verband and is a current member of the European Fundraising Association’s board.
Her education includes a master’s in Chinese Studies (sinology) from the Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität München as well as a certificate in Modern and Classical Literature/Chinese Studies from Fudan University.
Note for editors
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About CFRE International
Since 1981, CFRE has set standards for fundraising professionals. As the only globally recognized fundraising certification, CFRE indicates professionalism, confidence, and ethics. It is how today’s fundraiser shows accountability, service, and commitment to making a difference for good. The CFRE certification program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute and is the only accredited certification for fundraising professionals.
