Funder Panel

Ross Chaney is a seasoned nonprofit and business consultant who specializes in strategic planning, writing, executive coaching, and applications of AI for nonprofits and small organizations. He has 20 years of experience in northern New Mexico nonprofit and public service, working across different leadership roles and diverse sectors. Ross’ experience includes:

1. Coaching for ED’s and program staff for leadership development
2. Governance, organizational development, operations and strategy
3. Policy issues, program/operations expansion or reduction
4. Budgeting and finance coaching
5. Reviewing grant proposals, reports, and other documents
6. Exploring the potential of AI for your organization
7. Extensive knowledge of Native American and NM culture

Marsie Silvestro brings four decades of expertise to her roles as an intuitive and dynamic Executive Director, Board and Staff Trainer, Group Retreat Facilitator and Mentor. Her leadership experience spans work on both the local and national levels. She is proficient in the Appreciative Inquiry Strategic Model which focuses on identifying an organization's strengths through individual and group interviewing progresses that honors what has been done, creates transformative collective dreaming and creating effective solution based and accomplishable work plans that will move an agency toward growth and a new pathways toward a successful mission.

Marsie believes that no matter what someone’s position is in an agency or the community, all are needed to steer towards a future that elevates the voices and needs of those they serve, as well as ensures that staff and board members feel heard, listened to, included, and appreciated as a thread in the web of service and safety.

Diane Hamamoto is the Director of Grants & Community Impact at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. In this position, there are two primary goals: deploying money to nonprofits as quickly and efficiently as possible through our grants processes (donor-advised, competitive, emergency grants),and building strong relationships with our area nonprofits by listening, learning, and sharing information.

Prior to joining the community foundation in 2010, Diane worked for 27 years mainly in the corporate legal area, and law firm administration. She attended the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources in the early ‘80s – hence the decision to move to Boston and work in the much more lucrative legal field.  

 Outside of the office, you will find Diane playing in the kitchen or outside in the garden, growing and learning the medicinal qualities of plants.

Dennis provides coordination and leadership for Con Alma’s program work. He assists our applicants, grant recipients, and partners, and supports the Foundation’s communications, and grant portal processes. As a first-generation college graduate, Dennis identifies with many of the communities Con Alma supports. He likes to learn about the incredible work grantees and partners do across New Mexico and looks for opportunities to help spread their messages. He focuses on his health by walking daily, and eating as fresh and local as possible. Both at Con Alma and personally, he loves learning new things and has numerous interests, including reading, drawing, writing, and movement. Dennis is a fan of road trips, where he can revel in our state’s abundant open spaces, and rich cultural diversity. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s in Social Work, and an associate’s in Human Services, areas of study that foster an ethic of life long learning and service to our communities and people.

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Carla Romero (she/her/ella) is the Executive Director at the McCune Charitable Foundation. She has worked in the non-profit sector for close to 30 years and has worked at the McCune Charitable Foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico since January 2012 (as Administrative Director, Interim Executive Director and now as ED).  Carla is interested in fostering a collaborative and equitable culture for her lean team and the communities they serve. Her passion to create more access to opportunities and remove barriers, especially for students of color, was fueled by her first job in student development as part of the University of New Mexico’s NASA Training Project and deepened in her role as Director of the Academic Center for Engineers at the University of Texas at El Paso (a center run by students for students). She came to the McCune Foundation from the Computing Research Association where she served as the Director of Programs, working toward increasing the number of women and people of color in the field of computing research. Carla works with the McCune Board and leadership team to advance the Foundation’s mission and strategic plan as well as manage the Foundation’s resources and operations. Carla is a first-generation college graduate, and holds an undergraduate degree from UNM and a Masters of Public Administration from UTEP. She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, cooking and exploring paths by her home along the acequias of the semi-rural Village of Los Ranchos.

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