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A Familiar Face in a New Role Leading the Foundation

“Between climbing routes at Little Stony Man Cliffs in maximize funding opportunities, and relationship development with
Shenandoah, I picked up an unusual rock. A group of students sud- a wide range of people were key to her previous roles. Her work has
denly swarmed the area, and since I heard their professor talking always been in funding: from sponsors, campaigns, and advertising
about the 570-million-year-old greenstone lava flows, I asked if they at a renowned arts center in the Washington, D.C., area to global
could tell me about this rock. When I learned they had just attended partnerships for a Geneva-based organization that brought together
the Southeastern Section Meeting of GSA, I knew the job I had developing country and donor governments, the World Health
flown to Boulder, Colorado, to interview for the week prior was Organization, the World Bank, private philanthropists, and corpo-
meant to be,” says the GSA Foundation’s Debbie Marcinkowski. rate donors. One of her most interesting research and writing proj-
As an experienced fundraiser who has also seen some of Earth’s ects was a proposal to the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi that helped
great geologic wonders while climbing, volunteering, and working secure US$33M matched by another US$33M from the Gates
around the world, joining the GSA Foundation (GSAF) nine years Foundation to fund vaccines for children across Afghanistan.
ago was the perfect fit for Debbie. Long under the spell of alluring Debbie’s energy for fundraising—mixed in with some adven-
mountain ranges, her appreciation for geology grows with her years ture—drives her individual as well as professional endeavors.
at GSAF: whether hearing about your work and experiences at the She was a founding climbing team member and expedition leader
Foundation booth, writing the stories of student grant recipients, for a nonprofit raising funds for cancer studies at a leading
or learning about geoscience career paths through discussions with research university. Ascending the headwall of a peak in the
industry partners, her work is rich and rewarding. Andes, curiosity about the strong odor of sulfur rising from the
In April, GSAF’s Board of Trustees announced Debbie’s promo- active volcano’s snow-capped crater gave her the final push to
tion to the newly created position of executive director. Her initial summit—and even greater marvel of the underlying geology. Her
role in corporate partnerships was a shared position between experience in strategy- and awareness-building earned her a spot
GSAF and GSA. With a master’s degree in nonprofit management, on a Himalayan expedition through the Everest region funded by
she brought experience in funding, communications, and partner National Geographic, with two of their explorers studying glacial
relations for global health, environmental conservation, and arts/ lake outburst flood hazards, while creating a plan to reach the
education organizations. Strategic planning, collaboration to international mountaineering and adventure travel industries

Marcinkowski at the 5897 m (19,348 ft) summit of Cotopaxi, Ecuador, one of the world’s highest active volcanoes and few equatorial glaciers.

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