The Stone Group Professional Staff
Donna K. Besser, Ph.D., APR, Fundraising and Development Director
Donna is a former newspaper editor and advertising and public relations professor with corporate experience at for-profit organizations such as Federal Express, Holiday Inn Hotels, and Kraft Foods. She has worked in marketing communications at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, fundraising at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, prospect research at the Smithsonian Institute’s Office of Management and Development, and at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Foundation. As an experienced integrated marketing professional, she directs client communications, membership recruitment-retention programs, fund raising strategies, and corporate donor outreach. From grassroots to grasstops, Donna’s development background includes direct mail campaigns, high-dollar donor contacts, tiered corporate sponsors, annual celebrations, special event programming, and countless “ask” scenarios that generate increased participation from contributors. Donna also leads The Stone Group’s public relations divisions with regular client issue-oriented newsletters, magazines, and electronic communications. As a University of Maryland Chinese Global Institute instructor, she lectures visiting international government officers on development and communication issues. Donna is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, Text and Academic Authors, Association Foundation Group, Association for Fund Raising Professionals, and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
Drew R. Barnholtz, JD, Counsel
As legal counsel, Drew evaluates healthcare regulatory and compliance documentation. With a specialty in Health Law Studies, Drew has spent the past decade working with a variety of clients in program assessment, healthcare privacy, HIT, and HIPPA. His expertise is strategic organizational reviews, designing training and educational seminars for hospital executives, board members, and staff. From risk management and clinical ethics to internal hospital conformance and state licensure requirements, Drew’s analysis provides organizations with the legal framework to implement their missions and plans. He has worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Omnicare, Monsanto, BJC Health System, and Lockheed Martin. Immediately grasping the challenges of new technology, Drew published "Protecting Health Information: Privacy is King for Online Medical Websites,” a seminal healthcare article on privacy. Additionally, Drew spends evenings as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, exercising an encyclopedic knowledge of state and municipal law.
Lisa B. Cohen, BA, Administration
A master multi-tasker, Lisa makes sure the proverbial trains run on time. Her organizational skills are exceptional, marveled by clients who understand the “shared expenses” concept behind association management. Lisa has experience in both the corporate and nonprofit environments, truly understanding the importance of client services. From facilities management to post-it notes, Lisa ensures clients have the necessary and optimal working conditions for their board meetings, annual conferences, and special events. Her background is a combination of advertising and business administration—it is Madison Avenue meets Wall Street. Her style allows clients to receive organized and sophisticated materials that are also graphically pleasing. Lisa’s attention to detail is a validation of the team’s work for each client.
Robert M. First, CPA, CFP, Finance Director
Numbers and deadline have been Bob’s passion for more than 25 years. As a Certified Public Accountant, Bob’s motivation is to the service of the organization first. His experience in corporate and nonprofit financial oversight has assisted literally thousands of organizations in prudent fiscal management. He provides traditional accounting services, such as reviewing organizational financial statements, expenses and liabilities, nonprofit income tax returns, and a desire to help organizations appropriately plan their respective financial futures. As organizations grow and develop new challenges, Bob works with staff and leadership to transform the organization to fit its vision. He is concerned about organizational goals and suggests strategies to improve short and long-term operations.
Carrie E. Gluck, MLS, Research Director
With a specialty in medical library science, Carrie provides clients with the valuable content necessary to reach and persuade decision-makers. Her skills provide additional value to clients’ organizational message. In the expanding age of unprecedented access to information, Carrie shifts fact from fiction, generating the necessary quality that keeps nonprofits able to maintain credibility in their respective healthcare fields. Carrie’s experience is in hospital healthcare as an occupational therapist in adult rehabilitation. Additionally she has worked at the American Pharmaceutical Association, the American Public Health Association, and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. Carrie’s working knowledge of DOCLINE, MEDLINE, and NOTIS, along with real-world experience, allows her to deliver exceptional medical research, enabling clients to reach project goals.
Brian Gluckman, BS, Information Technology Director
Combining the science of computer technology with the art of graphic design, Brian heads The Stone Group’s Information Technology division. He designs websites, from technology requirements and information architecture to copywriting of content and development of back-end components. He integrates organizational databases with appropriate design of front-end interfaces and performance of usability and functionality testing. His work has transformed organizational web presence for significant client demographic information and market research, earning prominent media placements in publications such as USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post. He directs online marketing strategies and advocacy campaigns for the promotion of both new and existing initiatives, launching over 50 professional associations, political organizations and corporations, including XM Satellite Radio, Ford Motor Company, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and The American Bar Association (ABA). Brian’s web development expertise includes ASP, ColdFusion, Dynamic HTML (DHTML)/JavaScript, HTML 4.0/Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Perl, Section 508/Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements, SQL, Visual Basic, Adobe Illustrator 9.0, Adobe PhotoShop 6.0, MS Office XP, Quark, SAS/SPS, Microsoft SQL 7.0, MS Access, and other relational database experience. He is also an experienced software programmer in Awk, C, C++, GemStone, OOA&D, PASCAL, Shell Script, Smalltalk, and UML.
Seth E. Jacobson, BA, Project Management
Primarily a public affairs specialist, Seth has spent considerable time on Capitol Hill and on the political campaign trail. With stints in the offices of U.S. Representatives Sander Levin and Brian Higgins, Seth has real knowledge and contacts in the legislative arena. He is as an advocacy coordinator who creates and implements Congressional Speakers’ Bureaus, board meetings, organizational retreats, and internship programs. As a Legislative Fellow, Seth was responsible for legislative research, Congressional hearings, and constituent services. Seth’s research skills include in-depth knowledge of LexisNexis, Westlaw, and THOMAS. He is also proficient in MS Office, Intranet Quorum and Capitol Correspond.
Panina M. Licht, MS, Clinical Research Director
With more than a decade of biomedical research and healthcare oversight experience, Panina heads The Stone Group’s clinical research division. Her expertise is in genetics, with extensive work in psychiatric and central nervous system clinical drug trials. Panina has managed components of clinical studies that include compiling and tracking documentation, managing and supervising clinical interview studies, and training research staff. Her experience includes stints as an NIH-funded Rater I and II for depression and ADHD studies in twins. Panina is a co-author on the Missouri Assessment of Genetics Interview for Children (MAGIC), an instrument used to evaluate a wide range of psychiatric conditions, the findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. As an Adjunct Biology professor at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, Panina was honored with a university-wide faculty award for excellence. She has also worked as an administrator in the St. Louis Parkway School District. She holds a Masters of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh and an AB in Psychology from the University of Chicago. Panina has been a peer mentor to parents of special needs children, and is a founding member of a support organization for women facing fertility issues and treatment.
Beth Shapiro, BS, System and Organization Management Director
Initially beginning her career in printing and publishing, Beth brings a technical background to nonprofit association management. Since her early career positions at USA Today and RR Donnelley, Beth has worked with Shira Computers as a Project Coordinator, implementing software R&D and marketing plans. She coordinated three software versions, from concept to customer, and formalized software functionality definitions. Beth also supervised development stages and resources including programming, QA testing, technical writing and support. Prior to that, as a Product Specialist at Scitex Corporation, Beth helped to bring software/hardware combination products to market. She oversaw much of the market analysis, product definition, alpha and beta testing, writing user's guide, training, and tradeshow operations. For the past seven years, Beth has been a La Leche League Leader, guiding mothers on techniques for successful breastfeeding. Moderating group meetings and instructing individuals within the framework of international volunteer organization, she has coordinated with a team of LLL Leaders in growing regional support. Beth continues to help organizations integrate their IT needs with their respective membership demands. Her expertise in program analysis and implementation is peerless. Beth’s supervision has allowed all of The Stone Group clients to exceed their goals under budget.
Gerald C. Stone, Ph.D., APR, Communication and Research Analysis Director
With 25 years of journalism education experience, Gerald has an exceptional national network of academic, media, and nonprofit leaders. From founding Newspaper Research Journal to serving as national president of the Text and Academic Authors Association to heading a College of Communication and Fine Arts, Gerald’s organizational management successes have transformed every association he has led. Clear content, precision editing, poignant photography and sleek design are the result of Gerald’s analysis of clients' needs to help reach their media goals. Gerald is the author of more than 50 scholarly and professional journal articles, six books, and numerous data-based reports. Let his analysis and creative presentation skills help your organization achieve its internal and external mission.
