New Faces at FPWA

Catherine Carpentieri – Chief of Development and Communications Officer

Carpentieri comes to FPWA with over twenty-five years of experience in nonprofit development and communications and a professional career that has encompassed both international and domestic issues.

Before joining FPWA, Carpentieri served as the Director of Development and Communications for University Settlement, The Door and Broome Street Academy, a family of affiliated service and social justice organizations touching the lives of 40,000 New Yorkers each year. In this role, she directed all aspects of fundraising and communications, including the management of high-profile VIP visits. Carpentieri also worked for 14 years within the international human rights movement as Deputy Executive Director for Development at Amnesty International USA, and subsequently as Director of Development and Marketing at Human Rights First. Her tenure emphasized implementing new directions in fundraising, donor communications and marketing; special fundraising campaigns to build program capacity; and deploying new technologies for fundraising and constituency building.

I am honored to join FPWA, an organization whose smart work I greatly admire,” said Carpentieri. “Now more than ever, it is incumbent on all of us to protect hard won human rights and ensure that all people have the opportunity to thrive. FPWA is at the forefront of these efforts. I look forward to bringing their vital work forward and inviting the investment of all who are passionate about equality and justice.”

Catherine holds a B.A. in English and American Literature from Hofstra University. She lives on Long Island, New York with her husband, Mark, and their three children.

**You can reach Catherine at ccarpentieri@fpwa.org or 212-801-1303.

Yolanda Richard – Faith Based Outreach and Engagement Coordinator

Min. Yolanda Richard is an experienced professional, sought-after preacher, and writer with demonstrated history in working in parish ministry, community programming, and interfaith settings. She received her Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Miami.

Richard has had the privilege of serving in professional roles at The Yale University Chaplain’s Office, The Yale University Art Gallery, The Office of the University Chaplain at Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and The Embassy of the Republic of Haiti in Washington, DC. She has been able to advocate for the importance of interfaith and intercultural dialogue while creating innovative programming and opportunities that allow participants to explore the various interactions between faith and justice. Some of her programs include, “What Happened to Hagar: Rape and Re-storying in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Traditions,” “Risks of Faith: Being Queer & Muslim,” and “Seeing Faith: Exploring Interreligious works of Art.”

“To believe in anything is a radical act, but to believe that God is on the side of the oppressed is an act of true justice. As FPWA’s Faith Based Engagement and Outreach Coordinator, I am excited to work closely with faith leaders and their communities to connect them to tangible opportunities to merge faith and justice and tackle poverty in NYC.”

Min. Richard currently serves as a Minister at First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem where she directs the Spiritual Formation program. Through this program and other ministerial duties, Min. Richard supports the congregation by creating annual spiritual development course offerings, excursions, panels, and workshops to support the spiritual exploration of FCBC members and the surrounding community.

She is a passionate orator currently speaking at churches in New York City and around the country. She enjoys the art of preaching and comes alive at every opportunity to offer words of hope and healing to those journeying the difficult terrain of life.

**You can reach Min. Richard at yrichard@fpwa.org or 212-801-1331.