CAP announced the appointment of Doug Walker as Vice President of Philanthropy, expanding its leadership team and positioning the organization for continued strategic growth. Walker started in his new role on September 5, 2023. In addition, CAP welcomed Jessie Brabender into her new position as Director of Leadership Giving on October 2.
As Vice President of Philanthropy, Walker leads the organization’s fundraising initiatives. He will further strengthen CAP’s impact on children’s lives and the greater good of the Jacksonville community by encouraging and celebrating CAP donors’ generous investment of financial resources and service.
“CAP’s team continues to grow stronger and stronger, and with the addition of Doug Walker I can’t wait to see what lies ahead as we move forward in our mission to empower every child’s creative spirit,” said CAP President and CEO Rev. Kimberly Hyatt.
For more than two decades, Walker has served in the field of education and held senior administrative positions in independent schools, where he led large and small teams in student services, admissions and marketing, human resources and institutional advancement. Following a 12-year tenure at The Bolles School that spanned various positions, including Associate Head of School, Walker served as the Director of Institutional Advancement at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, where he led all fundraising initiatives for eight years. In addition, he held the position of the Bishop’s Deputy for Advancement and Stewardship for nine years at the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. Most recently, Walker served as the Director of Advancement at Riverside Presbyterian Day School (RPDS). His responsibilities there included leading the school’s fundraising efforts and the launch of the groundbreaking Cornerstone Capital Campaign.
“I am honored to join CAP’s leadership team and engage in a successful collaboration with the Board to lead and strengthen a culture of philanthropy at CAP,” said Walker. “I am also grateful to Kimberly Hyatt for her trust in me and for providing me this opportunity to help further advance CAP’s important mission.”
Jessie Brabender joined the CAP team on October 2 as Director of Leadership Giving. In her new role, she will develop and guide CAP’s leadership donor program, support the Golf Committee volunteers in their planning activities, and secure important sponsorships for CAP’s annual Golf Tournament and Spring for the Arts.
Jessie came to CAP from the Flagler Health Care Foundation, where she first served as the Annual Giving Manager and was subsequently promoted to Development Director. Prior to these fund development roles at Flager Health Care, Jessie was a member of the development team at Flagler College, leading the annual giving program. Jessie received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Colorado College, where she participated in the institution’s annual fund phonathon appeal, supervising a team of student employees who achieved record-breaking goals.
“I am thrilled to become the newest addition to the philanthropy team. Having been inspired by CAP’s impactful work for a while now, I can’t wait to collaborate with the team and contribute to CAP’s wonderful mission,” said Brabender.
