Brief Bio of Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE , CAE

Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE , CAE is the president and chief executive officer of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), formerly National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE), the professional association of individuals responsible for generating philanthropic support for nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining AFP, Ms. Maehara served as chief executive officer of the Epilepsy Foundation. She has also held executive positions with Project HOPE, American Red Cross (both at its National Headquarters and at the National Capital Chapter), the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation (Hawaii Chapter), and the University of Hawaii Foundation.

Ms. Maehara's background combines extensive fundraising knowledge with strong association management experience. Her leadership abilities were underscored in 1994 when The NonProfit Times named Project HOPE (where she served as Vice President of Development) as the fastest growing nonprofit organization in the country. At both the Epilepsy Foundation and the American Red Cross, she has successfully completed initiatives which unified and consolidated the organizations and their affiliates, leading to significantly streamlined services and activities.

Ms. Maehara's work has led to a number of honors. In 1994, her work for Project HOPE led to a Best Direct Mail Program award from the Direct Marketing Association of America. Ms. Maehara was selected by The NonProfit Times as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Philanthropy the last six year in 1999-2005, and she was one of 100 women chosen to participate in the 2000 Leadership America Program.

Ms. Maehara has been a member of AFP since 1987, and has been a speaker at the AFP International Conference on Fundraising. She is past chair of the Executive Management Council of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), served on the ASAE Board of Directors 2000-2002 and served as a Vice Chair on the ASAE Executive Board of Directors in 2001 and Secretary/Treasurer in 2003. Ms. Maehara was elected to serve on the ASAE Board as Chair starting August 2005.

In addition, Ms. Maehara has served on the Executive Committee of the International Bureau for Epilepsy, as well as the Board of Directors of the National Health Council. She has also served on the Executive Committee of International Service Agencies and chaired its Membership Committee. Ms. Maehara is currently serving on the Association Committee of 100 by the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Maehara was born in Happy, Texas , holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Hawaii , and is married with two children. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Certified Association Executive (CAE).