Livingston Fellowship Program 2006 Fellows, from left to right: Marguerite Salazar, Jennifer Atler, John Livingston, Valin Brown, Melinda Higgs and Brian Wagner
Jennifer V. Atler, J.D.
Former Executive Director
Invest in Kids
Jennifer has a BA in Economics from Duke University and a J.D. from Georgetown University, and has completed internships in a congressional office, with a federal district court judge, and with the American Coalition of Abuse Awareness. She served as Executive Director of Invest in Kids from 1999 to 2009. Through the Fellowship, she learned from national experts how to leverage the impact of Invest in Kids both locally and nationally. She completed an executive leadership program at Harvard, met with leaders in other states, and engaged in other leadership development activities.
“This Fellowship is truly the greatest gift I have ever been given. I have learned from experts across the country, transformed our organization, built meaningful relationships with extraordinary people and, perhaps most importantly, gained invaluable insights into myself. For what more could one ask?”
M. Valin Brown
CEO
Carlsbad Education Foundation
Valin earned baccalaureate degrees in Philosophy and Cultural Anthropology and an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Northwestern University. He joined the Mile High United Way in 2000 and then served as executive director of Colorado Bright Beginnings until his move to California in 2007. He used his Fellowship to participate in formal leadership development programs, make connections with leaders outside the early care and education field, and participate in forums to explore issues including policy development and nonprofit sustainability.
“The thinking, research, and learning that has taken place as part of this process has been invaluable…and for that I am grateful.”
Melinda Higgs, MPA
President/Executive Director
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center
Melinda has a BA in Communications from Regis University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado. Prior to joining CNDC in 1999, she was the executive director of Partners, Inc./Partners Association of Colorado. With the Fellowship, she is enhancing her understanding of leadership in the nonprofit sector by attending conferences, visiting leading national organizations, and interviewing experts on the topic.
”In college I was involved in the student service movement. One of the tag lines of that movement was ‘ready, go, set.’ In other words, sometimes you need to start the journey before it is mapped out. I find that is true in leadership development, true in organizational development and certainly true with my Livingston Fellowship experience. My fellowship journey allowed me to cultivate a perspective on leadership in ways that were important to my personal development and that of my organization.”
Marguerite Salazar
Region VIII Director
U.S. Health and Human Services
Marguerite has a BA in Psychology/Sociology/Gerontology and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Adams State College. Prior to her current position, she led Valley-Wide Health Services in Alamosa for 20 years. As a Fellow, she explored how organizations around the world have been successful in providing quality indigent health care. She visited programs in impoverished countries and accessed the resources of the World Health Organization to gain knowledge that will help her influence practice and policy at the local, state and national levels.
“With the Fellowship, I travelled to South Africa, India and Israel. I learned how other countries provide health care, particularly for vulnerable populations. Through conversations and on-site visits, I broadened my knowledge, challenged my assumptions, and gained new insight. These leadership experiences have shown me that it takes a champion to begin a movement for change. Thanks to my Fellowship opportunities, I am a wiser individual with more confidence in what I need to do on behalf of our state and nation.”
Brian Wagner
Community Development Coordinator
Oregon Arts Commission
Brian earned a Bachelor of Music in classical guitar performance from the University of Arizona and a Master of Music from Lewis and Clark College. He served as a faculty member at several colleges in the Pacific Northwest and joined the Durango Arts Center as Director in 1996. He accepted his position at the Oregon Art Commission in 2007. With the Fellowship he explored how arts and culture can shape the identity and economic opportunities of his community and the region. He participated in the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts at Stanford and made visits to leading arts organizations to examine best practices.