Staff
Executive
William W. Ginsberg
President & CEO
203-777-7901
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William W. Ginsberg has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven since 2000. Ginsberg serves on the boards of numerous local organizations including New Haven Promise, Yale-New Haven Hospital, the Connecticut Council on Education Reform, and the Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology. He recently completed a six-year term on the board of the Council on Foundations, the national trade association for the philanthropic sector.
From 2006-2009, Ginsberg served as a Gubernatorial appointee to the Connecticut Early Childhood Policy and Research Council. In 2011, Ginsberg received the Community Leadership Award from the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the community’s highest recognition for lifetime civic leadership. Ginsberg served in the Clinton Administration from 1994-2000. He was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate in 1994 as Assistant Secretary for Economic Development in the U.S. Department of Commerce, and served in 1995-1996 as Chief of Staff to the late Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown. He was Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Housing Finance Board, the Federal regulatory agency for the 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks, from 1997-2000.
Ginsberg lived and worked in New Haven for a decade before going to Washington, D.C. As Development Administrator under Mayor DiLieto from 1984-1988, he was responsible for all development-related activities of New Haven’s municipal government. Ginsberg was President of the Science Park Development Corporation, a nonprofit inner-city technology economic development entity, from 1988-1994.
Ginsberg graduated from Columbia Law School in 1980 and practiced law in New York City from 1980-1984. He graduated from Trinity College in 1976. He has been married for more than 35 years to Ellen Kelly Ginsberg, who directs Yale University’s effort to create Asia’s first liberal arts college in collaboration with the National University in Singapore. They live in New Haven and have two children.
Leigh Curtis Higgins, Ed.D
Senior Director for Professional Development, and for the Executive Office
203-777-7092
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Development and Donor Services
Dotty Weston-Murphy
Sr. Vice President, Development and Donor Services
203-777-7081
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Dorothy (Dotty) Weston-Murphy is Senior Vice President, Development & Donor Services for The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, formerly Vice President Donor & Professional Services. Responsible for The Foundation’s comprehensive planned and major giving program, she works with individuals and families to reach their philanthropic goals. She oversees development and donor services and is part of the senior leadership team. Weston-Murphy has more than 35 years experience in development, marketing, project management and leadership.
Prior to joining The Foundation, she was an independent consultant working locally in Connecticut and served as project manager for the National Marketing Action Team (NMAT) for community foundations. Earlier in her career she was Director of Development, Shubert Performing Arts Center; Executive Director, New Haven 350 Cultural & Historical Association; Associate Director, Volunteer Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital; and Director of Marketing & Special Programs, The Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
Weston-Murphy has been active in her local community and is a member and former president of the Planned Giving Group of Connecticut. She is a graduate of the University of New Haven and received a designation as a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from the American College of Financial Services. She lives with her husband in Guilford where they raised two children, and is now a proud new grandmother.
Linda M. Estacion, CAP
Director of Donor Services and Development Operations
203-777-7069
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Finance, Investments, Administration & Technology
A.F. Drew Alden
Sr. Vice President for Investments & CFO Chief Compliance Officer
203-777-7061
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Andrew F. (Drew) Alden has served as The Community Foundation’s Chief Financial Officer since 1994. In addition, Alden also serves as Senior Vice President for Investments and Chief Compliance Officer. In these roles, he oversees the investment, finance, audit, tax, administrative, information management and regulatory facets of The Community Foundation and its charitable Corporation. Alden has also served as CFO of The Community Foundation’s affiliated entity, the Valley Community Foundation, since its inception in 2004.
Alden also serves as President and CEO of The Community Foundation Mission Investments Company, LLC, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary that serves the charitable activities associated with its mission investment strategies.
Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Alden spent several years performing merger and acquisition analysis and investment banking services to middle market firms in the area of private placements and acquisition/divestitures, as well as serving as chief financial officer for a technology-based software development company.
Alden started his career in the insurance industry performing financial reporting and analysis for institutional and individual retirement plans.
Alden’s current and past volunteer services have included: on the Merrill Lynch Community Charitable Gift Fund’s investment advisory board; The Community Foundation of America board of directors; the Whitney Center; 'r Kids Family Center; and the Shubert Theater in New Haven.
Alden is a graduate of Trinity College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and currently holds a Series 65 designation.
Wendy Gamba
Vice President for Finance and Operations
203-974-1644
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Wendy Gamba is Vice President for Finance and Operations at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. She oversees the reporting of combined and affiliate financial statements and assures efficiency and integrity in the management of information systems and business operations. Gamba has more than 20 years of experience in financial management and operational efficiency and effectiveness.
Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Gamba was the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Capital Workforce Partners in Hartford, the largest workforce investment board in Connecticut. She was responsible for all administrative functions including Accounting, IT, Facilities and Human Resources, and played a key role in the execution of the organizational strategic plan.
For 10 years prior, Gamba was the Controller for the New Opportunities Inc., the second largest community action agency in the state that serves Waterbury, Meriden, Torrington and 27 surrounding towns and administers a vast array of social service programs intended to move individuals and families out of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
Prior to joining the nonprofit sector, Gamba held financial positions in the private sector security alarm industry, handling mergers, acquisitions and commercial lending. Gamba has extensive experience in financial management including internal control systems, compliance and financial reporting.
Gamba currently serves as Co-Director of the Connecticut Junior Women, Inc. and is a long time member of the Shoreline Community Women, Inc. She is a graduate of Bryant College with dual majors in accounting and business management and Champlain College with a Master of Science in Law.
Gamba resides in New Haven, Conn., with her husband Steven, and enjoys time with her rescue pets.
Jennifer A. Glover-Keller, MBA
Director of Investments and Chief Compliance Officer
203-777-7063
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Grantmaking & Strategy
Christina M. Ciociola
Senior Vice President for Grantmaking and Strategy
203-777-7088
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Christina Ciociola was named Senior Vice President for Grantmaking & Strategy in 2014, the senior programmatic staff position at The Community Foundation responsible for the grantmaking, strategy development and implementation, and community knowledge work. Prior to this position, Ciociola was the Director of Knowledge and Evaluation at The Community Foundation for seven years, playing a central role in The Foundation’s community knowledge work and leading its efforts to promote local philanthropy through giveGreater.org® and the The Great Give®. In addition, Ciociola is currently leading The Community Foundation’s efforts on inclusive growth.
Ciociola is a graduate of Merrimack College with a BA in psychology and sociology. She received her MSW from Boston University School of Social Work with a specialty in gerontology and her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics.
Ciociola serves on the leadership team of the Community Foundation Opportunity Network (CFON), a national network of community foundations committed to narrowing the opportunity gap, and is a member of Social Venture Partners (SVP) of CT’s Investment Committee. She also serves on the Community Impact Cabinet of United Way of Greater New Haven, and on the board of the Elm City Innovation Collaborative. Ciociola is a former member of the City of New Haven’s Financial Empowerment Commission and of the boards of The Mary Wade Home and DataHaven. Ciociola is a lifelong resident of the Greater New Haven area.
Sara J. H. Fabish
Vice President for Grantmaking & Scholarships
203-777-7075
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Sarah Fabish is the Vice President for Grantmaking and Strategy for The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. She currently manages the grantmaking process for The Foundation and its partner in philanthropy, the Valley Community Foundation.
Fabish has served in the grants and program area of The Community Foundation for more than 25 years. She has developed a number of initiatives and collaborations, such as an Out-of-School Time Collaboration of Connecticut Community Foundations and State Departments. That Collaboration focused for two years on building the capacity of community foundations to support positive youth development and after school programming in their communities and to encourage cross community learning. It was also primarily responsible for the development of an initiative funded by Wallace Funds to create a community of learners focused on supporting interactive learning opportunities for families where parents are supported as their child’s first teachers and the community is viewed as a classroom (PACK).
Fabish provides program support to The Community Foundation’s Community Fund for Women and Girls, Greater New Haven's only endowment promoting the social and economic advancement of women and girls, and to the Quinnipiac River Fund that supports research and remediation of the Quinnipiac River. She represents The Community Foundation on numerous youth development and education initiatives and endeavors, including serving on the City of New Haven’s Early Childhood Council. She serves on the Early Childhood Funder’s Collaborative, a group of 14 funders in the State of CT supporting strategies such as the new Office of Early Childhood that improve the early education opportunities for children.
Arthur W. Thomas III
Director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives and Inclusive Economic Opportunity
203-974-1651
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Human Resources and Organizational Culture
Leon Bailey Jr., MPA, DMIN
Sr. Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Culture
203-777-7094
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Leon Bailey came to The Community Foundation with accomplishments in both the public and private sectors. In the area of social services, Bailey has a record of starting and directing innovative community based programs. His work with nonprofits includes starting the first Family Planning Clinic for men in the state of New Jersey and starting one of the first community-based alternative programs for incarceration for children in New Jersey and in the country.
In the private sector, Bailey was a partner in the optical industry with the franchising chain American Vision Centers and served as Vice President of Franchising. He was instrumental in developing the operational processes that led to the success and ultimate sale of this company. American Vision Centers acquired regional chains across the country and converted the stores into owner operated franchises. The growth of this company led its purchase by Pearl Vision Centers.
Prior to joining The Community Foundation, Bailey was Vice President of Human Resources for Dianon Systems in Stratford, an anatomical laboratory specializing in the diagnosis of cancer. At the height of Dianon’s growth, there were 3,000 employees nationally.
Bailey holds a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University in Psychology, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, a Masters of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry.
Leigh Curtis Higgins, Ed.D
Senior Director for Professional Development, and for the Executive Office
203-777-7092
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New Haven Healthy Start (NHHS)
NHHS is a federally-funded urban health initiative that focuses on infant mortality and the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. It is supported by the federal grant (H49MC00095) from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Perinatal Health Systems. The Black infant mortality in New Haven is 2.5 times the rate of White infants, paralleling that of the US. By targeting the leading causes of infant mortality, low birth weight and prematurity/pre-term birth, NHHS has been successful in addressing infant mortality for more than a decade. For more information about New Haven Healthy Start, please contact one of the staff members below:
Stewardship, Communications, Operations & Planning
Angela Powers
Senior Vice President, for Planning and Operations
203-777-7068
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Powers is responsible for leading The Foundation’s multi-year strategic planning, annual operating planning and the ongoing review of progress toward goals. She also leads The Foundation's efforts to understand, document and improve Foundation systems and processes. Powers facilitates the work of the senior leadership team as well as several cross-departmental teams. In addition, Powers has responsibility for the stewardship and communications functions and continues to work with Foundation donors insuring their philanthropic goals are achieved now and in the future.
Prior to her present position, Powers was Senior Vice President for Development and Donor Services at The Community Foundation. Powers served as the first President of the Valley Community Foundation (VCF), working with its founding Board to design and grow the new organization, and she now serves on the VCF Board. Powers was a partner with Ekstrom & Associates, a consulting firm of practitioners in philanthropy whose clients include community foundations, charitable organizations, families, individuals and their advisors. Before joining Ekstrom & Associates, Powers served as the Chief Development Officer of the Quinnipiac University School of Law. Prior to that, she served eight years as Director of Development and Communications of the then-called New Haven Foundation, now The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Early in her career, Powers spent two years working in Greece with her husband at the American Community School in Athens.
Powers earned her B.A. from Fairfield University in Connecticut and is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive and trained facilitator. She and her husband, Bill, an educator, live in Hamden and enjoy visiting their two sons in Washington, D.C., and New York City.
