Dr. Akilah Watkins is president and CEO of Independent Sector. She joined the organization on January 17, 2023. Previously, Dr. Watkins was the president and CEO for the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress), America’s nonprofit leader for turning “vacant spaces into vibrant places.” A 25-year national thought leader, conference speaker, and nonprofit executive, Dr. Watkins’ work began at the age of 14 when she led efforts to convert a vacant lot and abandoned home into a community center in Roosevelt, New York. Since then, she’s served as an executive leader for nonprofits and community development initiatives which includes work with the Obama administration, NeighborWorks America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Her career’s work has focused on helping people, communities, and local and federal government drive impactful reform for key issues including land banking, property vacancy, childhood obesity, community health, and economic development. Check out her full bio on Independent Sectors website, here: https://independentsector.org/people/dr-akilah-watkins/

Jeff Moore currently serves as chief strategy officer, supporting the organization’s critical strategic visioning efforts as it guides the sector to meet the future needs of democratic society. He is a senior leader with broad experience in the nonprofit field, government, and industry. He most recently served in an executive role in the health-systems research field. Jeff has served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense and as legislative director to Congressman Thomas J. Downey (NY). In each of his positions, he has built critical partnerships and alliances that have accelerated organizational and mission success. His leadership style—he was described by one of his former board members as being “the weaver of the cloth”—and career experiences create a unique foundation for advancing critical thinking, strategic development, and organizational performance. Jeff considers his Distinguished Civilian Service Award, presented in 1998 by Secretary of Defense William Cohen, to be among his greatest career achievements. Cohen honored Moore at the end of his tenure in the Clinton administration for his contributions to the nation’s security and his unique ability to build bridges between U.S. government agencies, the U.S. private sector, and foreign governments.

Jim White joined the Nonprofit Association of Oregon as the Executive Director in October 2012. He is deeply committed to the social change through private action and has worked in the nonprofit sector both domestically and internationally for more than 25 years. Jim has a passion for affecting systemic change in the way that the public, private and nonprofit sectors work together to support and strengthen our communities and civil society. He believes that one of the purest democratic values is having private individuals identify needs and solutions, and lead change in their communities for the greater good. Through NAO, Jim is proud to help build the capacity, leadership and voice of Oregon’s vibrant nonprofit sector. Before joining NAO, Jim worked for Mercy Corps both overseas and in Oregon. He has also worked for the International Organization for Migration and the American Red Cross. He has a M.A. in Eurasian Studies from Indiana University and a B.S. in Engineering Technology from Temple University.