Foundation Staff

Kate Judge has more than 30 years of leadership experience in the areas of healthcare and non-profit communication, resource generation and management. Her work has supported large and small organizations in education, healthcare, and human service within the United States and abroad.

She became the Executive Director of the American Nurses Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association and American Nurses Credentialing Center, in 2012 to lead its expansion.  The Foundation, one of the first to invest in nursing research, now has a diverse program portfolio focusing on the health of nurses and the impact on patients, leadership development, health policy, and elevating the image of nurses.   As Executive Director, she helped launch the national Nurses on Boards Coalition in 2015 and the national Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation campaign.  She also served as Executive Producer for Defining Hope, a 2017 documentary about end of life and the unique expertise of nurses.

Prior to leading the Foundation she served as Assistant Dean at both University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing and School of Veterinary Medicine.  She has also directed development and communications at the American Red Cross in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the affiliate/national coordinated fundraising at the national Red Cross organization in DC.  Her community philanthropic leadership includes serving as Board President, Treasurer and director for Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia and a board member for St. Vincent’s Face-To-Face, a Philadelphia community service organization. She lives in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, D.C.

Roberto Bacalski joined the Foundation team in February 2021 as the Program Coordinator for the RN Initiative. Prior to joining ANF he worked for six years as Program and Development Coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington Mission Office where he handled public outreach, fundraising, and coordination of missionary work in the Dominican Republic. Roberto began his career in the arts with a BA in Theatre from the University of California, San Diego and spent 10 years working with various nonprofit theatres in the Los Angeles area as an actor, producer, and board member. He is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Maggie Brockway joined the Foundation team as the Grant Writer to expand its fundraising capacity.  She is responsible for preparing grant proposals and reports and managing donor portfolios, as well as supporting other development needs. Maggie brings a strong background in nonprofits and fundraising to the team. Prior to joining the Foundation, Maggie was the National Grant Writer at After-School All-Stars for five years, a nonprofit organization focused on providing after-school programs for youth of color from low-income backgrounds. Before that, she was the sole development staff member at Youth Conservation Corps/YouthBuild in the Chicago area, a nonprofit that provided 16-week programs focused on helping young adults get their GEDs while simultaneously obtaining job training certifications in construction and installation. Her earliest nonprofit positions were at Earth Force in Denver focused on conservation, and Iowa City Development Group focused on community improvement.

Maggie earned her BA from University of Iowa in Environmental Sustainability in Business, as well as an Entrepreneurial Management Certificate and a Sustainability Certificate at the same time. She jumped into the deep end with her first grant writing job, and shortly after beginning, she took the initiative to seek out a Fund Development Certificate at the nearby University of Wisconsin-Parkside in order to cultivate her skills. Her shift from her original academic focus of environmental studies to her professional interest in addressing urban poverty issues led her to pursue this additional certificate in order to better serve the community. Maggie intends to continue using her strengths to bring positive change to communities across the country.

Patrick is the Development Associate for the American Nurses Foundation, having served in that role since May 2020.  Patrick has extensive experience in board engagement, fundraising, grant writing and research, digital marketing, and event management.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Patrick was the Development and Marketing Manager for the Washington DC Chapter of After-School All-Stars. There he managed all marketing for the organization, authored blog posts, worked alongside the Executive Director to foster corporate relationships, and supervised interns and part-time staff. Previously, Patrick was a Program Associate at InterAction, assisting their membership team to recruit new members, manage member dues, coordinate volunteer corps, and raise event sponsorships/exhibit spaces to support the annual conference, the InterAction Forum. Patrick has a bachelor's degree from the College of Charleston.

Erin Gilfenbaum is a Program Manager for the American Nurses Foundation Well-Being Initiative, which supports the mental health and resilience of all nurses. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Stress and Burnout Prevention Pilot Program. With over 15 years of non-profit project management and grants administration experience, Erin enjoys building strong relationships with a broad range of stakeholders to bring initiatives from conception to implementation.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Erin led partnership engagement for the Ceca Foundation’s innovative health caregiver recognition program. As an Account Manager at the National 4-H Council, she managed the daily implementation of a $6 million grant-funded program that delivered computer science education to youth nation-wide. She has a master’s degree in communication from Johns Hopkins University and lives in the Annapolis, MD area with her family.

Michelle leads the Reimagining Nurses (RN) Initiative at the American Nurses Foundation. The RN Initiative is investing in transforming the training, technology, and business of nursing as this critical profession evolves and adapts to dramatic shifts in health care delivery.

From 2008-2019, Michelle led the explosive growth of PEAK Grantmaking, making it one of the largest associations in philanthropy.  During her tenure, PEAK created and launched the Principles for PEAK Grantmaking, a call for philanthropy to adopt values-driven, equity-centered grantmaking practices. She also led Project Streamline, a collaborative of eight grantmaking and grantseeking organizations that improved grant application, monitoring, and reporting practices to reduce the cost of grantmaking for both funders and nonprofits. 

Prior to that, Michelle served as a Managing Director for the Fannie Mae Foundation, leading grants management teams to implement efficient, effective grantmaking practices. She has also overseen program-related investments; engaged in projects to facilitate socially responsible investments in housing and community development; and managed employee giving programs.

Michelle speaks and writes regularly on effective grants management practices and has consulted with government and private sector grants programs to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their grantmaking operations.

Michelle holds bachelor’s degrees in international relations and French/West European studies and a master’s in business administration from The American University.

Amy Hanley currently serves as the Program Manager at the American Nurses Foundation where she manages programs in the Well-Being Initiative that supports the mental health and resilience of all nurses.

Prior to joining The Foundation, Amy served as the Senior Workforce and Health Policy Specialist at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for over twelve years where she advocated and conducted analyses on oncology workforce issues.  Her work included research on the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in oncology, with a particular emphasis on practice efficiency, productivity, and patient satisfaction. She also was the program lead on a National Practice Survey, which monitors and evaluates the impact of the current economic and political climate on oncology practices as they evolve to address the needs of the rapidly growing population of people living with cancer.

Prior to that, Amy served as Director of Government Affairs for the American Chiropractic Association, where she advocated to Members of Congress and federal agencies on the legislative and regulatory issues facing chiropractors.  She has also served as health policy project manager and associate for Matz, Blancato, and Associates where she worked on issues related to geriatric health and wellness. 

Amy has been a frequent speaker at various association conferences, including the Annual Conference of the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology, the Oncology Nursing Society, and several state conferences. 

Amy is a 1999 graduate of Miami (OH) University, where she received a B.A. in Political Science and Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs.

Allison Nordberg has over 10 years of project and program management experience. She joined the Foundation in March 2015 and in her current role she oversees the Foundation’s portfolio related to leadership.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Allison spent seven years at the United Nations Foundation in various roles, most recently as the Senior Associate for Global Health focused primarily on polio eradication. Allison is a graduate of the University of Richmond.

Barb Opatick joined the American Nurses Association in November 2011. In her current role as Operations Coordinator, she provides administrative, technical, planning, and consultative support and coordination services for the Enterprise Chief Nursing Officer and the Executive Director of the Foundation. Prior to joining ANA, Barb’s experience includes serving as an Executive Assistant at a civil engineering firm and a large retail company.

Karen Schofield-Leca joined the Foundation in April 2020, where she will play a key leadership role in the Foundation’s growth and operations, developing and managing the portfolio, assisting with the annual strategic planning and budgeting processes, overseeing development of Foundation marketing and communication, and managing the annual Nurse Research Award program. She brings more than 20 years’ experience in program development, fundraising, and marketing, having provided strategic leadership to a variety of non-profits and businesses, including Alliance for Excellent Education, Internet Society, Salzburg Global Seminar, AAUW’s Leadership and Training Institute, Center for Studying Health System Change, Institute for International Cooperation and Development, Washington Ethical Society, and Washington Revels (a performing arts community).

Karen earned her BA from American University in International Relations and Economics, and did graduate coursework and field study at Clark University, with a focus on International Development and Social Change. Her overseas experience includes work in Jamaica, Mozambique, and Kenya, where she developed and led community education campaigns, capacity-building initiatives, and USAID-funded participatory research. She is attuned to the needs of diverse populations and the strategies for involving stakeholders and building strong coalitions. A strong advocate for leadership development and institutional partnerships, Karen has advised various boards of directors; she currently serves as chair of the Development Committee on the board of Washington Revels.

Karen has been soliciting donations since she was old enough to trick-or-treat for UNICEF as a toddler. Ever since, she has been raising funds for the programs she’s directed, as well as evaluating the mission relevance of potential funding sources. Through experience focused on community development and capacity building, Karen has cultivated three attributes she believes are especially valuable: broad community development experience, strategic management skills, and a track record of successful fundraising.

Mark Schwartz, MSPH is currently the program manager for the Reimagining Nursing Initiative for the American Nurses Foundation. Mark has more than 20 years of experience managing both projects and programs for a wide variety of organizations. Mark has extensive experience for National Healthcare Associations as well as working in the not-for-profit space. Mark has managed programs on multiple levels and sizes ranging from 2 million to 163 million dollars. Altogether Mark’s experience in program and project management has been rewarding, he enjoys building programs, enhancing program operations as well as securing funding for additional programs he manages. Mark currently lives in Savannah, Ga with 3 children and dog Molly.

Yolanda Walsh recently joined ANF in an administrative capacity supporting the Foundation’s programs and staff. She is responsible for document review and management, contract processing, communications, and meeting support. Yolanda has a diverse and varied background. Prior to taking time off to raise her four children, Yolanda spent 10 years as the Project/Program Manager for a Faith Based Community Development Corporation in the DC Metropolitan area, worked in the Independent School community, and served as a Legal Associate. Yolanda holds a J.D. from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree from Spelman College.