Staff

Donald has been President of ECF since 2005.Since taking the helm at ECF, Donald has stabilized the financial and administrative infrastructure of the organization and developed and nurtured new programs that help Episcopal communities of faith engage in visioning and planning, develop leadership and raise financial resources for ministry.

He has cultivated new partnerships and collaborations throughout the Church and beyond, including a multi-phase grant awarded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. to address the economic challenges facing pastoral leaders. He possesses strong Spanish language skills and has expanded ECF’s program and resources for bilingual and Spanish-speaking congregations. Donald is a strong advocate of the ministry of all the baptized, and frequently writes and speaks on topics relating to leadership and resource development for Episcopal organizations. He has worked to develop new models of lay+clergy partnerships and effective leadership teams to empower future leaders for a changing Church. Donald has served as Chairperson of the Parish Committee of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut (Senior Warden), and as Chairperson of the Spanish Language Ministries Committee for the Diocese of Connecticut. He was formerly Vice President of Legal and Government Affairs for The Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill, a charitable organization based in Hartford and also served as an attorney in both government and private practice. Donald has a strong background in labor and employment law, advocacy, government relations and non-profit law and administration. He has been active in a variety of tax-exempt civic, charitable and religious organizations and was a former member and President of the Hartford Board of Education.

Juliette Acker is the Program Director for Endowment Marketing at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF). In this role, she leads the program’s strategic marketing and communications efforts. She also helps clients effectively communicate their endowments' impact to donors.

Juliette brings her extensive experience in marketing, business development, and public relations to her role having worked with high-profile clients such as Waterford Wedgewood, Unilever, and McDonald’s among others. Her background as a small business coach and her experience in higher education informs her approach to marketing – she focuses on empowering clients through the resources and information she develops, helping them create thriving and sustainable endowments.

Juliette holds a degree from Wellesley College and a master’s in Comparative International Relations from American University. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

Kate, Senior Consultant, has been with ECF since 2008, supports the President, Board and Staff on all aspects of ECF’s strategy development and implementation and ensures that ECF’s emerging and developing program initiatives are aligned with ECF’s overall strategy and programs. In addition, she is the Project Director for ECF's Lilly Endowment Initiative "From Economic Challenges to Transformational Opportunities."

Prior to ECF, she was Vice President of the Church Pension Group’s Strategy & Service Development group, designing new services across all business units, and was a Vice President of the Commonfund, offering investment management to nonprofit institutions. She has over 40 years of experience in financial and resource development for diverse nonprofit institutions, and has an M.B.A. in finance and an M.S.W. from Fordham University. A life-long Episcopalian she attends St. James Church in Manhattan.

Josh Anderson is an Associate Program Director in ECF’s Endowment Management program. He is a seasoned professional with a proven track record in non-profit leadership and program development.

At the Episcopal Church Foundation, he has progressively taken on more responsibilities. Currently, as the Associate Program Director, he guides congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations in navigating all aspects of endowment management, particularly in endowment giving. His expertise in endowment giving helps clients align their endowment contributions with their long-term goals, ensuring a lasting impact and a broader vision of stewardship.

Prior to joining ECF in 2015, Josh dedicated his time to local non-profits in Lafayette, IN, and New York City, managing after-school youth programs. Josh’s background in education, which he studied at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana, provides the foundation for his work educating lay leaders on matters of endowment management. Currently, Josh resides in Midland, MI, where his wife serves as an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Eastern Michigan.

Haley is the Director for Partnerships & Program Innovation at the Episcopal Church Foundation and also serves as the Executive Director for Gathering of Leaders. Prior to working with Gathering of Leaders, Haley served as the Director of Operations and Management for her home parish of St. George Church and School in San Antonio, TX. She also ran her own faith-based operations consulting company with a primary focus on project management of multi-year, large scale community projects. She has been a website designer focusing on user experience, and is currently the Digital Product Owner for the Congregational Vitality Assessment Tool at ECF. Haley grew up in the Episcopal church in the middle east and brings an international perspective to her work. Her passion is equipping lay and clergy leaders alike through leadership training and community building to grow God's church into the future.

Kjerstin is Associate Program Director for Adaptive Ministries and Communications at the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF).

Her work focuses on the Fellowship Partners Program, the production of Vestry Papers, Vital Practices and ECF's educational events and resources.

Prior to working for ECF, Kjerstin was the Information & Referral Specialist at the National Down Syndrome Society. She earned a BA in International Relations from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL.

Charis serves as Director of Communications and Editor of ECF Vital Practices at the Episcopal Church Foundation. Before moving to New York, Charis worked at Council for World Mission in Singapore as Communications Manager and at Dorling Kindersley Publishers in New Delhi as Senior Editor.

At ECF, she is focused on strategic internal and external communications, as well as the editorial responsibilities of ECFVP . While Charis has always enjoyed working in marketing and communications, her heart lies in social/new media and writing.

Serving as Receptionist and Program Assistant at the Episcopal Church Foundation since early 2020, Mark comes from a diverse non-profit background including community organizing, electoral campaigns as well as arts education. Notable previous positions include Operations Director for the MIX International Film festival and Executive Director of Washington Heights Art & Comics.

Craig serves as Vice President of Finance and Chief Operating Officer for ECF. Prior to joining ECF Craig served as comptroller at The General Theological Seminary.

Previously he spent over 10 years on Wall Street as a managing director in corporate finance, specializing in technology-related mergers & acquisitions. Earlier Craig served as a director of financial and business planning for a satellite communications company and a computer hardware company. Craig received his B.A. from Haverford College and his MBA from Yale University. Craig resides in New York City.

Christine Eagan is the Assistant Program Director in ECF’s Endowment Management. Before coming to ECF in 2020, Christine applied her expertise in data analysis and process improvement as a quality system auditor while consulting for Hudson River Healthcare. This community health center provides essential primary, preventative, and behavioral health services.

Christine thrives on using her skills to give back to her community. Her commitment to helping others remains evident at ECF, where Christine actively engages with the individuals, churches, and organizations we serve, ensuring they receive the essential account administration support they need.

She holds a BS in Accounting from Widener University. Christine has served in various roles in in her parishes including financial secretary and co-director of Christian Education. She currently resides in Middletown, Delaware.

Nancy Grizzaffi has served as Executive Assistant to the President since 1993. Her primary responsibilities include meeting and events coordination and the President’s calendar and travel. She also supports the work of ECF’s Standing Committees and assists with general correspondence, including gift acknowledgments. Prior to joining ECF, Nancy worked as a registrar for a proprietary school. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration from Lehman College, Bronx, NY.

Cathy currently serves both Communications and Development as the Assistant Director of Institutional Advancement since 2023. She previously served as Communications Associate at ECF. She originally joined ECF’s Development Team in April 2018 as a Development Associate before moving into a broader role.

Cathy works on communication projects, Vital Practices and other creative and administrative aspects of the Communications area. She previously worked for The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, Hudson Guild, and New Visions for Public Schools. Cathy has a BA from Columbia University and an executive MPA from the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College.

Yvonne serves as Director of Development at ECF. For more than 20 years, Yvonne’s expertise has helped families, congregations and faith-based organizations harvest more than $50 million for their mission, stewardship and legacy goals.

Yvonne regards her work as an expression of God’s ministry call for her life. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Harvard University, the Master of Divinity with honors from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), and Certified Estate and Trust Specialist coursework with the Institute of Business and Finance.

Yvonne comes to ECF from 14 years of service with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as Philanthropic Advisor with LTSP and Regional Gift Planner with the ELCA Foundation.

Sandra is the Spanish Language Resource Consultant at ECF. She was born in Perú, grew up in Guatemala and settled in Texas as soon as she could. Her passions are God, family (especially her son), music, education, liturgy, social and racial justice and writing. She earned her doctorate in education in 2016, her book Becoming REAL and Thriving in ministry came out in 2020 and is Dean of Chapel at Union Theological Seminary.

Sandra es la consultora de recursos en español en ECF. Nació en Perú, creció en Guatemala y se estableció en Texas tan pronto como pudo. Sus pasiones son Dios, la familia (especialmente su hijo), la música, la educación, la liturgia, la justicia racial y social y la escritura. Obtuvo su doctorado en educación en 2016, su libro bilingüe Becoming REAL and Thriving in Ministry salió en 2020 y es Decana de la Adoración en el Seminario Teológico Union.

Demi Prentiss is ECF’s Program Director for Research and Development with broad responsibility across ECF for program development and communication. A credentialed coach, she also offers strategic support relating to finance and leadership to congregations facing challenge or change. Demi brings to her work a deep understanding of Episcopal organizations, having worked at the national and diocesan staff level and as a ministry developer in congregations ranging from family to resource size. She holds degrees from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and Harvard University. The developmental editor of ECF’s Finance Resource Guide, she is the author of Making Money Holy (Church Publishing) and Radical Sending: Go to Love and Serve (with Fletcher Lowe). She lives in Lafayette, CO.

Anne Richardson bridges the world of investment management and church fundraising in her role as Senior Program Director for Investor Relations on ECF’s Endowment Management team. This unique perspective allows her to identify the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Episcopal organizations and share her deep understanding of endowment investment principles and how they apply in the Episcopal church context.

Anne works directly with churches, dioceses, schools, and other Episcopal organizations to help them clarify the full picture of their financial resources and identify the right strategy for their endowment and long-term assets. Recognizing that each church has individual hopes and concerns, Anne’s approach is highly personalized, focusing on the distinct needs of each client and developing an appropriate governance, fund structure, and investment strategy. Through this process, she equips church leaders with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions that align with their goals.

Prior to joining ECF, Anne served as Director of Development at Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, as well as in senior leadership positions at Calvert Research and Management (a socially responsible asset manager) and Cambridge Associates (a prominent institutional investment advisor). Anne holds degrees from Bowling Green State University and the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. Currently residing in the metro Washington, D.C., area, she remains actively involved in her local parish.

Brad Roberts is an Associate Program Director in ECF’s Endowment Management program where he oversees account administration and program operations. In this role, he leverages his extensive experience to ensure the smooth running of account management, processes/procedures, and day-to-day functions. Brad is also responsible for all activities in sub-accounting for congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations.

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Brad has worked in various financial services sectors. Throughout his career, he has thrived in roles spanning accounting, operations, and even business development. This well-rounded experience allows him to not only manage account administration but also provide clients with insightful solutions they may not have considered.

Brad's fondness for service extends beyond the financial arena. He actively contributes to his church community, having held leadership positions as Senior Warden and Treasurer. Brad's financial expertise and faith-based leadership make him an invaluable asset to ECF and the organizations it serves. Currently, Brad resides near Syracuse, NY, where his wife serves as an Episcopal priest.

Carsten Sierck is the Director of Endowment Management at the Episcopal Church Foundation. In this role, she oversees strategic, program, and administrative matters for a national investment program with over $650 million in assets belonging to churches, dioceses, and other Episcopal organizations across the country.

In her work with clients, Carsten excels at blending clear analysis with practical guidance and has gained the trust of numerous Episcopal organizations seeking to strengthen their endowment management. With a background in both law and wealth management, Carsten advises Episcopal organizations on endowment structure and governance, investment strategy, and effective communication to connect financial assets to missional goals.

Before joining ECF, Carsten held positions at wealth management firms in Cleveland, Ohio. Earlier in her career, she practiced law in New York City and Washington, DC. Carsten graduated from Columbia University and the University of Virginia Law School. A lifelong Episcopalian, she attended the National Cathedral School in Washington, DC, for fourteen years. Carsten is based in New York City.

Jacob hails from Chicago, where he worked as a Research Consultant at a market research consultancy startup for several years. In September 2022, Jacob moved to New York City to dedicate a year to living in community and supporting the outreach work at Church of the Heavenly Rest in Manhattan through the Episcopal Service Corps. His work focused on key areas: prison reentry, food insecurity, education access, mental health, housing, and emergency response. He also organized formation for a small parish in the South Bronx; creating and leading liturgy for bilingual prayer services and a children's formation program to facilitate church growth and community engagement.

Now, Jacob looks forward to moving into NYC permanently, exploring the city, making new friends, and enjoying his hobbies (which mainly include thrifting, making small mosaics, and dabbling into sewing)!

Aline Sun serves as the Program Director for Investment Analysis focusing on investment decisions. She has a keen eye for numbers and a strong understanding of multi-asset investing. Her expertise lies in identifying appropriate investment solutions to empower Episcopal organizations to achieve their long-term financial goals. Aline's dedication extends beyond technical expertise. She fosters close relationships with Episcopal organizations, taking the time to understand their unique needs and aspirations. This collaborative approach ensures that her investment solutions are not just data-driven, but also tailored to each organization's specific context and values.

Prior to joining ECF, Aline honed her skills in the world of finance, holding roles as an Investment Strategist at Allianz Global Investors and a Quantitative Equity Analyst at Citigroup's research division. Her academic background, encompassing both statistics at Columbia University and math at the State University of New York at Albany, provided a solid foundation for her analytical approach to investing.

Elizabeth Tobier is ECF’s Assistant Controller. She holds a B.S. in accounting from SUNY Empire State College and is currently enrolled at the Canadian College of Homeopathic Medicine.