Deborah Breen

Deborah Breen served from 2012 - 2022 as the Inaugural President and CEO of Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation (AVHF) before relocating to the Inner Banks in North Carolina and starting her own private consulting practice, Sound Choice Consulting. Prior to AVHF, Deborah built and led a team at Northern Dutchess Hospital Foundation (NDHF) in Rhinebeck, New York, from 1999 - 2012, serving as that organization’s CEO and Chief Development Officer. In her new private consulting practice, she will continue to serve as a mentor, moderator, and educator, providing consulting services for executives, board members and employees of nonprofit organizations.

At both AVHF and NDHF, Deborah built and managed comprehensive development programs, which included work with grateful patients and physicians, annual giving programs, special events, major gifts, planned giving and grants. In addition, Deborah was also tasked with launching unprecedented capital campaigns at both organizations - a $10 million campaign at NDHF and a $60 million campaign at AVHF - and successfully concluded both, bringing her small, grassroots, community fundraising efforts over the $100 million mark. As CEO for both organizations, Deborah was also responsible for overall operations, which included board management, strategic planning, staffing, budgeting, financial reporting, benchmarking, compliance, marketing and community relations, as well as service as a member on both organizations’ executive teams.

Deborah holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the State University of New York, Plattsburgh, and has blended her unique background and understanding of accounting principles and standards with her foundation roles. These skills have served her well and she has been frequently tapped to lead discussions and educate colleagues and boards on reading financial statements, IRS compliance surrounding tax deductibility and acknowledgment of gifts and pledges, 990 reporting standards, budgeting and developing metrics that lead to a deeper understanding of how to interpret data and set strategic and meaningful goals that support the overall mission of the organization.

Deborah has dedicated over two decades of her career to working with small, independent hospitals under 100 beds. She has also sought out ways to give back to the communities where she has worked, serving in a variety of volunteer roles in other nonprofit organizations that are meaningful to her, including organizations that focus on children, animals, performing arts, conservation and economic development. She has also been an active Rotarian for over 20 years.