D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s hires chief advancement officer

Colette Beighley Courtesy D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s

A local child welfare nonprofit hired a new leader to oversee its advancement efforts.

Grand Rapids-based D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s (DABSJ) said last week that it appointed Colette Beighley as chief advancement officer, effective July 6.

Beighley has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit, fundraising and child welfare sectors, most recently as development director at Paws With A Cause.

DABSJ said it believes Beighley’s passion, strategic approach to advancement and proven fundraising success will advance its mission of helping children and empowering families by providing safety, advocacy and support.

“We are beyond thrilled to bring Colette onto the DABSJ team,” said Mary Mulliet, DABSJ president and CEO. “Her extensive experience in advancement will position DABSJ well into the future. Colette’s excellent leadership skills are exciting for our team as we continue to build a culture of leadership at DABSJ.”

Beighley said she is “extremely honored to have the opportunity to work alongside the amazing team at DABSJ.”

“My personal goal in each organization that I have been a part of is to make more lives livable. The incredible work being done by the DABSJ team focuses on supporting kids and families in our community in the most compassionate and empowering ways,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be joining this amazing team to help advance the mission of DABSJ.”

A licensed therapist, Beighley began her career working with the University of California, Berkeley Child-Parent Enrichment Project, where she focused on evaluation of a perinatal child abuse prevention program. Beighley’s prior roles include director of the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center at Grand Valley State University, director of communication for Triangle Foundation (now Equality Michigan), and marriage and family therapist in a private practice.

Prior to moving to Michigan, she worked as a clinical staff member in northern California for the youth diversion program Horizons Youth and Family Services, as well as for the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Program.

Beighley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Master of Science degree in counseling with a specialization in mental health from California State University, East Bay. She also is a certified fundraising executive through the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

DABSJ

D.A. Blodgett-St. John’s is a nonprofit that provides services to children and families, including foster care, adoption, family preservation and children’s residential treatment.

DABSJ helps more than 11,000 children and families annually with safety, advocacy and support.