Meet the Team

The staff at Nonprofits First manages daily operations, programs and services. Our amazing team of professionals comes from various backgrounds with the experience, knowledge and skills to set the standard for nonprofit best practices and deliver exceptional services to our nonprofit causes.

Trudy Crowetz

CEO

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Trudy Crowetz

CEO

Trudy has been involved in nonprofit leadership for over 27 years. Trudy was promoted to CEO of Nonprofits First as of January 1, 2024. She is a Certified Public Accountant who has served as the Chief Financial Officer for several nonprofit organizations during her career. Trudy has been focused on achieving organizational excellence for these organizations, and she brings her vast expertise in this area to Nonprofits First, where she has also worked as a fiscal reviewer, as a member of the Standards Committee and the Accreditation Task Force, and as a graduate of the 2014 Rising Leaders program and the 2023 Advancing Leaders program.

Trudy strives to be a servant leader who puts the needs of others first. She served in the Emergency Operations Center during two hurricanes, and she was instrumental in assisting the county with securing volunteers and medical staff to serve in the shelters. She later received recognition from the county as being a “Hero of the Storm”. Trudy has a long list of accomplishments in leadership including being chosen as the Nonprofit Professional of the Year in 2022 at the Hats Off Nonprofit Awards. She is an active community volunteer who advocates for women in leadership and has served as President, Secretary, and Treasurer for Executive Women of the Palm Beaches Foundation. She recently served on the board of the Croquet Foundation of America as the Treasurer, and she enjoys playing croquet in her free time.

Trudy can be reached at 561-214-7442, or tcrowetz @nonprofitsfirst.org.

Tracy Amara

Director of Membership and Events

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Tracy Amara

Director of Membership and Events

Tracy’s mission as Nonprofits First’s Membership and Events Director is to help new, emerging and established nonprofit organizations and affiliates grow and sustain their mission, leadership, employees and revenue while utilizing the wealth of resources available through membership and engagement with Nonprofits. She has returned to the nonprofit space after spending five years in healthcare and hospitality management roles. Tracy previously spent ten years as a senior leader in nonprofit operations and donor recruitment, where her organization achieved and exceeded critical collection goals for six consecutive years, while maintaining exceptional levels of compliance and donor satisfaction. She is a certified speaker, trainer and coach, who also brings to Nonprofits First more than twenty years of experience in sales, marketing, business development, community relations, customer service, financial services, trade show, event and conference management, and ministry.

Tracy is a native Floridian who grew up in Miami Beach and now lives in the western communities of Palm Beach County. She is an avid reader who is most passionate about the causes of animal rescue and women’s ministry.

Tracy can be reached at 561-910-5069, or tamara@nonprofitsfirst.org.

Michele Burka

Director of Finance

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Director of Finance and Operations

General Information and Work Experience: With over 18 years of experience in the nonprofits sector Michele bring knowledge and experience to the Nonprofits First team. She enjoys all aspects of management and looks forward to excelling in this new position.

Hometown: Coral Springs, FL

Alma Mater/s: Florida Atlantic University - MBA

Favorite Cause: Michele can't decide on just one cause, she has too many favorite ones to list.

Hobbies: Cooking and Reading

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: Michele is looking forward to diving into Nonprofits First and being part of our team.

Michele can be reached at mburka@nonprofitsfirst.org

Susan Erichsen

Director of Accreditation

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Susan Erichsen

Director of Accreditation

Susan leads the Accreditation Department of three, along with over 30 Executive Volunteers, developing the Accreditation Standards and resource materials, and guiding agencies through the Accreditation process with Nonprofits First.

Susan has over 25 years of experience working with nonprofits as both staff and as a volunteer. Her previous positions include managing a Foundation and a Historical Society both experiences broadened her understanding of the important role nonprofits play in our communities. In her consulting she has worked with many small nonprofits implementing and refining Strategic Planning, Development, Governance and Administrative processes.

Susan graduated from Maryland University - University College with a BS in History and a Master of Science in Business Management with a focus on nonprofits. Her favorite causes are women’s issues and historic preservation, and, in her free time, she enjoys reading, historical research, painting, and playing with her two dogs.

Susan can be reached at 561-910-3892, or serichsen@nonprofitsfirst.org.

Claudia Mariaca

Director of Development and Marketing

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Claudia Mariaca

Director of Development and Marketing

General Information and Work Experience: Claudia is excited to use her experience to assist the nonprofit sector and looks forward to helping others and their causes. Her previous experience was in Marketing and Human Resources for a conglomerate of South American newspapers, and, also, has experience in property management. In 2016, Claudia was elected as Councilwoman for the City of Doral in Miami Dade County. She served for 6 years in Doral, one of those as Vice Mayor. She has served in several boards including Miami-Dade League of Cities and Miami-Dade County Schools Attendance and Boundary Committee. Claudia is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Hometown: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Alma Mater/s: Bentley University

Favorite Cause: Mental Health, Animal Welfare

Hobbies: Hiking, Camping and Crafting

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: I enjoy helping and giving back to the community. Working at Nonprofits First allows me to connect with many organizations and help them achieve their goals and visions.

Claudia can be reached at Office: 561-910-3891, or cmariaca@nonprofitsfirst.org

Callie Sharkey

Director of Education and Training

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Callie Sharkey

Director of Education and Training

Experience: Callie has been in the nonprofit field for 25 years and finds great passion in the work, from educating the next generation to supporting nature. She loves a challenge and will try anything - from aircraft mechanic to sea turtle conservationist, Callie has done it.

Hometown: Sapulpa, Oklahoma

Alma Mater/s: Palm Beach State & Florida Atlantic University

Favorite Cause: Environmental conservation.

Hobbies: Reading, Writing and Roller Coasters

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: Excited to watch individuals who have dedicated their careers to the nonprofit industry thrive and succeed.

Marie-Ange Delva

Accountant

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Marie-Ange Delva

Accountant

Marie is supporting our Director of Finance, Delferine Spooner, in maintaining financial records for organizations in the nonprofit community. She is originally from North Carolina but went to college in Florida at Indian River College, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2022. Her work experience includes nearly a year and a half as a Bookkeeper with Nonprofits First and volunteer work with Gospel Tabernacle of Faith, where she helped with financial tasks, business administration, and counseling young children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching documentaries, and singing.

Contact Marie at mdelva@nonprofitsfirst.org.

Lina Lora Fant

Accreditation Project Leader

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Accreditation Project Leader

General Information and Work Experience: She brings a background in Human Resources in the areas of recruitment, employee wellbeing, compensation, and training. In the past few years, she has been involved in the Nonprofit sector volunteering for an international nonprofit organization focused on human rights and law enforcement, conducting root cause research for a nonprofit in Honduras, and leading the fundraising and development efforts for a local nonprofit.

Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Alma Mater/s: She earned a master's degree in international development from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, focusing on Organizational Psychology.

Favorite Cause: Poverty alleviation, quality education, civil discourse

Hobbies: Likes to watch Korean Dramas

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: NPF's accreditation ensures a good reputation and promotes trust among donors, the nonprofit community, and prospective staff. This helps nonprofit organizations obtain necessary funding, form partnerships between them, and recruit excellent staff to achieve their mission.

Lina can be reached at Office: 561-910-6679, or llorafant@nonprofitsfirst.org

Hannah Hopkins

Launching Leaders Program Manager

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Hannah Hopkins

Launching Leaders Program Manager

General Information and Work Experience:

Hannah is a Program Manager with a background in empowering individuals and teams to achieve their full potential. Combining her experience in project management, marketing, and non-profit volunteer work, she brings a unique perspective and a collaborative spirit to Nonprofits First. Prior to joining Nonprofits First, Hannah worked in the private sector in marketing and hospitality. She has extensive experience in advertising as well as managing on-site hospitality and vendor relations at cross country trade shows. She has been an active volunteer in the Afghan-Women’s community, serving as Secretary of the Board for the Afghan-American Women's Association as well as the Afghan Women’s Writing Project.  

Hometown: Harrisonburg, Virginia

Alma Mater/s: University of Mary Washington

Favorite Cause: Empowering immigrants and refugees to lead vibrant and successful lives through education, mentorships, and community support.

Hobbies:  Hannah is a passionate foodie, cook, and painter. She finds great joy in expressing her creativity through both food and art. Her abstract paintings often reflect bright and vibrant colors. She finds it incredibly satisfying to create something visually appealing and thought-provoking.

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: I love working for Nonprofits First because it allows me to connect with and support inspiring community members who are making a positive impact.

Nate Olver

Accreditation Project Leader

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Nate Olver

Nathan Olver – Accreditation Project Leader

Nate is supporting our Director of Accreditation, Susan Erichsen, in managing non-profit accreditation cases. Nate is a high-achieving graduate student at Palm Beach Atlantic University in his final semester of obtaining a dual Master of Science in International Development and Business Administration. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. As part of his master’s program, he assisted in the development of a national agricultural cooperative in Costa Rica as well as the development of policy proposals designed to bolster the agricultural sector amongst small and medium growers in the country. Nathan is the co-founder and vice president of The Organization for Social Innovation, a civil society organization working to facilitate solution-driven discussion that promotes engagement, awareness, and action regarding local, national, and global issues. Nate’s interests include sports, reading, surfing, and making coffee, a skill he honed as a barista at Johan Joe’s.

Nate can be reached at nolver@nonprofitsfirst.org.

Riley Remington

Office Manager & Operations Support

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Office Manager & Operations Support

Office Manager & Operations Support

General Information and Work Experience: Riley has a BS in Psychology & Political Science and she likes to appley these to help her community. She has done this in the past by working in both the nonprofit & digital healthcare sectors.

Hometown: Grand Haven, MI

Alma Mater/s: Central Michigan University

Hobbies: board games, piano, Dungeons & Dragons, hosting trivia.

What I love most about working for Nonprofits First: I love the opportunity to work somewhere that makes a difference in the community.