Wartburg Hires Maria Tapia-Belsito as New Director of Development

Oct. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- WARTBURG HIRES MARIA TAPIA-BELSITO, CFRE
AS NEW DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

(Mount Vernon, NY)  The Wartburg welcomes Maria Tapia-Belsito, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) as its Director of Development. In her new position, she will be responsible for implementing a range of fund raising strategies to cultivate donations from all of The Wartburg constituencies, including family members, current residents, churches and church members, community members, foundations, and related businesses and corporations.

Maria recently moved back to New York, where she started her fund raising career as Development Director for The Allen Stevenson School.  She then moved to Kansas where she managed and coordinated the development and marketing for leading non-profit organizations such as Mattie Rhodes Center (Kansas City, MO), the Rose Brooks Center (Kansas City, MO) and the American Lung Association of Kansas (Shawnee Mission, KS), just to name a few. Maria comes to The Wartburg from The Futuro Media Group in New York City.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join The Wartburg team and help share its important work with the community. Having served as a fund raiser for several non-profit organizations for over 30 years”, explains Maria, “it’s extremely satisfying to work with an organization, like The Wartburg, that provides donors with philanthropic opportunities that not only benefit the receiving organization and the communities it serves, but also spiritually    reward the donors themselves.”

A native of Quito, Ecuador, Maria now resides in Bronxville with her husband Donald, Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center. They have three daughters who are professionals in New York, Washington DC and Boston. Maria has a BA in Psychology from Vassar College, and is fluent in Spanish. She is very involved in the community and serves as a board member of The Mount Vernon Star Scholars Program, Co-Chair of Vassar’s Annual Fund, and volunteer at El Centro Hispano in White Plains.

According to David Gentner, President & CEO of The Wartburg and Wartburg Foundation, “Maria is a very special person who combines the intellect and passion that we look for here at The Wartburg. Her expertise in cultivating and fund raising, combined with her vast experience in the not-for-profit sector, elevates our Development initiatives to a whole new level.  We are extremely fortunate to have Maria join our Wartburg team.”

About The Wartburg Foundation

The Wartburg Foundation is located in Mount Vernon, NY and its mission is to raise funds from donors, manage their endowment and make grants to assist the Wartburg Community, Lutheran Ministries and other charities so that older adults may live with dignity.

About The Wartburg Adult Care Community

Recently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the “Best Nursing Homes in New York State”, The Wartburg Adult Care Community is a not-for-profit Lutheran ministry, serving people of all faiths with a full range of residential options and health-related services for older area adults and their families. The Wartburg offers skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, assisted and independent living, adult day services, home care, pastoral care and monthly caregiver support groups.  The Wartburg is a member organization of the National Center for Creative Aging. For more information about The Wartburg Adult Care Community or to support its mission, please call (914) 699-0800, email info@thewartburg.org or visit www.thewartburg.org.
#  #  #
           PHOTO CAPTION: Maria Tapia-Belsito, Director of Development, The Wartburg