EXPERIENCE

As a Managing Director with BDO’s Nonprofit and Grantmaker Advisory practice, Gretchen serves as a lead for several key product areas including cohorts & initiatives, training and finance technology consulting, and as a representative of BDO to nonprofits and funders in the Midwest region. In addition to her leadership in the practice, she splits her time between playing an active role as trainer, coach, and curriculum developer for cohort and other training initiatives and as consultant to nonprofit clients across the country, helping nonprofit leaders improve their financial management skills and processes. An experienced staff and program manager, Gretchen is skilled in training, capacity building, research, and program and volunteer management.

Gretchen’s widely diverse nonprofit experience includes working on the corporate citizenship team at the TCC Group, designing and implementing a pilot research study on nonprofit talent costs for the Talent Philanthropy Project, as a project manager with the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, and as Chorus Manager for The Choral Arts Society of Washington. She also served as a Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, where she designed project frameworks, wrote grants, and led a committee tasked with making funding decisions for USAID-funded grants. 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Wagner School of Public Service, NYU, Adjunct Professor and Teaching Colleague

EDUCATION

M.P.A., Public and Nonprofit Management, Wagner School of Public Service, NYU

M.A., Arts & Cultural Management, American University

B.A., Arts & Cultural Management, American University

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

National Endowment for the Arts’ ArtsWork grants program, Panelist

National Peace Corps Association, Board Member & Former Treasurer

Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago, Board Chair

EXPERIENCE

Prior to joining BDO’s Nonprofit & Grantmaker Advisory practice, Gene spent nearly a decade with WGBH Educational Foundation, most recently as the Director of Project Finance and Grants. This role included providing overall direction and end-to-end management of multiple restricted funding sources including from the federal government, foundations, corporations, and major donors. He also oversaw financial grant compliance for GBH’s federal grants. His experience in Federal grants management ranges from pre-award and post-award functions, developing and implementing policies and procedures, cost allocations, indirect rates, and the Single Audit.

Gene’s other work experience includes roles within Massachusetts state government, as a director in a number of nonprofit organizations, a grantmaker with one of New England’s largest foundation, and a management consultant to small nonprofits. In addition to holding various program roles, Gene’s commitment to youth education included an early career role as a seventh grade English and Asian-American and Ethnic Literature teacher. 

EDUCATION

M.P.A., Evans School of Public Policy, University of Washington

B.A., University of California, Berkeley

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Member, School Committee, Hamilton Wenham Regional School District, 2016 – 2020