Rebekah DesMarais
Winchester,VA
Summary
Dynamic Executive Director with a proven track record at the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley, driving $1.5M portfolio growth through strategic financial management. Expert in relationship building and community engagement, successfully expanded philanthropic services and led impactful initiatives, ensuring organizational sustainability and fostering strong partnerships.
Focused on promoting mission and increasing effectiveness of key programs. Passionate about managing and overseeing implementation of company's daily operations. Quick and firm decision-maker possessing first-rate communication and organizational skills. Recognized for successfully collaborating with management to develop work plans, financials and strategies. Results-oriented executive professional with history of delivering impactful organizational changes and strategic initiatives. Proven ability to lead and inspire teams, ensuring alignment with company goals and fostering culture of excellence. Renowned for adaptability and strong focus on achieving measurable results through effective collaboration and leadership.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Executive Director
Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
01.2024 - 06.2025
- Managed $15M investment portfolio, achieving $1.5M growth through strategic allocation and monitoring.
- Serve as trusted advisor to board leadership and staff, driving strategic initiatives, governance, and organizational development.
- Expanded philanthropic services, securing municipal partnerships that broadened the foundation's impact.
- Developed and implemented organizational strategies to achieve set goals and objectives and secured long-term success.
- Oversaw financial management, ensuring fiscal responsibility and long-term sustainability for the organization.
- Set organizational goals and objectives to guide and direct company focus and achieve mission fulfillment.
- Built and maintained strong company teams by hiring and training qualified staff to create positive and productive work environments.
- Lead operational oversight, development, and execution of donor and community engagement events, including workshops, annual meetings, and partner appreciation events.
- Create and manage detailed financial reporting and annual impact reports for donors and community stakeholders.
- Oversee routine administrative functions, board governance documentation, and committee meeting coordination.
- Maintain relationships with professional advisors and vendors, aligning events and marketing efforts with organizational goals.
- Utilize donor management software for donor communications, registration tracking, and event follow-up.
- Engaged with civic leaders, nonprofit boards, and local government to foster partnerships that support long-term community growth.
- Oversee event logistics including site coordination, catering, marketing communications, accessibility needs, and evaluation reporting.
- Serve as the public-facing representative at events, ensuring a welcoming and professional environment for all guests.
Executive Officer
Top of Virginia Building Association
01.2020 - 01.2024
- Raised $250,000 to support building industry initiatives, strengthening financial capacity for advocacy and education.
- Created and executed membership drives, generating up to 50 new memberships in a month.
- Designed and managed 15+ annual events, including a 250-person gala and the signature Touch-A-Truck fundraiser, which continues to sustain revenue and career awareness initiatives.
- Guided association operations during the global health crisis, ensuring members received timely compliance updates, regulatory forecasts, and industry-specific news.
- Directed HR functions including member relations, performance management, and policy implementation for a regional nonprofit.
- Partnered with board leadership on succession planning, leadership development, and organizational strategy.
- Managed recruitment and onboarding of staff and contractors; collaborated with vendors and community partners.
- Investigated and resolved member and staff concerns, promoting a culture of transparency and accountability.
- Represented the association with government, business, and community stakeholders, strengthening organizational credibility and influence.
Membership & Event Coordinator
Top of Virginia Building Association
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Successfully managed 12+ fundraising and networking events annually, organized events from implementation to post-event analysis, effectively raising funds to support the Association's mission.
- Maintained accurate records of all event expenditures, ensuring budget compliance across multiple projects.
- Established positive relationships with clients, ensuring their needs were met throughout the event planning process.
- Conducted post-event analysis, identifying areas of improvement for future events.
- Brainstormed and implemented creative event concepts and themes.
- Coordinated recruitment and volunteer engagement for large-scale events, enhancing member participation and retention.
- Supported leadership with board governance, reporting, and policy development.
- Managed compliance, scheduling, and financial tracking for association operations.
Financial Manager
Frederick County Public Schools
05.2017 - 12.2018
- Maintained a comprehensive accounting system for school and student activity funds, ensuring audit-ready compliance.
- Prepared monthly financial reports, handled vendor payments, and coordinated internal purchasing.
- Supported principal with budget analysis and document tracking in a highly detail-oriented administrative environment.
Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending
United Bank
02.2007 - 05.2013
- Managed risk effectively by implementing robust compliance procedures and conducting regular audits of internal controls.
- Developed comprehensive financial forecasts based on historical data analysis, enabling more accurate budget planning and resource allocation.
- Implemented data-driven decision-making processes, leading to more informed strategic choices and improved overall performance metrics.
- Manage a commercial loan portfolio if small business loans consisting of $30 million in outstanding loans
- Minimize credit risk of United Bank by adhering to loan policy and consistent monitoring of business financial information
- Worked effectively with other departments of United Bank to ensure United Bank is meeting all needs of current and prospective clients
- Maintain a diversified loan portfolio, which maximizes shareholder value
- Manage borrower relationships through credit file tracking, financial statement monitoring, credit review, and periodical risk rating reviews
- Responsible for complete commercial credit analysis which included but not limited to analysis of financial statement, ratios, trends, global cash flow, methods of operation, and collateral position
- Recommend and assists with loan structure and overall credit worthiness of the borrower
- Worked effectively with Loan Officers to identify, discuss, and resolve loan issues during the loan process
- Analyzed credit in accordance with bank credit policy to objectively maximize shareholder value and maintain a diversified loan portfolio
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA12-2003
Skills
- Project management
- Marketing
- Client services
- Operational planning
- Community engagement
- Budgeting and financial management
- Compliance and regulations
- Reliability
Timeline
Executive Director
Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
01.2024 - 06.2025
Executive Officer
Top of Virginia Building Association
01.2020 - 01.2024
Membership & Event Coordinator
Top of Virginia Building Association
01.2019 - 01.2020
Financial Manager
Frederick County Public Schools
05.2017 - 12.2018
Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lending
United Bank
02.2007 - 05.2013
Bachelor of Science - Business Management
James Madison University
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