Fairmount Ventures, Inc., a leading Philadelphia-based consulting firm providing capacity-building support to the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors, is proud to announce its organizational leadership transition.
President Don Kligerman will retire from the firm on March 31, 2022, after 30 years of catalyzing transformative change for the nonprofit sector. Senior Vice President Aimée Miller, a Partner in the business since 2001, will become the new President of Fairmount Ventures. This leadership change is effective immediately, with Mr. Kligerman continuing to serve as Founder through his remaining tenure focused on client services and business development.
Said Mr. Kligerman, “I couldn’t be more excited about the future of Fairmount Ventures with Aimée as its new President. She has been part of the firm’s growth almost from the beginning, through which she has fine-tuned an unparalleled depth of experience and expertise in strategy and resource development. She embodies not just the future of Fairmount Ventures, but the next generation leadership of Philadelphia’s nonprofit sector.”
“I am honored and energized to lead and advance Fairmount Ventures into the future,” said Ms. Miller. “Society’s need for racial and wealth equity, social and environmental justice, urban redevelopment, creativity, and well-being calls for increasingly bold and integrated solutions. Our incredible and growing team of expert consultants is poised to effect even greater change in thought partnership with our clients. Fairmount’s business model leverages critically needed capital to the sector – human, financial, and idea capital – so that the committed and visionary work of our clients can advance to benefit their many communities.”
This announcement comes following a robust internal succession planning process that will assure leadership continuity, seamless quality service provision that serves as Fairmount’s hallmark, and a full suite of business management skills to position the company for enhanced efficiencies, high-quality service delivery, and future growth. Ms. Miller, a 26-year employee of Fairmount, brings deep service expertise in fundraising strategy and organizational positioning, as well as business development and brand communications, financial, talent management, and operational experience throughout her long leadership tenure at the company. She will be joined by a strong leadership team that, combined, brings over 50 years of consulting and organizational management experience, much of it at Fairmount:
- Nicole Meyenberg, Vice President and Partner. Ms. Meyenberg is a thought leader and expert in resource development spanning institutional and individual philanthropy, with significant expertise in planning and guiding successful capital, endowment, and fund development campaigns. She will advance the firm’s knowledge management processes with a sharp focus on client satisfaction and quality, and team collaborative learning.
- Margarita Queralt Mirkil, Vice President and Partner. Currently Fairmount Ventures’ Managing Director, Ms. Mirkil has been promoted to lead Fairmount’s strategic business operations, finances, and human resources, and will join Ms. Miller and Meyenberg in the ownership group.
- Lori Blair, Vice President. Ms. Blair joins Fairmount to advance the firm’s strategic planning portfolio, working closely with Mr. Kligerman during his transition. Ms. Blair has more than 20 years’ experience in strategic planning and nonprofit management, both as a consultant and as the in-house chief strategist for an international organization with over 175,000 members and supporters in 20 countries. She has consulted to nonprofit organizations and associations on strategy, governance and program development, assessment, and growth.
This group will lead and advise Fairmount’s full team of consulting experts in providing an aligned continuum of capacity-building services to the sector that include strategic and business planning, executive search, resource development, and program design and qualitative evaluation.
Mr. Kligerman’s transformative and lasting impact in the nonprofit sector is manifold and evidenced throughout the city, region, and beyond.Reflecting on his years at Fairmount, Mr. Kligerman said, “Nothing worth doing is done by just one person. I never fail to be humbled by the trust that organizations place in Fairmount Ventures to help plan their futures and secure resources to realize their aspirations. It is an out of body experience for me to travel through every Philadelphia neighborhood and point to projects and programs that Fairmount Ventures had a role in conceiving, expanding, or funding. Each required the synergy of ideas and efforts of many people: our client’s staff, board, and community, as well as my Fairmount colleagues who rolled up their sleeves, did the research, wrote the plans, and crafted the funding proposals.”
“I’ve had a front row seat to Philadelphia’s progress these past 30 years with the honor to learn from so many inspired people ranging from community members to line staff to executive directors. I am excited by the next generation of nonprofit leaders who bring fresh perspectives and a justified sense of urgency for change. It is time for these people to be in positions of leadership and power. With new leadership and a whip-smart, mission-driven staff, Fairmount Ventures will continue to be part of this ecosystem, building on what it has learned in the past and with its eyes and creative energy firmly facing the future. I cannot wait to see what happens next.”
This transition comes as Fairmount Ventures celebrates its 30th anniversary of helping close to 500 nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sector clients grow and thrive. Fairmount has raised over $800 Million on behalf of its clients, who range from community-based organizations to regional institutions to national leaders in the sector.