Message from the Executive Director

It is a privilege to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of ADF. I am looking forward to this new role as an opportunity to build on the foundation of this exceptional organization.

I look forward to working with ADF’s dedicated volunteer board, and the enthusiastic staff at ADF, to set goals, increase funds and build awareness of the need to continue to fund diabetes research.

Kathy Fitzgerald,

Executive Director, ADF

Introduction to the Executive Director

Please join us in welcoming Kathy Fitzgerald to ADF and we wish her every success as she assumes her new role and exciting challenges ahead.

Kathy brings 20 years of strong leadership in fundraising, volunteer management, and non-profit management in the education, health and social services sector. Her experience has been focused on partnership development, major and principal gifts, and volunteer management.

She comes to ADF from the Faculty of Science, University of Alberta where she was responsible for major and principal gifts. Prior to this role she co-owned a marketing and design company primarily working with small businesses and the non-profit sector.

Living for a five year period in Ireland up to 2007, Kathy worked as Fundraising Manager on a campaign to raise funds for a community Sports and Leisure Centre and as National Volunteer Manager for Make-A-Wish Foundation Ireland where she increased volunteer participation and established volunteer teams countrywide.

Key roles Kathy held in Edmonton previous to her move to Ireland were: Assistant Executive Director for the Centre for Family Literacy, where she managed a fundraising campaign to establish a new Centre and developed funding for its adult and family literacy programs; Senior Development Officer for Nature Conservancy of Canada, she established a new office for Northern Alberta where she worked with volunteer board members, major gift donors and partners in conservation; and, as Development and Communications Manager, for E4C, an organization operating six inner-city programs.

As a private business owner, she designed and manufactured children’s wear which were marketed across western Canada. This experience together with her work in the non-profit sector has given her an assortment of leadership skills and knowledge which will be valued at ADF.

Please join us in congratulating Kathy in her new role.