MCF Leadership

Rhea Suh is a senior executive with more than 25 years of philanthropic, environmental and public policy experience. Prior to joining MCF in 2021, Rhea served as the third president of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where under her leadership, the organization grew by more than $50 million and increased its membership by more than 40 percent.

Before joining NRDC, Rhea served as the assistant secretary for policy, management, and budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior. She was nominated for the position by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2009. She led several cross-cutting initiatives at the department including establishing a successful diversity program for the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, leading the inter-agency Wildland Fire national coordinating body, and creating the first-ever national strategy for federal land acquisition.

Prior to her appointment to the Interior Department, Rhea worked at both the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, focusing on strategies dedicated to environmental conservation and clean energy in the West.

Rhea earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Barnard College and received a Fulbright Fellowship to Seoul, South Korea. She also earned a master's degree in education, administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University.

Janelle Cavanagh oversees the Philanthropic Partnerships team, focused on engaging donors in meaningful, impactful giving. Janelle is an accomplished philanthropic advisor, nonprofit leader and award-winning fundraiser, whose passion and expertise are in partnering with donors to identify the causes they care about and then recommending aligned experiences. She has a reputation for building enduring relationships grounded in trust and the fulfillment of goals.

Janelle’s career began more than 25 years ago when she taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Thailand. When she returned to the United States, she earned a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare, with an emphasis in Management and Planning, from the University of California at Berkeley.

Prior to MCF, Janelle was Interim Co-CEO and Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at Global Fund for Women. Here, she oversaw a team that raised up to $71 million annually and created unique donor experiences, such as Champions for Equality, which teaches important principles such as: creating a personal Theory of Change, understanding equity and inclusion, telling your personal story, and shifting power.

Janelle is the co-founder of the UC Berkeley Certificate in Fundraising and Volunteer Management program - to inspire and train those working in the fundraising profession. Janelle was also the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Fundraiser award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Golden Gate Chapter.

Vikki joined MCF in 2013 with a career in marketing, advertising, and branding agencies in the U.S. and internationally. She has crafted brand strategies and communications for companies spanning a variety of industries, including technology, financial services, communications, energy, and nonprofits. She received a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a major in marketing, from the University of New South Wales in her hometown of Sydney, Australia.

Saul joined MCF in 2017 with more than 20 years of HR experience in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining MCF, Saul was a Partner and HR Consultant at ABD SharedHR.  Prior to that, he served in various HR capacities at the Stupski Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Macy’s West, Scient, and INROADS. He chaired the Board of Directors for the Northern California Human Resources Association and currently serves on the Achieve Mission Board of Directors. He is fluent in Spanish and English. He received BA from Pomona College and his MBA from University of San Francisco.  

Lauren joined MCF in 2019, bringing over ten years of experience from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP within their Assurance practice. She has a deep understanding of financial reporting, control environments and financial systems. Lauren is a Certified Public Accountant and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics, with an emphasis in Accounting, from the University of California, Santa Barbara.