BOARD MEMBER, THE NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION

BOARD MEMBER, THE JOHN F. KENNEDY LIBRARY FOUNDATION

FORMER CEO, THE MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM

Chris Cassidy served as President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, where he led the effort to build the iconic Museum, Monument, and Institute. Prior to this role, he served as NASA's 14th Chief Astronaut and is a veteran of three spaceflights and ten spacewalks, accumulating 377 days in space.

A retired U.S. Navy SEAL, Cassidy was awarded the Bronze Star with combat 'V' and a second Bronze Star for combat leadership in Afghanistan. In 2004, the platoon he commanded received the Presidential Unit Citation for operations on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

Cassidy holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from MIT, and honorary PhDs from Husson University and the University of Maine at Augusta.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CDO, GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON

BOARD MEMBER, CASEY TREES

FORMER AVP, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Joe Bondi is Senior Vice President for Development at George Washington's Mount Vernon, the historic home, gardens, and presidential library of George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia. In this role, he sets the strategic direction for estate-wide fundraising including the annual fund, membership, and major and principal gifts — and leads the estate's $250 million Strengthening Our Foundations campaign.

Prior to Mount Vernon, Bondi spent 15 years at George Washington University in progressive development leadership. As Assistant Vice President for Development for University Programs, he managed a team of eighteen fundraising professionals supporting university-wide initiatives. For seven years prior, he served as Executive Director of Development for GW's New York operation — the largest population of GW alumni outside of Washington.

He holds a master's degree in politics and a bachelor's degree in political communication, both from George Washington University. He serves on the board of Casey Trees and has served as Chairman of the Board of the Alexandria Seaport Foundation. Originally from New London, Connecticut, he is an avid small-boat sailor.

VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, PROMISE FUND

FORMER BOARD MEMBER, SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE

FOUNDING MARKETING TEAM MEMBER AND FORMER HEAD OF BRAND AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, JETBLUE AIRWAYS

Eric Brinker was recruited as the first volunteer when his mother, Nancy G. Brinker, founded Susan G. Komen in honor of Eric's late aunt, Susan. He went on to serve as a global ambassador, spokesperson, and national board member, helping establish many of the organization's most influential cause-related marketing partnerships. Since its founding, Susan G. Komen raised more than $3 billion for breast cancer research, education, and community health programs.

Eric is the CEO of Brinker 13, and currently serves as vice chairman of the board of the Promise Fund, which supports an innovative, community-based model connecting women—especially those in underserved communities—to screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Eric is executive producer of Promise Me, a feature-length documentary inspired by his mother's memoir and legacy, exploring how one promise helped ignite a global movement and how storytelling can continue to drive impact across generations.

CEO, ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION

BOARD MEMBER, SEXTON CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY

Nicole Sexton has served as President and CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) since 2017, leading the organization established in 1942 to unify Hollywood's charitable giving. Previously, she was Chief of Staff at the Central Park Conservancy, helped establish the FEED Foundation as its first Executive Officer (which has provided over 100 million free nutritious school meals globally), and served as Executive Outreach Director for DATA and ONE, organizations committed to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease. Sexton graduated with a B.A. from Southern Methodist University and completed graduate studies in Art History at Georgetown University and Public Policy at Yale University.

SUMMIT CHAIR

CEO, TEAPOT MOUNTAIN ADVISORY

FORMER CDO, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

Rhett Wilson is the founder and president of Teapot Mountain Advisory, where at any given time he serves as a strategy advisor to fundraising campaigns that total between a quarter of a billion and half a billion dollars cumulatively across all clients. As Chief Development Officer at the White House Historical Association from 2016 to 2025, Wilson led the growth of philanthropic revenues by more than 20-fold and designed and executed an 18-month capital campaign that raised $85.5 million to launch The People's House: A White House Experience, a 33,000-square-foot interactive museum adjacent to the White House complex. An alumnus of Arizona State University and Mesa Community College, Wilson co-founded the Caravanserai Project and serves on the board of directors of the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, and previously held appointments as Associate Dean at Johns Hopkins University and Assistant Dean at George Mason University.