CMS News - cmsraleigh

Announcements

Welcome, Director of Development, Dawn Downing!

On behalf of the Executive Director, it is a great pleasure to announce that Dawn Downing has joined the staff as our new Director of Development.

As a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of experience, Dawn Downing has proven experience in nearly every aspect of development and fundraising, including but not limited to: annual fund and major gifts fundraising, corporate and foundations relations, donor relations, stewardship, marketing and communications, board and volunteer management, corporate sponsorship, and program management. Dawn’s expertise has led her to serve in development positions at notable universities as well as provide advice and strategies to small nonprofit organizations.

Dawn began her professional career at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business as Associate Director of Development, Class and Reunion Giving. As a member of Wharton External Affairs, Dawn helped to raise over $345 million for business school’s Campaign for Excellence. In a few short years, Dawn was promoted to Senior Associate Director of Marketing, Operations and Leadership Programs where she managed a four-person team whose responsibilities included marketing, database management, communications, and annual giving.

Relocating to Raleigh, NC for personal reasons, she served as a marketing and fundraising consultant for Youthville USA, a non-profit social services agency which served the needs of abandoned, abused, and neglected children within the North Carolina foster care system.

Dawn is the former Assistant Director of Alumni Relations for Duke University School of Law where she worked to build and reactivate Duke Law Clubs across the United States, developing and executing academic programming and alumni club activities while effectively communicating the importance of engagement and need for philanthropic support to help fund key initiatives.

Dawn is the former Senior Director of Development for Emory University School of Law where she managed the annual giving team for Emory Law School, with the development team raising $27 million in gifts and pledges. Dawn has also served as a member of UCLA’s development team for the Office of Scholarships and Student Support where she managed the fundraising activities for UCLA’s Graduate School of Education Division and developed engagement strategies working alongside the assistant vice provost and dean of the graduate school of education.

Hired in 2017 to serve as Senior Development Officer for North Carolina Theatre (NCT), Dawn was responsible for the management of the annual giving program where she helped raise over $1 million annually in gifts and pledges. Dawn wholeheartedly believes in the ability of performing arts to build bridges between class and cultures and proactively built partnerships with the Wake County Public School System, HBCUs Saint Augustine’s University, and Shaw University, as well as corporations and foundations, securing funding to support programs and initiatives from the likes of PNC Foundation, BCBS of North Carolina Foundation, Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.

One of the highlights of her tenure at NCT was the development and implementation of its Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity for Employees in the Arts (IDEEA) Committee. Strategically advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NCT, Dawn worked alongside her Co-chair and NCT colleagues to establish policies and programmatic goals to ensure a more equitable workplace for all. She also led biweekly staff training and workshops.

As a community engager, Dawn is the former Co-Chair of Membership and Engagement for the Raleigh Women’s Professional Forum. Dawn is also a former member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals, Buckhead Business Association of Atlanta, The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and a volunteer for the Atlanta Jewish Committee. Dawn holds an MBA in Finance and a BS in Business Administration/Marketing from Thomas Jefferson University.

We are happy to have Dawn at CMS! Her first day will be Monday, July 10th and she can be reached at ddowning@cmsraleigh.org.

Welcome, Director of Development, Richard L. Johnson!

On behalf of the Executive Director, it is a great pleasure to announce that Richard L. Johnson has joined the staff as our new part-time Director of Development.

Richard L. Johnson, a native of Raleigh, NC, comes to the Community Music School having served 16 years in the nonprofit industry, primarily with the Boy Scouts of America. Richard began his career as a District Executive at the Pee Dee Area Council in Florence,SC. He later was promoted to Senior District Executive and moved on to serve the Colonial Virginia Council in Newport News,VA After a successful 7 years in the Hampton Roads area that included a growth in scouting membership and annual fundraising goals, Richard was promoted to Field Director and was selected to join the Del-Mar-Va Council, headquartered in Wilmington,DE.

Since returning to Raleigh in 2018, Richard has served as a Development Director for North Carolina Central University and engaged in personal real estate investments. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for fundraising activities that encompassed annual giving, special events, capital campaigns, corporate contributions and private donations.

While in Newport News, Johnson served as President of the City Center of Newport News Rotary Club and continued his Rotarian membership throughout his time with the Del-Mar-Va Council. Richard and his wife Melodee, have two children, Malcolm (6) and Lorrann (1). He and Melodee are active members of Watts Chapel Baptist Church.

Please join me in welcoming Richard to Community Music School. As of August 16th, Richard can be reached at rjohnson@cmsraleigh.org.

Welcome, Executive Director, Melanie Doerner!

On behalf of the Community Music School Board of Directors, it is a great pleasure to announce that Melanie Doerner has been appointed the organization’s new Executive Director. Melanie will begin on March 1, 2021.

Melanie is a proven arts leader and fundraiser with 20 years of nonprofit management experience. For the past 9 years, Melanie has been the Director of Development for NC Theatre, leading a fundraising effort that garnered over $10M in support. At NC Theatre, among her many accomplishments, she focused on expanding arts programming in schools and negotiated a multi-year partnership with the Wake County Public School System.

Melanie embodies the values that drive CMS – a deep understanding of the transformational impact music education has on a child’s development and a dedication to reaching all children, regardless of their means. She is excited to join the CMS family, and says, “I know first-hand that arts education can change a life trajectory. Every time I’ve seen a young person take a bow, they’ve come up a little taller. Imagine a city where every student who had a passion for music, could learn to play an instrument. For over 25 years, Community Music School has been committed to that work in Raleigh, and I am honored to lend my strengths to help lead their efforts. In addition to being an arts leader, I am also a mother of three, and I know that a well-rounded education includes an arts education.”

Melanie holds a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, and formerly practiced as a corporate attorney in her native Canada. Melanie has previously worked with Carolina Ballet, Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose, Arts Council Silicon Valley (now SV Creates) and the José Limón Dance Company. Melanie’s husband Michael Doerner is a ballet dancer and teacher, having performed with the National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet under Mikko Nissinen, and Ballet San Jose. They have three children together ages 13, 11 and 8.

We also express our deep gratitude to Mike Friedman, who has served as our Interim ED since September 2020, through moss+ross interim solutions. Mike provided excellent leadership and guidance during these months of transition, and CMS is better for having had Mike on our team. Please join me in welcoming Melanie to her new role as Executive Director. The Board of Directors is deeply committed to working with Melanie to ensure her successful and visionary leadership as CMS enters its next chapter. As of March 1, Melanie may be reached at: mdoerner@cmsraleigh.org.

Welcome, Database & Social Media Content Manager, Chantavia Knight!

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Chantavia Knight as Database & Social Media Content Manager. Chantavia is a passionate leader with extensive experience analyzing data, identifying inefficient processes, and driving project improvements. She has worked in the Higher Education sector for over 6 years, specifically in the Development department. In Chantavia's spare time, she likes to read, visit museums and volunteer with organizations that support Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

CMS would like to thank the Raleigh-Durham Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota for their generous gift of one music stand, two packs of violin strings and one pack of guitar strings. Your gifts will help us continue to provide quality musical experiences for our students. We appreciate your commitment to enriching our community and look forward to our continued association.

Cameron_Village_Partners_with_Community_Music_School_of_Raleigh

Many thanks to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Carolina for this amazing grant!

Click here to see the presentation!