Katherine began her career in corporate banking in New York City and has held senior management positions in sales and financial marketing and communications. With a burning desire to concentrate her efforts on more humanitarian issues, Katherine shifted her energies to the non-profit sector in 2001 and joined the Fairfield County Community Foundation where she spearheaded their development efforts. Katherine came on board at the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in September 2005 as the Director of Development and Community Relations.
Katherine brings an interesting synergy of many disciplines to the Executive Director position: fundraising and new business development, firsthand knowledge and understanding of the investment and financial worlds, expertise in Women's History and an unwavering commitment to programming around women's issues.
Katherine holds a BA in History from Salem College and a MA in Women's Studies, with a concentration in Women's History, from Southern Connecticut State University where she has served as an Adjunct Professor of Women's Studies. She is a native Virginian who has made Connecticut her home for over twenty five years. She has two children who currently live in Manhattan and work in publishing and investment banking.
Laurie M. Dunham Director of Development laurie@cwhf.org
203.392.9010
Laurie Dunham, Director of Development, brings fifteen years experience in independent schools to CWHF. Educated at Boston University in theatre arts, she has worked in both the development and admissions offices at Indians Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Prior to her employment there, she was Director of Development a the Rhode Island Zoological Society in Providence where she wrote materials for the solicitation of major gifts and introduced an annual giving program. Her background in a middle school has given her an appreciation of the importance of CWHF as an educational outreach program.
She is married to Dary Dunham, retired head of Indian Mountain School and current interim head at the Foote School in New Haven. They live both in New Haven and Sharon, Connecticut.
Katie Shettler graduated from Rittner's in Boston with a degree in Floral Management. Katie started her remarkable career as the Manager of one of the largest Floral retail divisions in the Northeast at the early age of eighteen. At twenty, Katie became an accomplished entrepreneur building a successful business from the ground up. Katie has held board member positions in BNI, a worldwide business networking organization, and Teleflora's Floral Manager Association.
Katie furthered her career in the business arena educating and guiding countless businesses in successfully promoting and growing their businesses. She is known for her contagious passion for excellence, her talent for resourceful business solutions, and capacity for motivational leadership. Katie's humanitarian side has demonstrated dedication to the local community by initiating programs for the troops, seniors, cancer patients and other groups.
Katie joined the Hall of Fame in April 2008 as Office Manager. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the importance of women and how their struggles and achievements impact the world in today's society. She currently resides in Stratford , CT where she raises her two children, Alex and Genevieve.
Debra Thurston Program Associate debra@cwhf.org
203.392.9011
Debra Nicolis Thurston is a graduate student in the Women's Studies Program at SCSU. She earned a BS degree in Liberal Studies with concentrations in Urban Studies, Journalism and Anthropology. She has many years of senior level clerical experience and also enjoys event planning. She enjoys working in an intellectual environment and looks forward to bringing her skills and energy to the program.
She has three children and a grandson, all living in California . She has been a Connecticut resident since 1990.
