Anne Marie Dougherty

Chief Executive Officer

Anne Marie Dougherty is the Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, an award-winning marketer, industry thought leader, and passionate champion for our nation’s veterans and their families. Under her dynamic approach to leadership and management, the foundation has grown from a small regional organization to a top-tier, nationally recognized brand and market leader. Dougherty has disrupted the traditional fundraising approach, leveraging metrics, relationships, and results to maximize the foundation’s $80 million investment impact. She utilizes an entrepreneurial approach in moving the foundation forward and establishing a standard of excellence that permeates the entire organization.

Since she took on the role in 2011, Dougherty transformed the foundation’s annual Stand Up for Heroes event into a sustainable business model and growth engine that has raised over $66 million. Dougherty has also broken new ground in both programming and partnerships, establishing the foundation as an innovative hub for collaboration among partners ranging from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Football League, the Embassy of the State of Qatar to The Royal Foundation in the United Kingdom.

Dougherty was named The Nonprofit Times and American Marketing Association “Nonprofit Marketer of the Year” in 2012 and has received multiple awards on behalf of the Foundation’s industry-leading impact. Dougherty is a Leadership Council member of Nationswell, a member of the Board of Directors for the UN Women for Peace Association, and has appeared on a range of broadcast outlets including ESPN, Cheddar TV, Fox News, MSNBC to discuss the Foundation’s work, and has been featured in articles in USA Today, CBS News, Forbes, TIME Magazine, the Military Times, and has been a keynote speaker at industry events on topics including veterans, military families, high impact grantmaking, philanthropy, and women in leadership.

Dave Woodruff

Chief Development Officer

Dave Woodruff is Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, having joined the organization professionally in July of 2020.

Dave co-founded the BWF with his brother Bob and sister-in-law Lee Woodruff and served as Chairman of the Board until joining in his current capacity. Woodruff is committed to helping to grow the Bob Woodruff Foundation into an even more influential nationally recognized military charity.

Woodruff had a decades-long career in advertising and media before joining the Bob Woodruff Foundation. He started his career working for several Detroit and New York based advertising agencies, including W.B. Doner, Campbell-Ewald and Saatchi & Saatchi. Some of his key clients included Chevrolet, Little Caesars, and The Detroit Free Press.

He moved into media sales and marketing in the early 90’s and worked at a number of media companies, including Times Mirror (Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, SKI and Skiing), National Geographic as Detroit Director, Ziff-Davis and Gruner & Jahr as National Automotive Lead, Hearst Magazines and Bloomberg Media as Detroit Director, and most recently as Midwest Director for Entrepreneur Media.

During his career he also served in several industry positions, most notably as the 101st President of The Adcraft Club of Detroit, the oldest advertising club in the nation. He was also the first third-generation President of prestigious Orchard Lake Country Club in 2013 and is a Eucharistic Minister in the Episcopal Church.

In addition, Woodruff founded the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Jeep Claybird Classic charity sporting clays tournament which ran for over 10 years and raised nearly $1,000,000, establishing an endowed chair in Pediatric Rehabilitation at Wayne State University and Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

Dave and his wife Lee Ann live in Birmingham, Michigan, the Woodruff family’s hometown.

Margaret Harrell

Chief Program Officer

Dr. Margaret “Meg” Harrell is the Chief Program Officer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). Prior to BWF, she was the Executive Director, Force Resiliency, for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), and was responsible for the OSD offices and policy pertaining to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention, diversity management, equal opportunity, drug reduction, and personnel safety. She was also responsible for Department of Defense collaborative efforts with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Prior to her Pentagon appointment, Dr. Harrell was a senior social scientist and Deputy Director of the RAND Arroyo Center where she researched military manpower and personnel, military families and quality of life, and veterans’ issues.

She led or co-led projects addressing officer career management; the promotion and management of generals and admirals; assignment policies for military women; the health and wellness of veterans; resiliency of military families; and sexual assault prevention and response policy. Her research portfolio includes approximately 70 publications. Concurrent with her time at RAND, Dr. Harrell was a presidentially-appointed commissioner on the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force, 2013-2014. From July 2011 to August 2012, Dr. Harrell was Senior Fellow and Director of the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security, where her research focused on military veteran suicide prevention and response, veteran wellness, and veteran employment.

She is a prior voting member of the Army Science Board, and has briefed international audiences, testified before Congress, spoken extensively at conferences, and guest lectured at the United States Military Academy. She holds a B.A. with Distinction from the University of Virginia, a M.S. in Systems Analysis and Management from the George Washington University, and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Virginia, where her dissertation focused on military culture.

Harrell resides in Lake Ridge, Va., with her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran.

Todd Duso

Chief Operating Officer

Todd Duso is the Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). Prior to joining BWF, he spent 7 years working in the Middle East in various executive leadership positions in the United Arab Emirates, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Todd brings over 30 years of strategic operations and organizational experience to the BWF team from both the public and private sector. Prior to his move to the Middle East he worked in the Pentagon with senior Army leadership.

Todd served as the lead subject matter expert for the Director, US Army Office of Business Transformation. This high-profile work required expert technical knowledge and experience in the areas of best business practices, portfolio management, strategic communications, business transformation and change management. He also served as the Program Manager for the Chief of Staff of the Army’s Strategic Leadership Development Program for General Officers and Senior Executive Civilians. This project required day to day interaction with the Army Staff and Secretariat to develop educational objectives, course curriculum, and marketing strategies for all levels of executive education. Along with developing and executing courses Todd coordinated and collaborated with Fortune 500 CEOs, leading scholars, journalists, government officials, and guest speakers for participation in the program.

In addition to his private sector operations experience Todd is an Army veteran who served as a commissioned officer and enlisted soldier. With both combat and noncombat deployments, he has a special place in his heart for veterans, military members and their families.

Todd and his wife Kristin are very glad to be living and working in New York City.

Kelly Lugbill Clark

Chief of Staff

Kelly Lugbill Clark is the Chief of Staff at the Bob Woodruff Foundation. She previously worked as a management consultant for public and social sector clients at McKinsey & Company and as a program associate and election observer at The Carter Center. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in history and French from the University of Virginia and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University. Kelly lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband Danny, a Lieutenant in the US Navy Reserve.

Jody Kovich

Executive Assistant

Jody Kovich is the Executive Assistant for the Bob Woodruff Foundation. She previously worked as an Executive Assistant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Fives Cinetic, Atlas Oil Company, and AAA Michigan. Prior to her tenure as an EA, Jody spent seventeen years as a Senior Legal Assistant/Paralegal to many attorneys in the Detroit Metro area. She has spent most of her life in Michigan and currently resides in Wyandotte, Michigan.

Dina Shapiro

Executive Director, Events & Special Projects

Dina Shapiro joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation in July 2021 as the Executive Director, Events & Special Projects.  Dina began her career over 25 years ago working on New York Fashion Week. Following that and several years in fashion public relations, Dina worked under Tina Brown as entertainment editor at TALK Magazine. In 2002, Dina headed to Miramax to oversee events for Miramax and Dimension Films. In March of 2005, Dina started her own entertainment and media events company, Wise & Company, where in 2012, she began working with the Bob Woodruff Foundation on Stand Up for Heroes. 

Sean Ansted

Director of Business Development and Government Affairs

Sean Ansted is the Director of Business Development and Government Affairs at the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Sean is a Marine Corps veteran and served from 2004 to 2012, first with 1st Battalion 14th Marines where he deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2006 (tabbed by General James Mattis as the busiest Battalion in theatre) as a convoy security team vehicle commander, then attached to 4th Force Reconnaissance Company serving in the Operator Platoon and Intelligence Section. After the culmination of his Marine Corps contract, Sean moved to New York City where he attended Fordham University. During his time in New York, he worked in the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, was awarded a fellowship through The Mission Continues, was awarded an honors internship with the FBI’s New York Field Division, and co-founded the Fordham Veterans Association (FVA) to serve and advocate on behalf of the student veteran populous at Fordham and New York City as a whole. Missing the outdoors, Sean left New York momentarily in 2014 and worked as a wildland firefighter across the western United States. Sean then returned to NYC before moving back home to San Francisco in 2015. Back on the west coast, Sean worked in the FBI’s San Francisco Field Division before joining then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’ office in 2017 as Deputy Director of Veterans and Military Affairs, where he spearheaded military and veteran’s operations for the state of California. Sean resides in San Diego with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Keith Whitcomb

Director of Development Operations

Keith R. Whitcomb serves as the Director of Development Operations and strives to positively impact veterans, their families, and survivors though increased nationwide collaboration for impact every single day. Keith is a retired Command Sergeant Major (CSM) having served over 32-years as a Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army. He is a Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom veteran having served nearly five years in combat and several other overseas assignments and operational deployments. Keith is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), has an MBA in Human Resources Management/Operations, and recently completed a Master’s Degree in Adult, Occupational, and Continuing Education with Kansas State University. Recent assignments include his work as an Assistant Professor (Title-5) with the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) involving executive leadership facilitation and Program Management of the U.S. Army’s senior spouse leadership education program at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Previous CSM assignments include his time as a Combat Engineer Battalion CSM in Germany, the Garrison CSM for Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, and Senior Engineer Advisor to the I Corps Engineer at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Deirdre Armstrong

Director of Local Partnerships

Deirdre Armstrong joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation in August 2017. Leveraging a decade of public service experience, Deirdre is driven to find innovative and collaborative methods to support veterans. Before BWF, Deirdre served in the White House as National Security Director for the Office of Presidential Personnel. In this role, she managed the team and selection process for appointees in foreign policy and national security positions across the government. Prior to the White House, Deirdre served eight years in the United States Senate, most recently as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where she managed the portfolio of nominations, including the Secretary of Homeland Security and all Inspectors General. Deirdre grew up in Bear, Delaware, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.

Emily Bader

Director of Grants

Emily Bader is the Director of Grants at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). In this capacity, she is responsible for finding, funding, and shaping grants made to nonprofits addressing the needs of post-9/11 veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. Prior to becoming a Senior Program Officer, Emily held the roles of Events Coordinator and Strategic Initiatives Officer. Emily started at BWF as an intern in January 2016 while pursuing her master’s degree in Near Eastern Studies at New York University. During her time at New York University, Emily helped manage academic events ranging from intimate roundtable discussions to large-scale festivals. She concluded her master’s degree with the submission of her thesis on the impact of U.S. aid to Egypt between 1940 and 2011. Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude from St. John’s University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice, a concentration in Forensic Psychology, and minors in International Studies and Philosophy. She also studied Arabic at The Sijal Institute for Arabic Language and Culture in Amman, Jordan.

David Hankins

Director of Communications and Marketing

David Hankins is the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). Before coming to BWF, David served as the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications for a division of Texas Tech University. Prior to that, he was the Director of Donor Development, Marketing & Public Relations for a nonprofit food manufacturer with an international humanitarian reach. Other previous roles, in addition to marketing and communications-related positions, included information technology and administrative/leadership roles in non-profit, banking, public utilities, private education, as well as active-duty enlisted service in the U.S. Air Force.

As a third-generation veteran with service during Desert Storm, he feels a strong sense of pride in being able to work alongside the BWF team to serve the veteran/military community.

David has an Associate of Arts in Personnel Administration from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership & Management with a marketing concentration from Regent University, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication & Innovation from Texas Tech University.

David lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife, Cindy, and his stepson, Matthew, but is also the proud father of three grown sons and five grandchildren in Texas, and two other stepsons and a stepdaughter.

Kate Cook

Communications Manager

Kate Cook is the Communications Manager for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, where she develops, implements and monitors the Foundation’s online and offline content and communications strategy, including advertising, promotions, public relations, social media, graphics and collateral. Her background is in nonprofit communications and content development. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with a focus on Interpersonal Communication and Program Planning & Leadership. Born in Toronto, Canada, Kate grew up in Chicago before relocating to Brooklyn, NY. She has been a member of the BWF team since 2014.

Cheyanne Gordon

Communications Specialist

Cheyanne Gordon is the Communications Specialist for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, where she coordinates external and internal communications as well as develops short stories and blog posts. She previously worked as the Marketing and Website Coordinator for Freedom Mobility Solutions and a Reporter for the Baltimore Times. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication from Morgan State University. Born in Queens, New York, Cheyanne grew up in New Jersey before relocating to Rockville, Maryland.

Caitlyn Silverstorf

Graphic Designer

Caitlyn Mann is a Graphic Designer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation. She works closely with the Operations Team, and with the various departments, to create and update digital and print collateral. She previously worked as a graphic designer for Sports Backers; a non-profit organization based in Richmond, VA. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design from Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts. Caitlyn lives in Goldsboro, North Carolina with her fiancé Tristan, a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Jon Comas

Development Associate

Jon Comas, Development Associate at the Bob Woodruff Foundation, is a fundraising specialist with over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. A native of Miami, Florida, Jon earned a B.A. in English from New York University in 2008. Jon has managed complex national online fundraising campaigns as Revenue Operations Manager at Mother Jones. As part of the capstone project for his M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University, he performed a thorough strategic evaluation of Tuesday’s Children, which provides support for communities dealing with the effects of mass violence. He has also fundraised for service projects in his current home neighborhood of Upper Manhattan as part of Columbia’s Office of Government and Community Affairs. In his spare time, Jon is a competitive powerlifter, a proud uncle to six nieces and nephews, and a companion to his rescue dog. 

Emilee Gates

Sponsorship Coordinator

Emilee Gates joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) in November of 2021, as the Sponsorship Coordinator. As an alumni of Arizona State University, Emilee has an extensive background in state government, and political fundraising. Her unique take on fundraising brings a fresh perspective to the BWF team. In her time with the Indiana House of Representatives she worked to help the members she served pass legislation on a number of issues, including veteran affairs and healthcare. She held fundraisers for 70+ campaign committees, including the Chairman of the Veteran Affairs committee, and worked close with many veterans and their families. She lives in rural Indiana with her two dogs and enjoys coaching a national volleyball team in her personal time. 

Samuel Holmes

Senior Program Officer

Samuel Holmes is a Senior Program Officer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and is responsible for finding, funding, and shaping grants made to nonprofits addressing the needs of post-9/11 veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. Sam started at the foundation as a Charitable Investments Program Intern in January 2016 while using his GI Bill, and was hired on as a full time employee after graduation. Prior to joining the foundation, Sam served in the active component of the United States Marine Corps from 2006-2011, deploying in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and earning the rank of Sergeant. After his service, Sam transitioned to the classroom, first to City College of San Francisco then the University of California, Berkeley. He holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Emily Krause

Program Officer

Emily Krause is a Senior Program Officer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) and is responsible for finding, funding, and shaping grants made to nonprofits addressing the needs of post-9/11 veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. She first came to BWF in September 2018 as a Development Associate before joining the grants team in 2020. Emily graduated summa cum laude from Whitman College, where she worked as a Student Academic Advisor, helping first-year students transition to college academics, and earned a B.A. in Theatre with honors.

Komal Kamdar

Associate Program Officer

Komal Kamdar is a Program Officer at the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF). She is responsible for finding, funding, and shaping grants made to nonprofits addressing the needs of post-9/11 veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. Prior to joining the Programs team at the foundation, Komal brings extensive legislative and federal experience. Komal graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Virginia, where she majored in both Leadership & Public Policy and Spanish. During her time at UVA, she was an active member of Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity, where she worked with over 50 local nonprofits in the surrounding Charlottesville community. Additionally, she worked on the Gender Violence and Social Change team at the UVA Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center, where she collaborated with students, faculty, administrators, staff, and organizations to foster non-violent, healthy relationships across campus.

Michelle Doubet

Coordinator of Local Partnerships

Michelle Doubet joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation in September 2019 as the Community Partnerships Coordinator. Michelle grew up in Maine but has lived in multiple states and countries as a military dependent, bringing nearly fifteen years of military cultural experience to the BWF team. Along with her military competency, Michelle brings three years of non-profit experience in which she interfaced civilian-military partnerships for the resilience of military families and engagement in their local community. Michelle is a graduate of University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Hunter Russ

Coordinator of Local Partnerships

Hunter Russ joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation in July 2021 as Coordinator of Local Partnerships. Her career has been focused on the nonprofit sector and has worked for organizations such as Veterans Services of the Carolinas, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Doug Herbert’s Put on the B.R.A.K.E.S. She received her Bachelors in Human Services, with a minor in Management, from Wingate University and her Masters of Nonprofit Administration from Louisiana State University at Shreveport. Hunter is a military spouse and uses this experience to connect with Veterans, Service Members, and their families. In her pervious role, Hunter was able to become a Mental Health First Aid Trainer and a QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer.

Farrah Cine

Administrative Assistant of Local Partnerships

Rhiannon M. Guzelian

Communications

Rhiannon M. Guzelian is on the Bob Woodruff Foundation communications team. A seven-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Rhiannon served as an Air Battle Manager and Instructor Air Battle Manager, deploying three times in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Since separating from the military, Rhiannon has worked in the public and nonprofit sectors as an employment specialist for veterans. During this time, she worked directly with veterans, employers, and service providers to improve employment outcomes for veterans living with disabilities, homelessness, and other potential barriers to employment. A passionate fan of social media and other platforms for sharing news and stories, Rhiannon has also contributed her communications and marketing skills in support of veterans by establishing the State of Maine’s first active, veteran-focused social media presence; providing marketing and communications consultation for the inaugural Maine Hire a Vet campaign; giving interviews on television and radio; and contributing content to military and veteran-focused communications outlets. As an Air Force dependent, Rhiannon grew up all over the U.S. and Germany. She is now happy to call Maine home.

Ann Philopena

VIVA Program Administrator

Ann joined the Bob Woodruff Foundation team in July 2018. Ann is a medically retired officer with tours of duty at Letterman Army Medical Center as a clinical dietitian, Bremerhaven Germany as the Chief, Nutrition Care Division, at 44th Medical Brigade at Fort Bragg as the Brigade dietitian, Office of the Army Surgeon General as nutrition staff officer in the area of Personal Readiness, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a clinical and production and service dietitian. After the Army, she served as nutritionist for the Carl Vogel Center, providing services to underserved populations living with HIV. She also served as the Nutrition Curriculum Developer for Women Infant Children program in Oakland, CA. She has spent the past 12 years involved in volunteer work serving as a patient advocate for those hospitalized for blood cancers at University of California – San Francisco, as well as educating the community of home gardeners in her role as a Marin Master Gardener.

Nancy Kaywood

Service Member and Family Liaison

Mary Carstensen

President Emeritus, National Veterans Intermediary

Colonel Mary Carstensen U.S. Army (Retired) is a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Army, a former senior executive and advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and thoughtful investor for the Bob Woodruff Foundation’s Charitable Investment program.

She has spent her career building organizations and systems to solve complex problems within and across the public and private sectors.

Her vision, leadership, and proficiency at building coalitions led to the successful integration of civilian healthcare services for the Department of Defense, the implementation of a world-wide electronic medical record, the creation of an exemplary transition program for severely wounded warriors for the US Army, and implementation of the first ever interagency care coordination policy and integration of care, services and benefits for military and veterans.

After two years as NVI’s inaugural Director, today COL Carstensen serves as President Emeritus, providing executive counsel as NVI grows its efforts to engage stakeholders across the country in easing veterans’ access to services and decreasing variability in well-being outcomes.