Staff
Michelle Greanias, Executive Director
Michelle joined GMN as its first Executive Director in May, 2008. She is a longstanding member of GMN, serving as a board member from 1996-2001 and as Co-Chair from 1998-2001.
Michelle has spent most of her career in philanthropy, serving most recently as Managing Director of Grants, Loans, and Procurement at the Fannie Mae Foundation. While at the Fannie Mae Foundation, Michelle led a grants management team which supported $45 million in annual grants targeted primarily to housing and community development nonprofits, but that also included grantmaking to homelessness, youth, arts, research, and human services organizations. She oversaw servicing of the Foundation’s $20 million affordable housing loan fund and managed employee giving programs for more than 5,000 employees.
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. She holds Bachelors Degrees in International Studies and French/West European Studies and a Masters in Business Administration from the American University. Executive Director's Curriculum Vitae
mgreanias [at-sign] gmnetwork [dot] org | 202-329-7670 | @mgreanias
Miriam Hankins, MBA, Manager, Membership and Chapter Services
Miriam is serving as GMN's Manager, Membership and Chapter Services. She is responsible for developing and implementing initiatives to increase member value and involvement in GMN's programs, resources, and services and enhancing efforts to support, train, and engage its regional chapter and volunteer leadership networks.
She has over 20 years of association/non-profit experience in directing and managing key membership and marketing programs. She specializes in creating and delivering membership initiatives designed to increase member value, which ultimately builds a sustainable national, regional, and local community for members.
Miriam earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College and received her Master in Business Administration (MBA) with high distinctive honors (summa cum laude) from Liberty University. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the International Honor Society in Business, Management, and Administration (Sigma Beta Delta).
mhankins [at-sign] gmnetwork [dot] org | 202-296-2489 | @miriamhankins
Nikki Powell, Communications Manager
Nikki Powell joined GMN in June 2012 as communications manager. Nikki’s work is focused on developing and managing strategies to promote GMN’s services, events, and programs. She is responsible for writing and producing GMN’s website and publications and developing outreach campaigns to raise awareness of GMN’s members and expertise. Her experience includes implementing communications strategies for nonprofits of many sizes and in many sectors, including membership associations, advocacy organizations, and leading research think tanks.
Nikki has a bachelor’s degree from Converse College (Spartanburg, S.C.) with a double major in English and politics and a minor in women’s studies.
npowell [at-sign] gmnetwork [dot] org | 202-495-0419 | @nikkiwpowell
Dee Wright, Administrative Associate
Dee Wright joined GMN in 2013 as administrative associate. Her work at GMN is focused on supporting operations, membership, and fundraising, including communicating daily with members and other customers, maintaining GMN’s membership database, and assisting with administrative and logistical tasks for GMN’s meetings, fundraising appeals, regional chapter operations, and volunteer recognition programs. Dee has significant experience overseeing administrative functions in a variety of sectors, including government, private, and nonprofit areas. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in computer science from the University of Southern Mississippi.
dwright [at-sign] gmnetwork [dot] org | 202-296-2640
Catherine Downs
Catherine Downs is a senior consultant with The Crescent Group, a New Orleans-based firm that focuses on nonprofit governance and association management. Since 2000, Catherine was the lead consultant providing staffing for GMN and now supports the GMN conference, Project Streamline, and various other GMN projects and programs. Prior to her work as a consultant for nonprofits, Catherine was an associate at the law firm of Lord, Bissell & Brook in Chicago, IL where she practiced corporate law. Catherine is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT and received her J.D. cum laude from Tulane Law School. She is a member of the bar in Illinois and Louisiana.