Vanessa Merhib

Vanessa currently serves as Senior Vice President, Development & Board Engagement at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Vanessa supports the CEO directly, managing the Board of Directors & Governance Committee and key relationships to further strengthen the organization’s impact and revenue.

Vanessa is an accomplished senior executive with a proven track record in driving organizational growth, strategic vision, and donor relations. As a results-driven leader, she excels in developing high-functioning teams and fostering a human-centered culture, demonstrating transformative leadership across multiple high-impact roles in the nonprofit sector. She is recognized for successfully managing large-scale operations and complex stakeholder engagement.

Previously, Vanessa oversaw teams at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America including events, operations, indirect marketing, major gifts, and foundations as Vice President, Development. She was responsible for a $250M donor portfolio and led a team to exceed fundraising targets year over year. In this role, Vanessa drove trustee and ambassador governance and engagement, successfully enhancing board diversity and fostering strong partnerships across stakeholders.

As CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains (2006-2019), Vanessa led the organization through a period of remarkable growth and transformation. Under her leadership, she expanded the organization’s reach, increasing its operational budget and programmatic impact. Vanessa was instrumental in securing significant funding, driving community partnerships, and fostering a culture of collaboration across the organization.

Vanessa’s education includes a Master’s in International Development from The American University and a Bachelor’s in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from the State University of New York at Albany.