Deb Salls

Deb Salls

Facilitator

Deb Salls is passionate about justice for our communities, youth empowerment, leadership development, civic engagement, our environment, and social innovation. Deb has a 25+ year career in the youth-development field and non-profit management. Her role in leading Bike Works focused on promoting the bicycle as a vehicle for change to empower youth and build resilient communities.  Deb is now leading Social Venture Partners MN and working with engaged philanthropists to provide collaborative consulting to youth-development Investee organizations. Deb is excited to help facilitate TableTalks – Peer Learning Groups™ and to meet all the fantastic non-profit leaders working to make an impact in our communities.

Deirdre McCormack Martin

Deirdre McCormack Martin

Facilitator

Deidre is a non-profit leader with 17 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, leadership, program development, and board management. As an executive director for 7 years at Summer Search Seattle, she partnered with board and staff to grow the organization to serve more students, raise significantly more money each year and deliver quality programming. She has supported organizations with board development and fundraising, and has advised individuals with their philanthropy strategy. She also has successfully facilitated various TableTalks groups since 2012 and served on the board of Youth Development Executives of King County (YDEKC) from 2011-2017. She has long been a partner for positive change in education, youth development, college access and success, civic engagement and non-profit management.

Tara Smith

Tara Smith

Facilitator

Tara’s teaching and facilitation expertise stem from time in the trenches as an Executive Director, Development Director and Board Member. Having raised money and led teams at both small and large organizations, Tara’s 18-year career has been dedicated to inspiring generosity, developing leaders and connecting people with their communities.

Tara is the facilitator of the Learning Lab: Fundraising Fundamentals  and Program Professionals.  She is the Managing Partner of Crux Consulting Consortium.

Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson

Facilitator

Laura Johnson is an experienced fundraiser, and currently works as Director of Philanthropy for the YMCA of Greater Seattle focusing on comprehensive capital campaign major gifts work in South King County. Prior to joining the Y, she held positions at Food Lifeline and Jewish Family Service.

She loves to  discuss making meaningful connections with donors in order to provide more resources to those served in the nonprofit sector. She began  as a participant in TableTalks™ in 2013, and is passionate about creating peer learning environments where people can share resources, ideas, tools while learning  from and supporting  each other – all  while having fun!, Laura believes major gifts are one of the best ways to accelerate an organization’s work.

In her free time, Laura enjoys playing French Horn, spending time with her family, and thinking about social justice.

Marion Mohrlok, M.S.W.

Marion Mohrlok, M.S.W.

Facilitator

A for-impact professional for 27 years, Marion is passionate about social justice, community building and lifelong learning. Marion is a Social Worker and IAF trained Community Organizer. In 2002 she earned her fundraising management certificate from the University of Washington, and since then has worked in the development field, first at the YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish County and for the past 10 years as the Development Director at the Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS). During her tenure at PEPS, she successfully led two ‘Growing Impact Campaigns’; more than doubled the revenue, grew the Development Team and introduced and helped establish and stabilize a Culture of Philanthropy within the organization.

In 2010, Marion registered for her first TableTalks session with Janet Boguch. Over the years, connections to and invaluable lessons from her colleagues in the Development and Major Gifts TableTalks learning groups  have become an important part of her professional (and personal) development journey. Outside of work, Marion fills her gas tank traveling with her family, re-treating in silence, gathering with friends, organizing anything and everything, hiking and being in nature.

Ali Friedman

Ali Friedman

Facilitator

Ali is an independent non-profit fundraising consultant focused on transforming fundraising programs and teams for start-ups and organizations undergoing change. Ali has 15 years experience fundraising for community-based organizations across the healthcare, anti-poverty, affordable housing, youth development and workforce development sectors. Ali most recently served as the Chief Development Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, and Senior Director of Philanthropy for Year Up. Ali is a board member with the South Seattle Womens Health Foundation and is passionate about connecting resources with missions that make our community a healthier, more equitable and safer place for all to thrive.  
Mia Ellis

Mia Ellis

Facilitator

Mia Ellis is an Executive Coach for purpose-driven organizations and leaders across the United States and internationally. She is passionate about helping leaders and organizations unlock potential and amplify impact. Mia holds a BA in Communications from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an Advanced Coaching Certificate from the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Since 1999, she has provided support to purpose-driven leaders and organizations as a nonprofit Executive Director, board chair, public speaker, outdoor educator, and facilitator. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she lives in Ankeny, Iowa with her husband and three daughters.  

Zanne Garland

Zanne Garland

Facilitator

Zanne Garland is the Development Director at Rainforest Action Network. She has more than 20 years of fundraising and major gifts experience and has participated in Table Talks for more than 10 years in person and virtually. Zanne has fundraised in Seattle and Asheville, NC across most sectors – including higher ed, economic development, housing, food security, advocacy, and the environment. She has held nearly every type of development role across organizations ranging in size from 8 to 300 staff with a special focus on major gifts fundraising, management, systems, and mentorship. Over her last 10 years, she’s held leadership level development roles that focus on growing major, board, and leadership level giving.