Our Leadership
Meet the dedicated members of our Foundation Leadership Team who lead philanthropic efforts at Children's Health℠.
Brent Christopher
President
As the president of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Brent is focused on making the organization a leading cause-of-choice in the North Texas region. That includes helping the community understand how philanthropy can impact a not-for-profit health care system; developing the Foundation’s staff and investing in talent to raise money consistently across a broad spectrum of donors; and expanding the Foundation’s pipeline of donors.
Dana Beckman
Senior Director, Communications & Stewardship
After 15 years of partnering with Children’s Health in a previous corporate role, Dana joined the team in order to have a more direct impact on the lives of children. In her role at the foundation, Dana oversees the communication, marketing, PR and donor stewardship strategies with the goal of making Children’s Health the ‘cause of choice’ in North Texas.
Suzanne Bouvier
Vice President, Operations
Suzanne is the hidden gem everyone needs to know at the Children’s Medical Center Foundation. She is the one who keeps the organization running -- overseeing its budget, recruitment, payroll and administration. She also leads the Foundation’s development services, which includes gift processing, information management and research.
Holly Hassmann
Vice President, External Relations
Holly has dedicated her career to Children’s Health, having worked for the not-for-profit pediatric health care system since graduating from college. Today, she is one of the hospital system’s biggest advocates in its mission to make life better for children.
Laran O'Neill
Chief Advancement Officer
As a teenager, Laran was shy – if you can believe it – but found her voice as a student journalist in the telling of other people’s stories. Now, she and her team of major gift fundraisers are megaphones for Children’s Health and its mission to make life better for children, striving to position the area’s leading pediatric health care system as a cause-of-choice in North Texas.
Carol Bieler
Vice President, Development
After 14 years as a nurse leader, Carol transitioned her career to development at the Children’s Medical Center Foundation and over the past 19 years, Carol has served in multiple fundraising roles. Today, she oversees the Principal and Planned Giving team, raising noteworthy philanthropic support for Children’s Health.
Harmonie Farrow
Director, Annual Giving
Harmonie has a desire to help connect as many donors as possible with the areas of Children’s Health they are most passionate about. She and her team work to provide grateful patient families, employees, volunteers, community members and other supporters tailored giving opportunities to partner with Children’s Health to further its mission to make life better for children.
Rathna Gray
Director, Community Engagement
Rathna has had the privilege of being a part of the Children’s Health family for nearly 19 years and serves as a leader of the External Relations team. She has the honor of sharing the Children’s story with donors, volunteers and the community through unique and meaningful programs.
Suzanne Harrison
Director, Community Engagement & Events
Suzanne is like the fairy godmother of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation, working and now leading for two decades the behind-the-scenes team that executes the organization’s events and fosters community support through a variety of engagement initiatives.
Cathy Hyman
Director, Gift Administration
Cathy is responsible for overseeing the constituent database, ensuring gift records are kept accurately and delivered for use to appropriate hospital departments. Cathy loves waking up knowing she’s supporting an organization that cares deeply about every patient and patient family that comes through the door.
Nicola Lawrence
Director, Planned Giving
With over two decades of experience in non-profit leadership, Nicola has specialized in bridging donors' philanthropic goals with their financial wellbeing. Advancing complex asset gift opportunities at Children’s Health in order to make life better for children is her passion. Nicola is thrilled to help our donors and define options that will preserve their family’s values, honor their legacy and sustain their donation for generations.
Paulette Mulry
Senior Director, Annual Giving & Corporate Partnerships
As a Dallas native, Paulette knows this city and its people. Those roots continue to ground her at Children’s Health, where she manages a team of gift officers driven to grow donor engagement with the hospital system through annual giving, Children’s Miracle Network and corporate partnership programs.
Aracely Muñoz
Director, Corporate Partnerships
Aracely leads a team focused on corporate fundraising, including Children’s Miracle Network partnerships. Aracely also collaborates with Latino leaders and influencers, through engagement, cause-marketing, and B2B initiatives to help promote Children’s Health mission of making life better for children in our community.
Ilyssa Schlereth
Senior Director, Development Services
Ilyssa provides strategic content guidance and support for fundraising and fund utilization efforts. She works closely with Foundation and Children’s Health department colleagues to identify funding opportunities and collect pertinent information from throughout the institution, communicating related program descriptions, needs and impact for external audiences.
Andre Velasquez
Director, Development Research
Andre leads the prospect research team where he conducts extensive research of current and prospective donors to align potential and interests of individuals and organizations with initiatives across the Children’s Health system. He has his finger on the pulse of fundraising initiatives and a sixth sense for what the team needs to succeed.
Summer Vincent
Senior Director, Development
Summer has dedicated her career to increasing her community’s strengths and resources through her varied work in non-profits over the last 15 years. Now, she leads a team of gift officers at the Children's Medical Center Foundation who are dedicated to securing significant financial support for the Foundation through current and long-term giving.
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