Don Waisanen (he/him) is the Marxe Faculty Director for the Leadership Fellows at the Trust. Don is a “pracademic” who teaches, researches, and consults on leadership and communication, and always striving to help others level up in these areas. He’s a Professor at Baruch College, City University of New York, an adjunct at Columbia and NYU, and the founder of Communication Upward, which provides workshops/coaching for professional development and expert facilitation for retreats and meetings. Don has authored seven books, including a book on the Leadership Fellows program itself, Leadership Standpoints: A Practical Framework for the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders (Cambridge University Press), Improv for Democracy: How to Bridge Differences and Develop the Communication and Leadership Skills Our World Needs (State University of New York Press), and received a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California. Outside of work, Don is a lifelong tennis fanatic and sometimes performs improv comedy around town.

Jenée Gerald joined the staff of Leadership Fellows at The Trust in 2022 and serves as the Communications and Education Director. In that capacity, she handles critical day-to-day communications for the program, including communications with the fellows, faculty, and mentors, social media updates, and updates to our Knowledge Hub and Knowledge Mailing. Jenée received a BA in Business Communications and an MIA in Trade Policy and Economic Governance from Baruch College.

Shel Ho is the Administration and Finance Director of Leadership Fellows at The Trust, a premier professional development program for mid-career nonprofit practitioners in the metropolitan New York City region. In this role, Shel ensures the organization operates smoothly and efficiently, overseeing all administrative and logistical functions, managing financial contracts and transactions, and supporting the program’s long-term sustainability.

Beyond operations and finance, Shel is deeply committed to empowering nonprofit leaders and cultivating a dynamic, inclusive community within the fellowship. With a passion for leadership development, Shel plays an integral role in fostering connections and driving the program’s impact.

Shel earned a B.A. in Journalism from Baruch College as a recipient of the full-tuition Harnisch Foundation Journalism Scholarship and is currently pursuing an MBA at NYU.