Kathy DeLaura
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Kathy is the managing director at Partners in Change LLC, and has over thirty years of experience in education, fund raising, public relations, marketing and not-for-profit management. She previously served as the first Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation. Kathy has also served as the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Foundation for Biomedical Research and Education at the VA Medical Center.
Her credentials include serving as Executive Director of the Cincinnati Ballet where her accomplishments included conducting fund raising campaigns to build the Cincinnati Ballet Center and create new productions. She created staff and board development programs, provided leadership during labor negotiations and managed a total of 65 artists and staff.
Prior to moving to Cincinnati, Kathy developed national fund raising programs for the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society. She also directed community service and educational programs for both organizations.
Her career experience also includes work in advertising and radio sales. She has produced many successful marketing programs for a variety of clients.
Kathy began her professional career as a junior high school teacher after graduating from Western Illinois University.
She is very active in the Cincinnati community, and received the Leading Women of Cincinnati Award in 2000 for her efforts in healthcare education. Kathy currently serves as a volunteer for the ArtsWave Business on Board and Arts 101 programs and as a Chair of the Leadership Council for The Women’s Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Kathy serves on the Boards of the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati and Arlington Memorial Gardens. She is a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati Class XXXII and a member of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals.
Her clients include the Family Nurturing Center, Lighthouse Youth Services, Cincinnati Better Business Bureau, Jewish Family Service, Ronald McDonald House, Hoxworth Blood Center, Freestore Foodbank and Easter Seals Tri State.
Kathy also served as Project Director for Pulse: A Study on the Status of Women and Girls in Greater Cincinnati. In 2004, she served as Project Director for Art & Soul, a citywide showcase of visual and performing arts to celebrate the opening of the new National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Over 50 organizations produced 100 plus events as part of the marketing collaboration. In 2003, she directed a similar project, Festival of the New, during the opening of the new Contemporary Arts Center. The success of these two projects led, in part, to the formation of the Regional Tourism Network. Kathy also facilitated a strategic planning process for the Northern Kentucky School-Based Health Center Collaborative and was the project facilitator and business plan writer Growing Well Cincinnati a school health collaborative for the Cincinnati Public Schools Community Learning Centers. Since 2007, she has been the project facilitator for Agenda 360, a regional planning effort, sponsored by the Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce.
“Kathy masterfully executes her charge to help clients achieve meaningful results. From strategic planning to board engagement retreats to consulting with the leadership team, she has helped us maintain our focus, think through issues, and formulate new and creative strategies. The result is that we have been able to exceed our goals in every instance, and have become stronger, bolder and more effective as an organization. I’d call that a real win!”
– Jocile Ehrlich, President and CEO
Cincinnati Better Business Bureau
Mark Hiemstra
President/CEO at Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries
We were first introduced to Kathy as a great fit for facilitating our strategic planning process given her vast exposure to the community and understanding of existing efforts in the region. She walked us through the each step, delivered exactly what she committed to, on time, every time. She has proven to be more partner than vendor with her approach to first understanding our organization and team, then guiding conversations and making introductions to so many folks who are making significant contributions in our community. Throughout our time with Kathy, she never stopped connecting what we plan to do with other people, initiatives and organizations.
Jocile Ehrlich, President and CEO
Cincinnati Better Business Bureau
“Kathy masterfully executes her charge to help clients achieve meaningful results. From strategic planning to board engagement retreats to consulting with the leadership team, she has helped us maintain our focus, think through issues, and formulate new and creative strategies. The result is that we have been able to exceed our goals in every instance, and have become stronger, bolder and more effective as an organization. I’d call that a real win!”
Sally Grimes
Executive Director at Activities Beyond the Classroom
At Activities Beyond the Classroom, I hired Kathy to lead our board and leadership team through a strategic planning process during. I was in my first year as Executive Director and needed somebody who could be a strong partner in this process. Kathy was everything I needed and more, and has since become a mentor, source of information, and friend. I highly recommend Kathy and will definitely work with her again in the future.
Whitney O’Neal, CFRE
President & CEO
Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation required intensive reworking of our board of directors, bylaws, organizational strategic planning and general CSF administration processes. We have been incredibly fortunate to have connected with Kathy DeLaura early on in identifying and implementing these changes and because of her skills and expertise we are well on our way to being the CSF we envision! I cannot recommend Kathy DeLaura and Partners in Change enough for any nonprofit, in any sector and of any size. The wealth of knowledge and experience she possesses along with her skillful negotiation skills allows her to deal with a multitude of different personalities thus she brings everyone together so the organization is operating as efficiently, ethically and transparent as possible.
Erin Childs
CEO at Pro Bono Partnership of OhioCEO at Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio
Kathy guided Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio through two strategic plans. She is a pleasure to work with – she is smart and focused. Kathy has a deep understanding of nonprofits and the nuanced ways we all work. I look forward to working with her again.
Robert Ramsay
Director – Systems Assurance at Barnes Dennig Director – Systems Assurance at Barnes Dennig
Kathy helped the founding board at the Cincinnati Community ToolBank at an early critical stage of strategic planning. She ensured we channeled the board members’ many ideas and passions into a unified strategic plan that was key to a successful beginning. And she did it with a sense of humor, skillful communication and an awareness of the nonprofit landscape that made the Saturday planning retreat especially fun, engaging and meaningful.
Tony Johnson
Market President – Kentucky
Kathy has helped the Family Nurturing Center and the Boone County Education Foundation successfully map out a strategic plan. Kathy has been working with the Family Nurturing Center for several years now, and I have been through three of her planning sessions. Since the time she has been involved with the agency it has almost tripled in size and expanded into several new strategic markets. We just finished the process at the Boone County Education Foundation and I am confident that we will experience similar results now that we have mapped out where we want to go. Kathy does a great job getting everyone involved, sharing her personal experience and keeping everyone focused and on task. I look forward to my next opportunity to work with Kathy where I will be able share with her the progress that we have made on the plans that we now have in place.
Chris Faust
President & CEO at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Kathy has been instrumental in our organizations strategic planning process, has been vital in employee development and served as a trusted advisor to myself and many throughout the agency.