Merideth Erickson is a successful Grant Writing instructor, nonprofit consultant, and the Executive Director of River City Advocacy, Inc. in New Braunfels, Texas. Merideth graduated Cum Laude with both her Bachelor’s Degree (Union Institute & University) in Psychology and Master’s Degree (Argosy University) in Business Management. She is now ABD in the pursuit of her Ph.D. (Walden University) in Public Policy and Administration specializing in Nonprofit Management & Leadership conducting research on Consumer Operated Service Provider Boards of Directors in Texas.

Mrs. Erickson became the Executive Director of River City Advocacy, Inc. in January 2013 and has worked tirelessly to engage the community, raise funds, and write grants to help improve the organization from the inside out. In her tenure, Merideth has successfully increased programming, consumer traffic, referrals, and funding by 250%. She was honored as the Business Woman of the Year in 2010. Merideth is a member of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS). She holds memberships in several Honor Societies: Sigma Beta Delta (International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration), Tau Epsilon Alpha (National Honor Society for Human Services), and Golden Key International. She is the Treasurer of Alpha Chi. Merideth is a voting member on the board of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, and served as the Vice President for the Comal County Sexual Abuse Response Team 2012-13. Ms. Erickson is serving on the board of Homeless Coalition of Comal County, the Comal County Mental Health Task Force, is sitting on the Via Hope Stakeholder Committee, and is pleased to serve on the Community Leadership Council of the Center for Nonprofit Studies.

She holds certifications in Grant Writing, Nonprofit Leadership and Management, and Mental Health First Aid. Ms. Erickson is a guest columnist for the Herald Zeitung writing columns on mental health recovery programming and persistent mental illness. Merideth has been a keynote speaker on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and PTSD, the Lack of Maternal Involvement on Child Development, Mental Health Recovery, Peer Support and Mentoring, Community Collaborations, Grant Writing, Strategic Planning, Networking and Fundraising, as well as Leadership Development. Her hobbies include photography, writing poetry, cooking, running, and she enjoys spending time with her three children.

Brief statement why you have accepted appointment and what you would consider to have been a successful tenure when your term:

I am deeply honored and humbled by the invitation from Barry to serve on the CNS Leadership Council; he has been a wonderful example of leadership and source of support throughout my time as the Executive Director of River City Advocacy. I eagerly accepted this appointment in hopes that I would be able to be a positive influence throughout Central Texas. That being said, the nonprofit sector is where my passion lies, and I feel that I would not be a good steward of my knowledge if I did not share it. Another reason is that it is such a wonderful opportunity to be involved in the field of nonprofit development and programming to educate the current and future leaders in the field. With my service on the council, I hope that my knowledge and experience will help others in their journey toward success. Additionally, being able to serve with fellow nonprofit leaders and educators in an effort to have a positive impact through strengthening nonprofit practices in Central Texas is very rewarding. I feel that the integration and engagement with diverse perspectives enhances the process of establishing the CSN strategic initiatives. I thoroughly enjoy strategic planning, consulting, and working with others to achieve both personal and professional success. I am looking forward to working with all of the inspiring minds that are in the trenches with me in nonprofit leadership roles.

Brief statement on your sense of the Center’s impact for its first 15 years and its potential for future:

Over the last 15 years, the CNS has been working to strengthen nonprofits by providing valuable services and resources that are affordable. The center is able to provide professional development workshops, customized training, in-depth research, and more. Through direct participation and hands on learning knowledge is enhanced, and is much more engaging for the audience. Having been through trainings and certification programs through the CNS myself, I can say that I learned much more than I had anticipated. I gained a significant amount of knowledge, and also formed strong bonds with other nonprofit leaders and educators. I feel that the sky is the limit, and there is a bright future for the CNS. There is a great deal of potential for those participating on both sides of the table in the CNS, and I am looking forward to being an integral part of the future endeavors.