Instructors & Staff

Sheri Bender, SHRM-SCP, SPHR holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education/Human Resource Development from James Madison University. She has over 20 years of practical human resource and training experience in various industries, including: manufacturing, healthcare, and electronics. Her specialty areas are employee relations, training, diversity, team building and coaching. She is the pas president of the Shenandoah Valley and Winchester Area Society for Human Resource Management and currently serves as the Diversity Director for the VA State SHRM Council.  Sheri currently owns Pulse HR Consulting, LLC and focuses on training and HR Consulting for small- to mid-sized businesses.  She lives in Harrisonburg with her husband and two children. 

An entrepreneur with diverse accounting experience and a love for sharing knowledge, Manuel “Manny” Cosme is driven to help other small businesses. Manny founded CFO Services Group in 2012 to support new, small and growing organizations with scalable accounting expertise and services beyond typical bookkeeping or tax firms.  With more than 20 years focus on managing finances and administration, Manny has the high-level experience and training that his clients need and want. Manny holds a B.S. in Accounting and Economics from Saint Mary’s College of California.  He enjoys living in the vibrant D.C. area and is an active member of his spiritual community.  Down time includes video games, yoga, camping and hiking with his husband and dog.

Founder, President
The Curtis Group

Keith Curtis has nearly 30 years of experience working on behalf of philanthropic organizations across Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region. Over that time, Keith has become a recognized expert in all aspects of fundraising and nonprofit management. He is also a sought-after advisor and speaker, making up to 40 presentations a year to the nonprofit industry, including venues such as: National Blackbaud Conference for Nonprofits, where he presented Giving USA; keynote address at the Virginia Fundraising Institute’s annual conference,  multiple Association of Fundraising Professionals local chapter presentations in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina; the Center for Nonprofit Excellence; the Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council and a variety of other national and state conferences.

As president of The Curtis Group, Keith and his team have developed strategies to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for more than 100 clients. But equally as important, his guidance has helped those nonprofits raise awareness, raise their standards of operation and their expectations of what they can accomplish. Clients include the large and visible, such as one of the largest YMCAs in the country, a multi-billion-dollar health care system and arts, cultural and educational organizations, as well as smaller nonprofits such as free clinics, animal shelters and hospices.

Keith is vice-chair of the Giving USA Foundation; a board member of the Giving Institute, a membership organization dedicated to advancing philanthropy and promoting ethical practices in fundraising; and past president of the Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council. He has co-chaired the Giving USA Foundation’s Resource Development Committee and, at the request of his Giving Institute colleagues, he co-chaired the organization’s 2011 Summer Symposium. He also teaches an annual course at Tidewater Community College’s Academy for Nonprofit Excellence.

Keith has served on the Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration’s Executive Advisory Council at Old Dominion University. In recognition of his work in philanthropy, Keith was honored with the 2012 Alumni Service Award from Old Dominion University. He is a graduate of ODU’s College of Business and Public Administration.

Over the last three decades, Jay Frost has worked to identify and pursue billions in fundraising opportunities for thousands of charitable organizations around the world. Jay is one of the leading voices in the field. He has been recognized as one of America’s Top 10 Fundraising Experts by Philanthropy Media, one of the Top Experts in Fundraising by Klout, one of the Top Eight Fundraising Influencers by Elevation Media, and one of the Top Thirteen Excellent Fundraising Consultants by Double the Donation. A popular speaker, Jay has addressed hundreds of meetings in the US, UK, Canada, Asia, and the Middle East. He has been described as “a master of innovation” and “a beacon of light and inspiration” whose “humor filled and thought provoking” talks, training and consults leave groups “energized and informed.” Jay is also a consultant to nonprofits and an advisor to companies serving the philanthropic marketplace. He advises organizations at all stages of their efforts, from startup through capital campaigns.

Amanda has been the Director of the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence for Workforce Solutions at Tidewater Community College (TCC) since January of 2017. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining contact with nonprofit agencies to identify training needs and expectations and to identify TCC resources to meet these needs and develop appropriate training proposals. She serves as liaison with appropriate faculty and assists with curriculum development and delivery of coursework customized to meet the specific needs of the agencies served. Prior to this position at TCC, Amanda gained a decade of extensive experience at the City of Norfolk as a Training and Organizational Development Analyst. She assisted 12 departments-over 2,000 employees-with internal customized training and organizational development plans. Amanda is no stranger to higher education, as she has furthermore been a college professor teaching at the adjunct level for the last eleven years of her professional career as well. She is certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Situational Leadership® II.  

As an avid and passionate volunteer in the community, she serves on various boards and remains active in nonprofit organizations such as; President Elect of Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Longwood University Alumni Board, City of Norfolk-Norfolk Public Library Board of Trustees, and the TCC Women’s Center Advisory Council. Additionally, she was recently appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Historical Records Advisory Board. 

Amanda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and History from Longwood University, a Master’s degree in Humanities from Old Dominion University, and currently perusing a doctoral degree in Higher Education Management at Hampton University. In addition, a 2018 LEAD Hampton Roads and Emerge Virginia program participant and graduate. She is also recognized as a 2018 Top 40 Under 40 in Hampton Roads and a 2018 Under 40 Award recipient of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges.

Everett Marshall is the Director of People, Performance and Culture for the Center for Organizational Excellence, Inc. He has over 20 years of management and consulting experience in both the public and private sectors. After serving as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy, he worked in the private sector with a global business consulting /IT services company focused on the development of recruiting and training programs. He has worked as a consultant to several federal agencies in the areas of organizational change, facilitation, team building, leadership coaching, and stakeholder engagement/alignment, and has also served as a federal employee during his tenure as the Director of Strategic Outreach for the US Naval Academy. Everett has been an active participant in the non-profit sector, where he served as a past president of the Chesapeake Bay Organizational Development Network and the President of the Board for the St. Philips Family Life Center, Inc. He holds certifications as an Appreciative Inquiry Coach/Consultant, Licensed Human Element Practitioner TM , and Emotional IQ Facilitator.

Tia Nichole McMillen was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Messiah College with a bachelor’s degree in communication, and a minor in business administration. She holds a master’s degree in business and organizational communication from Northeastern University, a master’s degree in management and leadership from the American College, and a master’s degree in public leadership from the University of San Francisco.

In her civilian capacity, she is the Regional Public Affairs Officer (PAO) for Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, and the Tidewater Market Communications Director for Defense Health Agency, managing strategic and media communications for all Navy Medicine assets from Mississippi to Bahrain and two Joint facilities. She is also the Managing Director for the Veterans Campaign, the only non-partisan, non=ideological organization whose mission is to encourage, mentor, and prepare veterans for a “second service” in civic leadership.   

McMillen is also a Navy Reserve public affairs officer. As a lieutenant commander, McMillen is currently assigned as a Public Affairs Action Officer to Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. She served as a Public Affairs Action Officer to U.S. 5th Fleet from 2016-2020. In 2016, she served on active duty as the Deputy PAO for Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Additional military tours include Public Affairs Action Officer for Joint Public Affairs Support Element and Navy Public Affairs Support Element, both located in Norfolk, Virginia.

In 2019, McMillen mobilized in her Reserve capacity as the PAO and Navy Staff Executive Officer for Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade where she ensured command alignment with Navy and Marine Corps guidance, and developed and communicated official positions on various operations and exercises in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

McMillen earned a graduate certificate in women’s leadership from Cornell University and is a qualified Fleet Marine Force Warfare Officer. She is also a professor of business and communication courses at Tidewater Community College in Chesapeake, Virginia. She teaches in the master of arts in public leadership program at University of San Francisco, and is also the proud owner of a federal resume writing business, Heaps of Help, helping veterans transition to federal positions. 

Starting her career for nonprofits focused on fundraising, marketing, and board development, Sarah left to build a varied and diverse consulting practice focused on strategic planning and nonprofit sustainability. Whether a guide, instigator, or knowledge base, Sarah is passionate about connecting the dots and giving people the right plan and tools to make stuff happen. Over the last ten years as a consultant, Sarah has worked with over 100 associations, nonprofits and businesses to help at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and action. Sarah is an active speaker and trainer around the mid-Atlantic region on all aspects of strategic planning, nonprofit sustainability, and marketing. When she isn’t at work she wrangles two very different young girls with the hope of raising good humans.

Amy’s consulting expertise includes strategic planning, board development/governance work, board and staff meeting facilitation, organizational development, and resource development. Her over 30 years as a senior philanthropy professional includes work on both sides of philanthropy- as a nonprofit executive and development professional and as a corporate and foundation grant maker. Amy brings her unique experiences in both asking and giving along with strategic thinking, sensible fiscal management, effective communication and facilitation to her consulting work. Amy is also a Certified Governance Trainer with Board Source and is trained in nonprofit Board education.
 
Along with her work as a consultant, Amy serves as the Executive Director of the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation, which is a private-independent foundation that grants more than $5-7 million annually to nonprofits in the Commonwealth of Virginia for capital projects. Amy also teaches classes in nonprofit management including grant writing, navigating support from corporations and foundations, and board development at many universities and programs throughout the State. Prior to her current work, Amy served as Vice President and Community Affairs Manager for Wachovia Corporation from 2005-2008, covering the three-state Mid-Atlantic Region of Virginia—Virginia, Maryland, and D.C.
 
Amy’s consulting practice is rooted in a strong passion for the nonprofit community. All work is geared to helping a nonprofit build its organizational capacity working within a team approach of strong partnerships between board and staff. Amy combines her professional and personal experiences with best practices to help nonprofits make informed decisions and build internal processes to become stronger, more stable organizations.
 
Amy received a BA in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She is an avid reader and along with her husband likes to cook and entertain friends and family.

Kim Painter, CPA, is a native of the Hampton Roads area, she graduated with a business administration/accounting degree from Old Dominion University in 1987. Kim’s vast experience combined with her inherent business sense allows her to serve a wide range of clientele, including small business, professional practices contractors and not-for-profit organizations to name a few.

Kim’s involvement in the community is demonstrated by her participation in civic and business organizations. Her affiliations include serving in various board capacities including President from 2003-2004 of the Great Bridge Rotary Club. Currently Treasurer of the club. She was selected Rotarian of the year in 2001-2002. She was awarded in 1999 Inside Business Top 40 Under 40. In 2011 she received the “Women in Business” achievement award from Inside Business in recognition of both her business and community volunteer accomplishments.

Additional business organizations of which she is a member include Lefcoe Leadership class of 2012 and Leadership Hampton Roads Class of 1999. She is also a member of several professional organizations including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Elizabeth Scott, Ph.D., founder of Brighter Strategies, provides thought leadership and high value organizational development consulting in support of a stronger social sector.

Liz has provided training and consulting services in strategic planning, process-improvement, and human capital development for over 170 nonprofits and associations and has facilitated over 25 Board of Director retreats. She has extensive experience in developing and managing all aspects of an organization’s quality and business improvement efforts; such as developing and administering programs, training and coaching employees, and facilitating organization-wide change. She has been a Baldrige examiner for the Commonwealth of Virginia and is a certified Standard of Excellence consultant.

In addition to managing the practice, Liz holds a faculty position at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where she teaches in the Business Psychology program.

Liz holds an undergraduate degree in sociology and a master’s degree in organizational sciences from the George Washington University, as well as a second master’s and Ph.D. in human and organizational systems from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. She lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband, two dogs, and two cats. 

Attorney
Tax-Exempt Solutions, PLLC

Benjamin Takis is the founding attorney of Takis Nonprofit Law PLLC, a Washington D.C. law firm practicing in the fields of tax, corporate governance, employment law, and business transactions for nonprofit organizations. Ben is also the co-founder of Sustainability Education 4 Nonprofits, an education and training platform for nonprofit organizations.

Since beginning his career in 2006, Ben has represented some of the largest pension funds, welfare trusts and labor organizations in the country, along with public charities, lobbying groups, trade associations, and other nonprofits of all types and sizes. Prior to starting his own firm in 2012, Ben worked as an associate at the premier labor firm Bredhoff & Kaiser and the leading employee benefits boutique Groom Law Group. Ben also served as Of Counsel to Weinberg, Jacobs & Tolani LLP from 2013 until Mark Weinberg’s retirement in 2015, after which Ben took on Mark Weinberg’s nonprofit law practice under his own firm.

Ben is a frequent speaker and writer on nonprofit law, tax, corporate governance, and business management for a variety of organizations and educational institutions, including the Foundation Center, the District of Columbia Bar, HealthHIV, Tidewater Community College, the Greater Washington Society of CPAs, American University Washington School of Law, and Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts.

Read Benjamin’s blog on Five Good Habits for Avoiding Nonprofit Legal Disaster.

Contact:
bt@takisnonprofitlaw.com