Dee's
passion is fundraising. As president of ME&V, an integrated marketing
communications and fundraising company, she has worked with hundreds of
nonprofits throughout the country. She earned her B.S. in Psychology
from Iowa State University and an M.A. in Communications/Public
Relations from the University of Northern Iowa.
Her public relations and
fundraising career spans more than two decades. She has developed and
presented numerous seminars and workshops to organizations such as the
National Communication Association Conference and the Association of
Fundraising Professionals' 2003 International Conference on Fundraising,
in Toronto CA and the 2005 Conference in Baltimore, authored articles
and books, and served as an adjunct professor at the University of
Northern Iowa. Dee's a big believer in volunteerism and has led and
served on a number of boards too numerous to mention.
Her master's thesis
investigated the motivation behind donors giving more than $1 million to
nonprofits and the relationship between the organizations and the
donors.
Dee's recognitions include
Who's Who of Business Executives, Women in Communications "Salute" Award
and many awards from CASE; Marketing, Advertising & Communication
Professionals of Northeast Iowa; Iowa Bankers Association and Women in
Communication.
ME&V recognitions include
the Ernst and Young 2002 Entrepreneur of the Year, Inc Magazine's 2002
and 2003 list of the 500 fastest growing companies in America, and the
Eastern Iowa Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals
2001 Business Philanthropist of the Year. She has helped build a
business of nearly 50 employees that has been recognized as the “Family
Friendly Business” in the Cedar Valley.
She is married with two
children and loves to remember directing David Hasselhoff in her high
school plays. She lives by the philosophy of “having fun while doing
well.”
