Foundation Personnel

Mary Alex, President

Mary Alex is currently serving as NMF’s President. In this capacity, she will be leading us into the future with a focus on individual fundraising and internal capacity building - all under the guise of helping us to green our world.

Mary Alex (she prefers to be called “MA”) led her own consulting firm, “Global Capacity Consulting” for three years. She provided strategic guidance and tailored interventions to nonprofits and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). Her focus included helping local and global organizations mostly in the areas of women’s rights and environmental issues. She brings fifteen years of high impact communications & fundraising experience to NMF.

Prior to her nonprofit experience, MA was involved in the broadcast journalism arena specifically in news-production for KCBS Radio in San Francisco and the California bay area’s local NPR.

In July 2006, MA received “The President’s Council on Service & Civic Participation Award” for her work in Kyrgyzstan in the prevention of human-trafficking and in Nicaragua for enterprise development programs. MA holds a Masters degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Clinical Program Planning/Development, and a B.A. in Communications from George Washington University.

Jenny Newton Schmidt, National Director of Programs

jenny@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Jenny Newton Schmidt is currently serving as the Newton Marasco Foundation’s National Director of Programs, responsible for coordinating and implementing national and regional program activities across the foundation. Ms. Schmidt spent 15 years as an information technology consultant, working for the Marasco Newton Group and then SRA, International. She spent her consulting career managing IT projects for the federal government. Her experience covers the full spectrum of a system lifecycle, from requirements definition to ongoing operations and maintenance. For nearly a decade, she managed the operations and maintenance of a system used by the Environmental Protection Agency to support the Superfund cleanup program.

Ms. Schmidt attended the University of Virginia where she received both her Bachelors in History and a Masters in Teaching.

Linda Davis, Events Consultant

linda@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Linda Davis is serving as NMF’s Events Consultant. She is also President of Davis Design Group, a consulting specialist in business development, nonprofit branding and fundraising. As President of Davis Design Group, Linda focuses her professional experience towards the nonprofit field, working with NMF on donor strategy and relations, as well as fundraising and corporate partnerships.

Linda began her career in the hospitality industry with Sheraton Hotels in Washington, as well as the Stouffer Corporation. Prior to Davis Design Group, she owned and operated Company’s Coming, Special Events and Catering, a special event consultant firm with a full-service catering arm specializing in high-end corporate retreats and themed events. In 1994, Linda pursued a life-long dream and opened The Wild Orchid, a restaurant focused on serving fresh local seafood, meats and produce. The Wild Orchid was the first restaurant in Annapolis to change its menu seasonally and design its dishes around regional cuisine. While acting as Executive Chef and President of the special event arm, and running the day-to-day operation of the restaurant, she continued to develop a successful business strategy for her nonprofit clientele.

Linda studied business management at The University of Maryland and Anne Arundel Community College, and pursued her culinary certification at L’Academie de Cuisine.

Jeanne Brown, National Communications Manager

jbrown@newtonmarascofoundation.org

Jeanne Brown is serving as our National Communications Manager, supporting our communications needs by working on our web site, writing press releases, and developing communications materials. She also supports our programs and provides administrative assistance.

Jeanne has extensive communications and marketing experience, working for American Mobile Satellite Corporation, the American Consulting Engineers Council, and the American Red Cross. She has developed media campaigns, developed and implemented marketing strategies, managed investor relations, and developed varied communications materials.

Jeanne received her B.S. in Mass Communication from Towson University. She currently lives in Virginia with her husband and three kids.