Shara Szott, CNP (she/her) serves as the Chief Solutions Officer at the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. In this capacity, she leads a team committed to empowering nonprofit professionals, aka changemakers, by enhancing their leadership skills and organizational effectiveness. Shara’s strategic vision and passion for capacity building have been pivotal in driving initiatives that foster the professional growth of nonprofit leaders, ensuring they are well-equipped to make a significant impact in their communities.

Before joining the changemaker movement, Shara spent 20 years in big tech, selling and marketing technology solutions that help organizations grow and digitize their business.

In addition to her professional role, Shara volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and placed in foster care. She is deeply committed to advocating for the well-being and rights of these children. She also served on the board of several nonprofit organizations.

Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Shara spends most of her time cheering on her sons in their numerous sporting events, including soccer, baseball, basketball, track, swimming, and football. She is also a runner, triathlete, and traveler.

Shara holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Florida State University and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).

Erica Davis is the Partnership Manager at the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, where she has spent the past three years helping organizations enhance their professional development strategies. She specializes in presenting training opportunities, guiding teams on leveraging the Learning Management System (LMS) to track progress, and providing access to continuous education through the Alliance’s online training catalog. Erica also supports organizations in offering their teams the opportunity to earn the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential, a lifelong credential for nonprofit leaders.

With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Erica previously served as Senior District Program Director for the YMCA of Greater Kansas City for seven years. Beyond her professional work, she is deeply engaged in community service. She is currently serving as Secretary for Beacon Mental Health Foundation and an active member of the Junior League of Kansas City. She also chaired Breakfast with Santa at the Linwood YMCA for three years.

Erica recently earned her Executive MBA from UMKC and is passionate about professional development, continuously striving to empower nonprofit leaders to grow and succeed.

Jeanette Gass is Senior Program Manager for Global Engagement at ICMA where she is responsible for global growth through ICMA's Global Engagement Strategy. She joined Phi Sigma Pi as a charter member of the Epsilon Sigma Chapter in 2008, received her CNP in 2019 and her ACNP in 2023. She is currently President of the Association of CNPs and represents CNPs on NLA's Board of Directors. She holds a Master of Arts in Global Communication from George Washington University and a Master of Science in Nonprofit & Association Management from University of Maryland Global Campus. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from The University of Iowa with a focus in international communications.