Meet the Team

Agnes Zach

Agnes has a wealth of expertise in operational and strategic leadership within nonprofit organizations and over 30 years of experience in governmental affairs and financial services.

For 12 years, she was Executive Director for Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO) where she created a number of programs focused on teaching the art and science of professional fundraising to help nonprofits thrive.

Under her leadership, WVDO started the Certificate in Nonprofit Fundraising in 2011 for 40 weeks of basic fundraising skills training, and in 2012, the Leadership Academy... Read More »

Melanie Shaw

Melanie spent over a decade working for KinderCare Education. She worked in operations at Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO) for seven years while supporting NPN for the last three and came to NPN full-time in January 2021.

Melanie is a four-time Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards (PAMTA) nominee. After spending six years in New York City as a struggling actor, she’s particularly proud of her work as a musical theater director and local performer.

She shares her home in the Palm Desert with her coworker (Tucker), a cat... Read More »

Nina Nguyen

Nina Nguyen is a seasoned nonprofit leader with over 15 years of experience in the sector, having held a variety of roles from program staff to executive director. Since 2009, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing the missions of nonprofit organizations and driving social change. Passionate about uplifting the voices of members within historically marginalized communities, Nina has dedicated her career to advocating for equity, access, and empowerment.

As the Search Director and Recruiter for Nonprofit Professionals Now, she supports organizations in growing their... Read More »

Krystal Ngene

Krystal has spent over 10 years at organizations in various stages of growth, including start-up, nonprofits, governmental, established, and turnaround settings. She brings her understanding of the interconnectedness of the lives of people, and her strength in facilitating the connection of diverse groups of people that allows for the cross-pollination of ideas and unlikely sparks, to foster an environment of creativity and community for organizations to thrive. Most recently, Krystal has led community engagement and equity and inclusion projects for area nonprofits, and served as... Read More »

Carly Brown

Carly Brown (she/her) connects people to resources, roles, ideas, and collaborators to improve their lives and their communities. Carly is an AIRS Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR). She has a BA in Literature from University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MPA with a Nonprofit Management Focus from Portland State University. In her 15 years with the Oregon Community Foundation, she led statewide community engagement efforts, working with volunteers and community leaders across Oregon. As a program officer, she was the lead or co-lead for various... Read More »

Kaitlyn East-Sanborn

Kaitlyn has more than 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector, with roles ranging from client support to program leadership. She has experience in process development, strategic planning, and team management. Broadly, she enjoys creative problem-solving and connecting people with solutions that help them feel empowered and confident.

Kaitlyn lives in Portland with her wife and two cats. In her spare time she enjoys kayaking, dragon boating, cooking, and playing video games.