TAMIKA SEATON, MSM
NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE | PHILANTHROPY & ADVANCEMENT | STRATEGY | PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Building stronger organizations through leadership, philanthropy and strategy.
I am a nonprofit executive and strategic advisor with more than 19 years of experience working at the intersection of leadership, philanthropy, communications, organizational development and community impact. My career has taken me from local government and public affairs to fundraising and nonprofit executive leadership, Board service, entrepreneurship and consulting. Throughout that journey, one thing has remained consistent: I believe strong organizations are built when mission, people, strategy and resources work together.
LEADERSHIP AT A GLANCE
19+ YEARS
Nonprofit, government, philanthropy, consulting & executive leadership
85% Increase in contributed revenue while leading Florida Lions Eye Clinic
FIRST PAID CEO/ED
Helped transition Florida Lions Eye Clinic into its next stage of organizational leadership
BOARD LEADERSHIP
Trustee & Vice Chair, Hodges University
PLANNED GIVING
Professional leadership and formal fundraising education
AUTHOR
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Passport Workbook
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Strategy • Operations • Organizational Sustainability
Philanthropy & Advancement
Major Giving • Planned Giving • Grants • Donor Stewardship
Strategic Planning
Assessment • Facilitation • Implementation • Accountability
Board Governance
Board Development • Executive Partnership • Governance
Communications & Public Affairs
Media • Messaging • Executive Communications • Community Engagement
Organizational Development
Leadership • Capacity Building • Change • Systems
My Professional Journey
President & CEO
Grow Your Non-Profit | 2019–Present
Nonprofit strategy • Philanthropy • Governance • Organizational development
Advise nonprofit executives and Boards on strategic planning, organizational assessment, fundraising, planned giving, governance, leadership development and capacity building.
President & CEO
Doug's Seafood | 2024–2026
Entrepreneurship • Finance • Operations • Marketing • Leadership
Led strategy, finance, operations, employees, marketing, partnerships and customer experience for a seven-figure enterprise.
Chief Executive Officer
Florida Lions Eye Clinic | 2017–2019
Executive leadership • Philanthropy • Healthcare • Organizational growth
Served as the organization's first paid CEO, overseeing strategy, finance, people, programs, fundraising, communications and partnerships while working closely with the Board and volunteer medical leadership.
Senior Development Officer
The Shelter for Abused Women & Children | 2014–2017
Major giving • Planned giving • Grants • Donor stewardship
Built and stewarded philanthropic relationships supporting services for individuals and families experiencing domestic violence.
Public Information Officer
City of Naples | 2012–2014
Public affairs • Media • Executive communications • Community engagement
Supported City leadership in communicating government priorities and complex public issues to residents, media and community stakeholders.
Planner
Collier County Government | 2007–2012
Government • Planning • Policy • Stakeholder engagement
Coordinated complex public-sector initiatives and supported five committees and an MPO Board consisting of elected officials from three municipalities.
Philanthropy is about more than raising money.
Sustainable fundraising begins with relationships, trust and a clear connection between a donor's values and an organization's mission. My experience spans major and planned giving, grants, corporate and foundation relationships, sponsorships, donor stewardship, Board engagement, endowment development and revenue diversification. I have worked on both sides of the leadership table—as a development professional responsible for philanthropy and as a CEO accountable for the overall health and sustainability of an organization.
Board & governance leadership
Leadership from both sides of the Board table.
My understanding of nonprofit governance comes from serving both as an executive accountable to a Board and as a Trustee responsible for governing an institution. That perspective shapes how I work with Boards today—creating clarity between governance and management, strengthening strategic decision-making and helping Board members use their expertise, relationships and influence in service of the mission.
Hodges University
Board of Trustees
Trustee / Vice Chair
2021–2026
Planned Giving Councils Lee & Collier Counties
Board & Leadership Roles
2017–2024
Association of Fundraising Professionals Lee-Collier
Board / Summer Roundtable Chair
2018–2024
Lee County School Board
Finance Advisory Committee
2019–2021
Public affairs & communications
Communicating when the message matters.
Before becoming a nonprofit CEO, I served as Public Information Officer for the City of Naples. That experience strengthened my ability to take complicated issues, understand the people affected by them and communicate information clearly and responsibly. Today, I bring that communications perspective to executive leadership, philanthropy and consulting—whether developing a case for support, preparing leaders for important conversations, engaging stakeholders or helping an organization tell its story.
Education & Credentials
Education & Professional Development
Master of Science in Management, Cum Laude
Hodges University
Minor: Human Resources
Bachelor of Science in Management
Hodges University
Minor: Executive Management
Principles of Fundraising Certificate
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Leadership Collier
Class of 2014
Thought Leadership
Ideas, Learning & Thought Leadership
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Passport Workbook
By Tamika Seaton, MSM
A practical resource created to encourage reflection, conversation and greater understanding across organizations and communities.
What I believe about leadership
I believe good leadership begins with listening. You cannot lead an organization effectively without understanding its people, its history, its challenges and the community it serves. I have learned throughout my career that sustainable change rarely comes from one person having all the answers. It comes from bringing the right people together, asking good questions, making thoughtful decisions and then being willing to do the work required to move forward. Whether I am serving as a CEO, Board member, fundraiser, consultant or community leader, that is the approach I bring to the table.
Let's connect.
I welcome opportunities to connect with nonprofit leaders, philanthropic organizations, Boards and mission-driven organizations committed to building stronger communities.
Tamika Seaton, MSM
Fort Myers, Florida
Tamika@growyournon-profit.com
LinkedIn
