At SPS Anthony...
- Got a comprehensive overview of the nonprofit industry
- Studied leadership, marketing and data analysis
- Participated in a project to explore climate change
- Started working in the industry before he graduated
- Gained the expertise he needed for his new career…
Your journey from opera singer to fundraiser is a striking one. Tell us about it.
Originally, I studied at the Manhattan School of Music. From there, I became principal tenor for the New York City opera and other leading companies. We toured the U.S., Canada and globally, and I won numerous awards. Then, a vocal cord injury ended it all and forced me to reassess my life. I had a strong desire to broaden my impact on the world and make a meaningful difference in human lives. As a musician you do that, and I realized fundraising would enable me to do that, too. That’s how I came to Columbia SPS.
What were some of the highlights of the program for you?
The curriculum gave me a comprehensive background in the many elements of fundraising. And you get practical experience while you’re taking classes. I participated in a group project where we partnered with the World Surf League in the creation of PURE (Progressive Understanding and Respect for the Environment). It’s a program that helps fund research and education that will lead to a deeper understanding of the ocean’s health, ecosystems, and role in climate change.
You got started in your new career even as you were still completing the program, didn’t you?
Yes, I became Development Director for Grow Movement, a nonprofit that provides remote volunteer consulting to entrepreneurs in Uganda, Malawi and Rwanda. Also, I helped raise money for a Long Island-based sailing foundation—something I was passionate about, as a sailor myself.
Your learning and practical experience led you to your current position. What’s that like?
I am Chief Development Officer for the Chordoma Foundation, which I joined in 2014. I was immediately impressed with the Foundation, the dedication of the team and the community, their seriousness of purpose and accomplishments. We’re devoted to fighting a rare form of bone cancer and the organization is at a critical juncture—moving from lab research to clinical trials. Finding the resources to pay for these trials is essential, and we’ll need greater funding than ever. But, of course, the rewards will be greater as well.
