The Board of Directors of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis is proud to announce the appointment of the agency’s new President & CEO, Lora Hoover. In her new role Lora will oversee the Girls Inc. staff, work in partnership with the national Girls Inc. organization, and provide the strategic vision and direction needed by the agency to serve girls ages 6-18 in the Indianapolis area in even more impactful ways. An experienced leader in Indianapolis, Lora will assume responsibilities on August 30, 2021.
In her previous role as the Director of Development at the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Lora served on the executive leadership staff team and worked closely with the International Board of Trustees to drive the vision and strategic priorities of the organization. She also provided fiduciary oversight and management, as well as developed and activated comprehensive fundraising and grant making strategies.
With more than 20 years of experience in global philanthropy and non-profit management Lora understands the challenges facing women and girls in our community and around the world.
“I have been and continue to be a strong advocate for issues facing women and girls. While the disparity in gender equity may be more outwardly apparent in other countries around the world, those issues are very real right here in our own community,” Hoover said. “Having dedicated my education and professional life to non-profit management, fundraising, and program implementation in youth-serving organizations both locally and globally, I am excited to represent and contribute to the ongoing success of Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis.”
Mary Kay Huse, Board Vice Chair led the Search Committee alongside of four additional Board members to identify a successor for Elyssa Campodonico-Barr, previous President & CEO of Girls Inc. from 2018 through 2021. Melissa Cotterill, Board Chair states, “Lora’s vast non-profit experience combined with her passion for empowering girls is a winning combination and made her the unanimous choice of our board of directors. We look forward to working with her to continue the growth and momentum of Girls Inc. Indy”
While at Kiwanis International, in partnership with UNICEF, Lora successfully led and completed a global fundraising campaign to support efforts to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus, as well as developed and implemented a multi-year sustainability and revenue growth plan for the Kiwanis Children’s Fund.
Lora holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies & Philosophy from Franklin College (Cum Laude) as well as a Master of Science degree in Higher Education Administration/Non-profit Management from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.