Mara has served in several philanthropy leadership roles, most recently as the chief fundraiser and strategist overseeing the Bay Area Region for Sutter Health and developing system-wide initiatives to increase community engagement and philanthropic support. Previously, Mara held campaign leadership roles at both Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and Jewish Family and Children’s Services in San Francisco.
Currently, Mara’s work as a leadership coach and philanthropy consultant focuses on healthcare systems and other non-profit organizations. Mara empowers leaders and teams to think through difficult issues, navigate complex cultural challenges, build high-performing teams, and vision strategy tied to outcomes. She is adept at providing insightful, experience-based feedback to those who want to lead with purpose and create an environment in which others can flourish.
Mara is also passionate about volunteering her time and expertise. She has served as an adjunct instructor and leadership coach for Braven – a national non-profit focused on empowering promising first-generation college students to successfully achieve meaningful careers. She has also supported the international efforts of SOS Children’s Villages to protect the interests of orphaned children and has traveled to multiple countries as a volunteer for The Wheelchair Foundation, helping to achieve the Foundation’s goal of distributing 1 million wheelchairs to underserved individuals across the globe.
CERTIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
- Coach Certificate, University of California, Davis
- Professionally Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation
- Certificate, The Habit Course, Building Better Habits Personally and Professionally
- Instructor/Braven Leadership Coach, San Jose State University
- The Alembic: Wisdom in Leadership, The Kaiser Institute
EDUCATION
Mara received her MBA with a focus in non-profit management from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric and Communications from the University of California, Davis. She is a Certified Executive Coach and member of the International Coaching Federation.
