Say What Matters Speaker Biographies

Abiola Johnson

Abiola Johnson is a verbal and visual storyteller with more than 20 years of experience working across multiple formats to offer a wide range of services to help teams to convey their messages and narratives. She has contributed her creative skills across various organizations, including the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, and United Nations agencies, offering innovative solutions tailored to their needs. She is a native English speaker, fluent in French and Yoruba, with above-average proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in French and two master’s degrees in international development and professional writing. She is an Adjunct Professor of English at Towson University, where she teaches two courses: Writing for Business and Industry and Writing for a Liberal Education. She also has a creative writing career using Jola Naibi as her nom de plume and is the fiction co-editor of a Baltimore-based literary magazine. She has published one book of short stories and has completed a full-length novel and is working on that novel’s sequel, another book of short stories, and two children’s storybooks.

Bianca Jackson

Bianca Jackson is a visionary leader at the nexus of technology and social impact, distinguished by her pioneering use of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) to revolutionize communication. As the founder of BrickRose Exchange, Bianca has transformed traditional events into vibrant, immersive experiences that utilize state-of-the-art technology to promote inclusivity and accessibility. Her strategic use of AI not only enhances engagement but also serves as a powerful tool in crafting compelling narratives for non-profit communications. This approach has empowered organizations to effectively share their stories, while saving time and expanding their impact.

A respected speaker, Bianca has shared her expertise at prestigious platforms like SXSW, Digital Summit Philadelphia, and Tech Inclusion NY. Her role as an IT project manager led to the Pulitzer Prize-winning VR project, "The WallVR" by USA Today, showcasing her ability to lead cutting-edge projects that blend creative storytelling with technological innovation.

In her commitment to social justice and community engagement, Bianca continues to push the boundaries of technology to create meaningful and transformative experiences. Her work has inspired thousands and solidifies her status as a key influencer in using AI to shape the future of communication in the tech industry.

Jaya Koilpilla Bohlmann

Jaya Koilpillai Bohlmann has 25+ years as an experienced global communicator, business leader, author, thought leader, and career coach. She has worked with nonprofits and leading brands including the American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Sodexo and its Stop Hunger Foundation, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Adventist Health, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, and more. She leads a nonprofit startup: R.O.S.E.S., Inc. (Rising Opportunities through Science, Education and Service), which provides mental health counseling and academic scholarships in that field.  

Jaya runs Designing Communication (www.DesigningComm.com) , a consultancy focused on building brands from the inside out.  She provides a unique blend of expertise at the critical niche of communication, talent management, and change to corporations, nonprofits, associations, and agencies in a diverse array of industries.

Her credentials include the APR (public relations), an MA (communication), and an MBA (management/organization behavior).    She serves in leadership roles for professional organizations including PRSA’s National Capital Chapter, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and more.  Jaya is a sought-after speaker and author.

• Credentials: APR (PRSA ICB), MA ( communication), MSMOB (management, organization behavior), ACC (Associate Coach Credential, International Coach Federation)
• Contact:  jaya.bohlmann@gmail.com | 202 344 5488 | Twitter @jayabohlmann | Linked in www.linkedin.com/in/jayabohlmann
• Website:  https://www.DesigningComm.com

Kristi Halford

Founder and Chief Supporting Officer, C3 Visionary Strategies

Collaborative senior executive with 20+ years of experience in external relations and advancement, developing innovative, effective strategies to meet organizational communications, marketing, business development, fundraising and philanthropic goals. Demonstrated success in developing integrated marketing/communications plans; creating comprehensive strategies to achieve annual, capital and programmatic fundraising goals through corporate sponsorship, individual giving, major gifts and grants; cultivating relationships with current, lapsed and prospective donors to maintain and grow annual giving levels; implementing effective donor stewardship programs; creating philanthropic initiatives that demonstrate positive impact on communities; leading cross-functional teams; collaborating with senior leadership, board of directors and committees to establish strategic policies and objectives, and develop short- and long-term goals, work plans, and timetables. Excellent writer with experience writing effective and compelling op-eds, digital content, grants, case statements, speeches, press materials, and RFPs. 

Heather Iliff

Heather Iliff is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Maryland Nonprofits, where she has served since 2014. Under her leadership, Heather has guided the organization through a significant transformation, increasing membership by 40% and more than doubling the size of the organization. She realigned the organization’s strategic focus towards equity and quality of life, significantly enhancing its impact in equitable public policy, capacity building and collaboration in the nonprofit sector. Her tenure has seen successful integrations with the Maryland Association of Resources for Families and Youth (MARFY) and Maryland Latinos Unidos, expanding the organization’s reach and effectiveness.

Heather has been devoted to Maryland Nonprofits since 2007 in various roles, including Vice President and Director of Consulting. Prior roles include serving as an elected Member of the Board of Education, Prince George’s County, Deputy Director of Alliance for Nonprofit Management, and Assistant Director of the Institute for Educational Policy at Open Society Institute – Budapest.

Heather is a Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant. She holds an M.A. in Political Science from Central European University and a B.A. in International Studies from The American University in Washington, D.C. Heather serves as a board member of the Maryland Information Network. Her influential work in the nonprofit sector was recognized when she was celebrated by I95 Business magazine as a 2024 Woman of Influence.

Jennifer Purcell

Executive Director, Nonprofit Center @ 41 Community Place

Jennifer has been part of County Executive Pittman’s team since 2018, initially serving as his Chief of Staff. She has managed multiple county-wide projects, spearheading a two-year strategic planning process, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Joint Commission on the Opportunity Gap, Community Support Grants, and youth programs among others.

As Executive Director of the Nonprofit Center, Jennifer is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the Center’s professional development programming, renovation of a county building in Crownsville, and management of the future facility which will be a collaborative workspace for several nonprofits that address the county’s social determinants of health.  

Jennifer holds a doctorate in higher education administration and a master’s degree in adult education/training and staff development from the University of South Florida. She has over 25 years experience in project management and evaluation, grant writing, communications, event planning, and program development within higher and medical education, nonprofits and local government.

Renesha Alphonso

Director of Communications, County Executive’s Office

Renesha Alphonso has a rich history in Communications, Education, Technical Writing and Project Management in the non-profit and government sector. With an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Maryland Global Campus and a Masters in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from Georgetown University, Renesha has found her niche in Branding and Digital Identity Management.  

Prior to her career in communications, she has served as an Elementary teacher and has dedicated her entire career to supporting student academic success, working with community-based organizations to support human rights advocacy efforts, and organizing support events in the District of Columbia Ward 8 community.

Sharon Mostyn

Founder, Mostyn Marketing Group
Sharon Mostyn is a nationally recognized authority on marketing optimization throughout the customer lifecycle. She holds certifications in Web Analytics, Social Media, Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Email Messaging, and Landing Page Optimization from industry-leading authorities.

Over her 35+ year career as a marketing professional, Sharon has worked with Fortune 500 companies, mid-sized firms, start-ups, and nonprofits. Today, she is CEO of the Mostyn Marketing Group, a Google Partner advertising agency that specializes in Analytics, SEO/SEM, Email Marketing, and Social Media.
Sharon is experienced in leading marketing strategies and implementing both organic and paid campaigns and programs. Her skills in working with cross-functional internal teams and other external agencies make her the perfect collaborator for any project.

Speaking at events for Maryland Nonprofits, MarketingProfs, SMX, MarTech, Email Innovations World, and Internet Retailer, as well as MediaPost Email and Search Insider Summits, continues to enhance her reputation in the marketing field. She gives back to the community through her efforts as a Marketing Subject Matter Expert for SCORE Southwest Florida.
Founded by Sharon Mostyn, Mostyn Marketing Group is a Google Partner agency that specializes in measuring and optimizing marketing and advertising for business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), nonprofit, and agency for the agency (AFTA) clients. With an emphasis on Web Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Email Marketing, Social Media, and Traditional Media (TV, radio, print, and direct mail), Mostyn Marketing Group provides a complete range of marketing services.

The Mostyn Marketing Group team has decades of experience providing marketing strategy and implementation as both in-house and agency-side marketers. This uniquely positions Sharon and her team to understand the ins and outs of managing a marketing budget in order to provide the best ROI across all channels. Whether it’s launching a full-scale marketing program, performing a strategic analysis of your marketing activities, or implementing marketing tactics, Mostyn Marketing Group can help your marketing initiatives succeed.

Tom Brush

CEO, Advancement Designs

Tom Brush is a nonprofit consultant/coach who partners with nonprofit leaders and organizations to design strategies to further engage with their constituencies, effectively manage volunteers and boards, increase donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, and creatively steward donors.   After spending nearly 25 years working in leadership, engagement and development in the nonprofit sector, Tom knows that each organization is unique and he helps them find their own unique pathway to success. 

As the founder of Advancement Designs, Tom has supported nonprofits of all sizes in the areas of strategic planning, organizational leadership, board and volunteer management, and resource generation.  He regularly presents and speaks on these topics at conferences and in front of groups large and small.

As a result of working with Tom, nonprofits have focused their efforts enabling them to spend more time on the actions that produce the greatest results and help them take their next step along their unique pathway to success. 

Additionally, he serves as an Associate Consultant with the Maryland Association of Nonprofits (MANO), Tom holds a Bachelor's degree, an MBA, and has served as president of two nonprofit boards.  He is also a Standards of Excellence Licensed Consultant and a member of AFP.

Outside of his passion for consulting and coaching nonprofit professionals and organizations, Tom loves to network, connect with other professionals and officiate girls and women's lacrosse.

Wendy Jo Wolff, MPH

Director of Strategic Engagement, Maryland Nonprofits

Activating and coordinating community responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic was how Wendy Wolff began her career in the nonprofit sector.  Her early professional experiences helped her to build significant policy development. She brings over 30 years of diverse consulting experience to her current ten year role as Director of Strategic Engagement for Maryland Nonprofits. Wendy has collaborated with government agencies; universities; nonprofit organizations; and faith-based organizations to enhance the quality of life within many communities throughout the United States. She uses her strategic thinking skills to help clients synthesize information from wide-ranging sources, reframe problems while uncovering root causes to find refreshing, creative, and effective solutions.

Over the past three decades, Wendy has helped hundreds of organizations and their people to create brighter futures for the communities in which they serve. Her excitement in working with her clients is infectious. She values the genius that each person brings to their role in the sector and works diligently to elevate any person that she engages with.

Ms. Wolff holds a master’s degree in public health from New York University. She has resided as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver and as an Associate Faculty Member at Indian River State College. Wendy is a licensed consultant with the Standards for Excellence® Institute. Ms. Wolff's first book, The Letter Writing Project (Blooming Twig Books), was published in August 2014. Her workplace culture handbook, Peace and Possibility in the Workplace is due to be released in 2023 and The Clouds Look Different From Here is set for release in 2024.

Elisha Harig-Blaine

Assistant Planning Director, Arundel Community Development Services (ACDS)

Elisha Harig-Blaine is Assistant Planning Director for Arundel Community Development Services (ACDS). Raised in Anne Arundel County and a product of the county public schools, he has worked at the local, state, and national levels on homelessness, housing, and community development for nearly 25 years. In positions with non-profits, local and state government, he has worked as a direct service provider, organizer, advocate, program administrator, and manager of programs with budgets ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to over a billion dollars. He has worked with philanthropies such as The Home Depot Foundation, the Wells Fargo Foundation, and AirBnB.

At ACDS, he manages a team that oversees the administration of more than 150 grants from nearly a dozen federal, state and local funding sources totaling more than $12 million annually. He is an adjunct professor in housing and economic policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has a Bachelors in Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Masters in Public Policy from George Mason University.

Arundel Community Development Services administers a number of different grants, including the Laurel Race Course Impact Fund Grants, Local Development Council Grants, and the yearly Community Support Grants. For Fiscal Year 2025, a projected $2 million in available grants was available for programs and projects that provide services to underserved populations, address the health and well-being of communities, promote equity and inclusion, and eliminate the opportunity gap in education.

Mary Spencer

President and Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC)

Mary Spencer is the President & CEO at the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County (CFAAC) in Annapolis, MD. She is responsible for leading the strategic direction and financial growth of CFAAC, enhancing greater philanthropic awareness throughout the county, and increasing stakeholder knowledge about the issues that impact the health, vitality, quality of life and future of Anne Arundel County.
She has a diverse background across the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. In her previous roles, she has focused on organizational improvements in business practices, budgeting, public relations, fundraising, programming, and staffing. Mary has raised over $30 million dollars in Anne Arundel County in support of a variety of nonprofits. She served on the Board of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts and has been a longtime member of both the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She co-chaired the nonprofit subcommittee of the Annapolis Small Business Recovery Task Force and serves as a Board Member of the Department of Social Services and the Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. In addition, Mary is a member of the Maryland Community Foundation Association's steering committee, the County's Guiding Coalition Committee, and Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT).
Mary has been a resident of Anne Arundel County for the past 45 years and joined CFAAC in August 2018.

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is celebrating over 25 years of being one of the largest supporters of Anne Arundel County nonprofits. They award $4-6 million annually through a variety of grants including Grants 4 Teachers, the Environment Anne Arundel Award, the Women and Girls Fund, and many more. CFAAC also offers nonprofit agency endowment funds, helping to ensure the longevity of County nonprofits.

Michelle Hellstern 

Vice President, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT)

Michelle W. Hellstern serves as the Vice President for Anne Arundel Women Giving Together (AAWGT), an all-women volunteer collective giving circle, embodying her purpose-driven commitment to community service.  Among her endeavors,  she was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of DEI Advocate Recipients from Philanos, a prominent national women's giving circle network. Michelle holds leadership roles on various boards, currently at Whitman Walker Health System in Washington, DC, and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in Annapolis, Maryland. Additionally, she actively engages within the community. Her involvement with organizations like the Rotary Club of Annapolis, Maryland, underscores her enduring dedication to serving with visionary and transformational leadership deeply rooted in ethics.

In addition to her community service, Michelle is a widely recognized Healthcare Executive with over 25 years of experience specializing in Healthcare Operations and Compliance. Acknowledged for her proficiency in designing and implementing robust corporate compliance programs, she consistently improves regulatory adherence and mitigates risks. Skilled in leading cross-functional teams and fostering cultures centered on integrity, inclusivity, and accountability, Michelle drives quantifiable improvements in compliance performance and overall organizational success. As a certified leader, she brings a wealth of experience from large Integrated Health Systems, proficient in directing diverse healthcare programs, overseeing multi-site facilities, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Michelle has demonstrated success in executing Corporate Integrity Agreements and establishing robust compliance frameworks, dedicating herself to driving organizational success through strategic planning and proactive stakeholder engagement.

Michelle's educational credentials include an M.A. in Health Law and Policy from Hofstra University, Maurice A. Deane School of Law, located in Hempstead, NY, an M.P.A. in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix in Phoenix, AZ, and a B.A. in Communications Studies from Howard University in Washington, DC.

Additionally, Michelle serves as an Adjunct Professor at Towson University, within the College of Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences. In this role, she shares her expertise by teaching a graduate level course: Ethical and Legal Issues in Clinical Practices and undergraduate level course: Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Administration. Furthermore, Michelle actively participates as an expert panelist and guest lecturer at esteemed institutions such as George Washington University's Healthcare Corporate Compliance Certificate Program within the Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Since 2006, Anne Arundel Women Giving Together has awarded over $1.7 million in grants to local nonprofits. In 2023, nine nonprofits received a collective $164,305 to fund their missions. Through the generous donations of their 280+ members, AAWGT is working to improve the quality of life for underserved women and families in Anne Arundel County.

Renee Mutchnik

Director of Communications, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland (Live!)

Renee Mutchnik is a veteran in the public relations, marketing, and corporate communication worlds, with long-formed ties to the Baltimore-Washington corridor business communities dating back 30 years.

As Director of Communications at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, Ms. Mutchnik leads the overall communication strategy, including all media and community relations efforts for one of the largest drivers of tourism and economic development in the State of Maryland. Her work includes the strategic planning, development, execution, and dissemination of all media messaging, as well as developing relationships with key local, regional, national, and trade media members, promoting all Live! events, managing philanthropic and volunteer efforts, and securing an ongoing stream of high-quality media coverage for the casino.

Ms. Mutchnik joined Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in 2021. Prior to joining the casino, Ms. Mutchnik served as the Director of Marketing & Communications at Tribune Publishing, where her work focused on developing and executing scalable go-to-market strategies and initiatives that drove audience and revenue opportunities. Her other responsibilities included brand management, cross-departmental collaboration, community outreach, content campaign development, and corporate communications.

Ms. Mutchnik is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. In 2023, she was awarded the Fannie Lou Hamer Award for her contributions in Anne Arundel County.  She currently sits on the board for the Anne Arundel County Run Board for United Way of Central Maryland and the Baltimore County Police Assistance and Relief Fund.  

In 2023, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland awarded over $18 million in local impact and community grants to Anne Arundel County organizations. Much of this money has gone to funding foundational departments and services, like Anne Arundel County Police, Fire, and Libraries. Live! also gives to local nonprofits, like the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Sarah’s House. Over the past 11 years, they have awarded over $222 million.

Stephanie Slowly 

Director of Policy and Planning, Behavioral Health Administration, Maryland Department of Health (MDH BHA)

Stephanie Slowly joined the Behavioral Health Administration in July 2019 and is currently the Director of
Systems Management. Ms. Slowly previously served as the Chief of Staff of BHA. In her current role she works
to create a systematic integration approach within Behavioral Health Administration. Ms. Slowly has over 15
years of experience in direct care service, working as a medical social worker, where she implemented
programs, advised on policy, and advocated for the needs of the most underserved and vulnerable populations.

Stephanie received her bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from Norfolk State University, and she earned
her Master of Social Work from the Evelyn R. School of Social Work from Norfolk State University. She has
become a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical through the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.