Recent
Placements
We are in the impact business, and we are privileged to have partnered with our clients to land these transformational leaders who will better society, their communities, and constituencies.
President and CEO
Special Olympics
of Illinois
We are excited to congratulate Peter Beale-DelVecchio for being appointed the new President and CEO of Special Olympics Illinois.
Peter comes to Special Olympics Illinois with an impressive wealth of experience in the nonprofit sector. Previously, he served as the Interim President & CEO of Unity Parenting and Counseling, where he made a significant impact on the organization's mission. Before that, he held the position of CEO at Marillac St. Vincent Family Services, a Chicago nonprofit dedicated to early-childhood education, youth services, and community outreach. Peter's commitment to community support and empowerment is evident through his past roles, including Executive Director at Boys Hope Girls Hope of Illinois and Director of Development at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago. His extensive background in nonprofit leadership is a testament to his dedication to making a difference. Welcome aboard, Peter!
Check out the press release here.
Chief Human Resource Officer
Penn Medicine
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce the Penn Medicine has named Katie Bata Heeter as senior vice president/chief human resources officer. Penn Medicine’s mission to advance knowledge and improve health through patient care, research, and the education of trainees in an inclusive culture that embraces diversity, fosters innovation, stimulates critical thinking, supports lifelong learning, and sustains the legacy of excellence.
A seasoned healthcare human resources executive, Katie arrives at Penn Medicine after spending several years at Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas as senior system vice president in human resources business services. Previously, she held many senior human resources roles at Advocate Aurora Health from 2006 to 2021 with her last position as vice president human resources for the central Chicago patient services area.She started her career at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital. Katie received her BS in Business Management from Eastern Illinois University and her MBA from Northern Illinois University.
Vice President, Ecosystem Transformation
Fetzer
Institute
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan has appointed Steven Harris as its new vice president, ecosystem transformation. Fetzer’s mission is to help build the spiritual foundation for a loving world. The vice president position leads the Fetzer’s work to manifest the ethos of a sacred-centered worldview within and across a range of fields or ‘ecosystems’ by engaging and resourcing sacred-led influencers and organizations from within those ecosystems.
Steven comes to the Fetzer Institute after serving as senior director of academic programs at the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University. Earlier in his career, Steven spent several years on Capitol Hill building and coalitions and working on domestic and international public policy issues at the intersection of religion, justice, and human dignity. A Vanderbilt graduate, Steven received his MDiv from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, an MA in religion in Yale, and MA in religion from Harvard. He is a PhD candidate in American religious history and African American studies.
Managing Director
Keystone LifeSci
Collaborative
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce the Skills Initiative has named Maurie Smith as managing director for the Keystone LifeSci Collaborative. KLSC brings together key regional stakeholders, including industry leaders, research institutions, and community organizations to foster collaboration, innovation, and growth in the life sciences sector across six Southeastern Pennsylvania counties: Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Berks. The managing director position plays a thought leadership role and guides the facilitation, project management, relationship-building, and communications of the sector partnership.
Maurie arrives at KLSC after working for U3 Ventures, a consulting firm that provides consulting services nationally to colleges and universities in planning, operations, organizational dynamics, real estate, and community and economic development. During her nine years at the firm, Maurie played pivotal roles serving anchor-led community and economic programming and real development of behalf of university leadership in cities such as Philadelphia, Oakland, Baltimore, Ft Worth, and Chicago. Earlier in her career, Maurie spent time at Cooper’s Ferry Partnership as a project manager and worked at the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and the Urban Affair’s Council. Maurie earned her BA in Economics from the College of William and Mary and her Masters in City & Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
University of Virginia, Frank Batten
School of Leadership and Public Policy
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy has appointed Robyn Small as its executive director, marketing and communications. Batten’s mission is to develop leaders and generate new knowledge to solve the world’s toughest public policy challenges. The executive director position manages and lead comprehensive branding, market assessment, new educational program positioning, and strategic engagement and communications.
Robyn comes to Batten after serving as director, marketing and communications at the Texas A&M University Bush School of Government & Public Service. She launched the Washington, D.C., teaching site by driving the marketing and branding strategy for the school. She held similar roles at organizations such as the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund & Memorial, CoreLogic, and Pi3 Media. A member of the National Press Club, Robyn earned her BS in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park and her MBA from Regis University in Denver.
President and CEO
Presidential
Precinct
Lincoln Leadership is excited to announce Toyosi Ogunseye has become the President and Chief Executive Officer Presidential Precinct. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Presidential Precinct’s mission is to engage and to inspire emerging leaders to address the most pressing challenges in their countries. The organization believes in the transformative power of visionary leaders to create thriving, just, and free societies.
A Nigerian native, Toyosi is an extraordinary individual, an inspiring leader, and an acclaimed journalist. She spent time as the youngest and first female editor for the Punch Newspaper, the largest daily newspaper in Lagos, Nigeria. Toyosi has subsequently worked at the BBC in various capacities the last several years, initially in West Africa and now in London as Senior News Editor. She has won numerous awards for excellence in journalism, including the health category of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Awards, the Nigerian Academy of Science Journalist of the Year in 2013, and the Child-Friendly of the Year by the Diamon Awards for Media Excellence. A graduate of the University of Lagos, Toyosi is an alumnae of the Presidential Precinct as a Mandela Washington Fellow. Welcome Toyosi!
Chief Human Resources Officer
World Vision
U.S.
Lincoln Leadership is excited to announce Daisy Szabo has joined World Vision U.S. as Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President. World Vision is an international partnership of Christians and affiliates that globally serve 110 million people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. The organization works with communities to alleviate poverty, provide emergency assistance to children and families affected by natural disaster and civil conflict, and advocate for justice on behalf of the poor.
Prior to joining World Vision U.S., Daisy honed her human resources skills and abilities for companies such as AGC Biologics, Merrill Lynch, NAES Corporation, and Marcus & Millichap. A native of the Philippines, she received her Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University in Montreal and her M.B.A. from Azusa Pacific University. She is a SHRM senior certified professional in human resources and chairs the Open Doors USA board.
Chief Managing Director
Ballet
Hispanico
Lincoln Leadership is excited to announce Patrick Muhlen has joined Ballet Hispánico (BH) as chief managing director. Based in New York City with a global reach, Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s cultural treasures. The organization’s three main programs—the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships—bring communities together to celebrate the multifaceted Hispanic diasporas.
Prior to arriving at BH, Patrick spent four years at Managing Director for The Washington Ballet and several years at the San Diego Opera, LA Opera, and Houston Grand Opera in executive fundraising roles. He also worked for Marsh & McLennan in business development and sales. A native of Australia, Patrick started his career working for elected officials. He earned his bachelor of arts in music from the University of Sydney and his juris doctor from the University of Technology in Sydney.
Vice President Finance and Treasurer
University
of Pennsylvania
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Dingfield, PhD, as Penn’s next vice president, finance and treasurer. His strong leadership skills and broad-based experience distinguished him within a highly competitive pool.
Mark joined Penn in 2017 as the associate provost for finance and planning. During the last five years, he strengthened the quality and efficacy of financial and operational services in the Provost Center, including 30 departments and over 1,500 staff, as well as having a positive impact across the entire University. Prior to joining Penn, Mark served as the executive director, planning, analysis, and technology, Office of Finance and Treasury at Princeton University, Mark started his career at Microsoft both in the United Kingdom and in the United States on a range of multinational marketing and business initiatives.
Mark earned his BA from Swarthmore College and his MSc from the London School of Economics, and he received his PhD in Political Science from Temple University.
Director of Development
Legal Clinic
for the Disabled
Ellen Shimberg Joins Legal Clinic for the Disabled as Director of Development
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ellen Shimberg as Director of Development at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) in Philadelphia. Ellen brings over a decade of high-impact fundraising and strategic leadership experience, having most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer at Disability Pride Pennsylvania. Her track record includes securing millions in grants, building major donor relationships, and leading successful multi-platform campaigns.
Ellen’s deep alignment with LCD’s mission and her passion for equity and access make her uniquely positioned to lead LCD’s development strategy during a pivotal phase of organizational growth. Her leadership will be key in expanding LCD’s donor base, elevating visibility, and ensuring long-term sustainability. We’re excited to see the impact Ellen will make in advancing justice and inclusion for people with disabilities across the region.
Managing Director, Pennovation Works
University
of Pennsylvania
Lincoln Leadership is pleased to announce the appointment of Denita L. Henderson as the next managing director for Pennovation Works. A 23-acre site located adjacent to University of Pennsylvania’s campus, Pennovation Works serves as a business incubator and laboratory that integrates researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs into a collaborative environment.
Denita brings a repertoire of experience in economic development and community advancement. Prior to arriving at Penn, Denita was responsible for the operations of the northern and central Delaware offices as the associate director for the Delaware Small Business Development Center. Earlier in her career, Denita served the Office of the Mayor of the City of Wilmington as the director of small business development.
Denita earned her BS from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and received her MBA from Villanova University.
Legal Director
Legal Clinic
for the Disabled
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Juliana Petro, Esq. as Legal Director at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) in Philadelphia.
A passionate advocate with a deep-rooted commitment to serving vulnerable communities, Juliana brings nearly a decade of experience in public interest law, with a focus on supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence. Most recently, she served as Legal Director at the Barbara J. Hart Justice Center, where she oversaw legal operations, managed a team of attorneys, and led strategic advocacy initiatives.
Juliana’s legal career has consistently reflected a strong alignment with LCD’s mission to empower low-income people with disabilities. Her experience spans direct client representation, legal supervision, grant compliance, and inter-agency collaboration—skills that will be instrumental as LCD continues its rapid growth and expands its Medical-Legal Partnership model. Her early career includes internships and volunteer roles with the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, Temple Legal Aid, and the Medical Legal Community Partnership, demonstrating a longstanding dedication to the intersection of law and health equity.
A graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law, Juliana was honored with the Eve Biskind Klothen Law Student Award and was an active member of the Rubin Public Interest Law Honor Society. Her background, values, and leadership acumen make her a tremendous fit for this pivotal role at LCD. We are excited to watch her lead and inspire the legal team, advance the organization’s mission, and drive impact across the Philadelphia region.
Vice President of Operations and Organizational Excellence
General Building
Contractors Association
Dr. Jelani Ellington Appointed Vice President of Operations and Organizational Excellence at GBCA
We’re excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Jelani Ellington as Vice President of Operations and Organizational Excellence at the General Building Contractors Association (GBCA).
Jelani brings deep expertise in strategy, innovation, and operational leadership, honed through senior roles at Anthem, Walmart, Capital One, and most recently as Managing Director at Prometheus Innovation Corporation. A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a proven change agent, he has led enterprise-wide transformations, M&A integrations, and large-scale process improvements across diverse sectors.
With a Doctorate in Management and multiple advanced degrees from institutions including MIT and HEC Paris, Jelani is uniquely equipped to drive GBCA’s strategic priorities. His leadership will be instrumental as GBCA strengthens operational excellence and continues serving as a vital force for union commercial construction across the Philadelphia region.
Executive Director
Police Athletic
League of Philadelphia
Ellen Shimberg Joins Legal Clinic for the Disabled as Director of Development
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ellen Shimberg as Director of Development at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled (LCD) in Philadelphia. Ellen brings over a decade of high-impact fundraising and strategic leadership experience, having most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer at Disability Pride Pennsylvania. Her track record includes securing millions in grants, building major donor relationships, and leading successful multi-platform campaigns.
Ellen’s deep alignment with LCD’s mission and her passion for equity and access make her uniquely positioned to lead LCD’s development strategy during a pivotal phase of organizational growth. Her leadership will be key in expanding LCD’s donor base, elevating visibility, and ensuring long-term sustainability. We’re excited to see the impact Ellen will make in advancing justice and inclusion for people with disabilities across the region.