Chris Marshall

Project Director

I was operating my own human resources consulting company when the nonprofit industry “found me” via my local church. A fundraising recruiter was seeking folks through church contacts. I took the job, ran the campaign, and enjoyed the work, then happened to meet Mark Bergethon at an industry conference shortly afterward. The rest is history.

Making the decision to shift my career from human resources consulting to fundraising was an easy one. The work is very similar since both include counseling professionals and top local leaders. I find the work comes easily and it is very gratifying to meet the goals that allow my clients to help others, whether it’s by growing jobs for a community or helping a hospice or charter school build a new facility.

Best of all, I have added many personal friends by way of my projects and stay in touch with many. There is a mutual respect that develops with clients that makes the work especially important and gratifying.

Chris brings over 30 years of executive experience in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors to his role as Project Director with Convergent. In the nonprofit sector, he has helped organizations with fundraising, financial turnaround, board development, and organizational development concerns. Chris’s nonprofit experience spans a broad range of sectors, including chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, Boy Scouts of America, United Way, Rotary, PTA, Communities That Care, Kiwanis, Auditory-Verbal Center of Atlanta, and multiple churches.

In addition to his extensive nonprofit sector experience, Chris has considerable executive level experience with several Fortune 500 organizations. He served in challenging profit and cost center assignments as Executive Director, Operations Superintendent, Manager of Leadership Development, and Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, as a Human Resources Consultant, he was responsible for developing and implementing several successful leadership development programs for business leadership, business problem solving, employee selection, employee performance appraisals, and customer service.

Summary of Experience

• Successful capital campaign experience spanning a variety of missions and geography, including:
  • $1 million, St. Vincent de Paul Youth Life Center, IN.
  • $1.8 million (6% over goal), Alamance County Economic Foundation, NC.
  • $1,665,000 (11% over goal), Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce, NC.
  • $3,390,000 (13% over goal), Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, FL.
  • $5.2 million, Northeast Tennessee Regional Economic Partnership, TN.
  • $1.6 million, Roxboro Community School, NC.
  • $2,660,000 (33% over goal), St. Clair Economic Development Council, AL.
  • $6 million, Hospice of South Texas, TX.
• Served two years as a Powder Springs (GA) Planning & Zoning Commissioner.
• Served as an Ambassador for the Cobb County (GA) Chamber of Commerce and participated in the Cobb Chamber CEO Roundtable.
• Founding President of Cobb County (GA) Communities that Care / Powder Springs Community Task Force during its first two years.
• MBA in Human Resources at Waynesburg College and BA in Labor / Management Relations at Penn State.