Deborah Brown
Deborah Brown brings years of experience to socially conscious organizations, helping clients in the nonprofit, for-profit and hybrid sectors grow their impact. She specializes in grant writing, project management and board governance and enjoys collaborating with individuals and teams, whether they are working on a local or global scale.
Previously, Deborah served as corporate secretary for the Romanian-American Foundation and the Romanian-American Enterprise Fund. Both endeavors were established by the U.S. Congress to teach Western business practices and foster democracy in post-Soviet Romania. She has also been chief of staff of Riverkeeper, which defends the Hudson River and protects the drinking water of millions of New Yorkers.
Before that Deborah managed customer relations for Barnes & Noble, where she oversaw the customer retention program for the Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, Bookstop, Bookstar and Scribner's chains of bookstores. Deborah's career in communications has also included speech writing at Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, and writing and press relations at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, where she was the assistant director of public affairs.
Deborah is the former program director of the Alexander Julian Foundation for Aesthetic Understanding and Appreciation, which supported arts and creative education in the U.S., and which she helped to found.
Ms. Brown holds a B.A. in mass media analysis/journalism, with a minor in international relations from New York University. She serves as treasurer of Grant Professionals of Lower Hudson, Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to enhancing fundraising and philanthropy in the lower Hudson Valley through the advancement of grantsmanship. Deborah is also a founding member of the Newburgh Clean Water Project and a member of the Grant Professionals Association.