Ellen Trappey
Associate Director of Major Gifts at Curtis Institute of Music- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Gerri Trooskin
Ellen brought a thoughtful and enthusiastic energy to her work at The Franklin Institute. Ellen’s collaborative and people-first mindset positioned the Institute in developing countless partnerships with organizations across the region—she was the driving force behind the award-winning partnership with the Hunting Park Community Science Network. Ellen is driven by an organization’s mission and works to apply her unique brand of wonder and whimsy to every event she produces. Ellen is a gem—she has a magnetic and memorable personality and forms collaborative working relationships better than anyone I’ve encountered in my career. She is an asset to any team.
Cat Aboudara
A main reason I took the job at the Franklin Institute was to have a small part in the Philadelphia Science Festival. It is one of the most successful science festivals in the country and a lot of that is because of the creativity, connections and can do spirit of Ellen Trappey, who produced it. Ellen is a dream teammate to work with - she is upbeat, funny, personable and intelligent. I often sought her out for advice or a sounding board when I was stuck because I knew she could see the best big picture. She was a great leader and mentor for the science festival team and ran it both with vision and structure but also with a lot of empathy. I don’t quite know how she did it but she always had time and patience for a partner, volunteer, or staff member that needed it which created a unifying feel of that we were all in this together. I really admire Ellen in her approach to producing events while valuing and supporting her team and serving her audience. She takes it seriously but approaches it with a lightness and charisma that is energizing to be around. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again. She also would be an incredible asset to any team as she is a joy to work with.
Gerri Trooskin
Ellen brought a thoughtful and enthusiastic energy to her work at The Franklin Institute. Ellen’s collaborative and people-first mindset positioned the Institute in developing countless partnerships with organizations across the region—she was the driving force behind the award-winning partnership with the Hunting Park Community Science Network. Ellen is driven by an organization’s mission and works to apply her unique brand of wonder and whimsy to every event she produces. Ellen is a gem—she has a magnetic and memorable personality and forms collaborative working relationships better than anyone I’ve encountered in my career. She is an asset to any team.
Cat Aboudara
A main reason I took the job at the Franklin Institute was to have a small part in the Philadelphia Science Festival. It is one of the most successful science festivals in the country and a lot of that is because of the creativity, connections and can do spirit of Ellen Trappey, who produced it. Ellen is a dream teammate to work with - she is upbeat, funny, personable and intelligent. I often sought her out for advice or a sounding board when I was stuck because I knew she could see the best big picture. She was a great leader and mentor for the science festival team and ran it both with vision and structure but also with a lot of empathy. I don’t quite know how she did it but she always had time and patience for a partner, volunteer, or staff member that needed it which created a unifying feel of that we were all in this together. I really admire Ellen in her approach to producing events while valuing and supporting her team and serving her audience. She takes it seriously but approaches it with a lightness and charisma that is energizing to be around. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again. She also would be an incredible asset to any team as she is a joy to work with.
Gerri Trooskin
Ellen brought a thoughtful and enthusiastic energy to her work at The Franklin Institute. Ellen’s collaborative and people-first mindset positioned the Institute in developing countless partnerships with organizations across the region—she was the driving force behind the award-winning partnership with the Hunting Park Community Science Network. Ellen is driven by an organization’s mission and works to apply her unique brand of wonder and whimsy to every event she produces. Ellen is a gem—she has a magnetic and memorable personality and forms collaborative working relationships better than anyone I’ve encountered in my career. She is an asset to any team.
Cat Aboudara
A main reason I took the job at the Franklin Institute was to have a small part in the Philadelphia Science Festival. It is one of the most successful science festivals in the country and a lot of that is because of the creativity, connections and can do spirit of Ellen Trappey, who produced it. Ellen is a dream teammate to work with - she is upbeat, funny, personable and intelligent. I often sought her out for advice or a sounding board when I was stuck because I knew she could see the best big picture. She was a great leader and mentor for the science festival team and ran it both with vision and structure but also with a lot of empathy. I don’t quite know how she did it but she always had time and patience for a partner, volunteer, or staff member that needed it which created a unifying feel of that we were all in this together. I really admire Ellen in her approach to producing events while valuing and supporting her team and serving her audience. She takes it seriously but approaches it with a lightness and charisma that is energizing to be around. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again. She also would be an incredible asset to any team as she is a joy to work with.
Gerri Trooskin
Ellen brought a thoughtful and enthusiastic energy to her work at The Franklin Institute. Ellen’s collaborative and people-first mindset positioned the Institute in developing countless partnerships with organizations across the region—she was the driving force behind the award-winning partnership with the Hunting Park Community Science Network. Ellen is driven by an organization’s mission and works to apply her unique brand of wonder and whimsy to every event she produces. Ellen is a gem—she has a magnetic and memorable personality and forms collaborative working relationships better than anyone I’ve encountered in my career. She is an asset to any team.
Cat Aboudara
A main reason I took the job at the Franklin Institute was to have a small part in the Philadelphia Science Festival. It is one of the most successful science festivals in the country and a lot of that is because of the creativity, connections and can do spirit of Ellen Trappey, who produced it. Ellen is a dream teammate to work with - she is upbeat, funny, personable and intelligent. I often sought her out for advice or a sounding board when I was stuck because I knew she could see the best big picture. She was a great leader and mentor for the science festival team and ran it both with vision and structure but also with a lot of empathy. I don’t quite know how she did it but she always had time and patience for a partner, volunteer, or staff member that needed it which created a unifying feel of that we were all in this together. I really admire Ellen in her approach to producing events while valuing and supporting her team and serving her audience. She takes it seriously but approaches it with a lightness and charisma that is energizing to be around. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again. She also would be an incredible asset to any team as she is a joy to work with.
Credentials
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Licensed Professional Counselor
The State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional CounselorsOct, 2009- Sep, 2024 -
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Maryland Board of Professional CounselorsOct, 2010- Sep, 2024 -
Licensed Professional Counselor
Health Professional Licensing AdministrationAug, 2010- Sep, 2024
Experience
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Curtis Institute of Music
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United States
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Music
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1 - 100 Employee
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Associate Director of Major Gifts
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Jun 2022 - Present
After less than six months at Curtis, I was promoted to design, implement, and direct an integrated and comprehensive stewardship program that recognizes and appreciates donors at all giving levels. This also involves supervising a full-time stewardship manager, and leading the team responsible for re-developing the institute’s recognition society, Curtis Circles. When this program launches officially in June 2023, I will serve as the primary manager. In addition to maintaining a caseload of 100+ donors, I also direct all aspects of the institute’s Fellowship Program. This involves working with all Curtis students to ensure they are matched with an individual scholarship, and facilitating meaningful connections between the students and the donors who support their educations.
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Individual Giving Officer
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Jan 2022 - Jun 2022
As an Individual Giving Officer, I am responsible for maintaining and repairing relationships with existing supporters of the institute and identifying and building connections with new donors. It has been a delight to help supporters accomplish their philanthropic goals through a relationship with the school.
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MuseumExpert.org
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United States
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Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
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Co-Founder & Secretary of the Board of Directors
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Jun 2020 - Present
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, my co-founder and I created MuseumExpert.org, a 501(c)(3) corporation, to address the employment crisis caused by sweeping layoffs in the museum field. What started as an online platform to connect unemployed professionals to employment opportunities has grown into an organization that nurtures the skills of professionals from all types and sizes of museums and in all museum-related disciplines. The goal is to foster a community where individuals can learn from each other, share insights and experiences, and thrive in a supportive, collegial environment. The overarching goal of MuseumExpert.org is to aid museum professionals in exploring their opportunities during a challenging time and, simultaneously, fostering resilience by recognizing the long-term and wide-ranging value of museum-based talent and experience.
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Thomas Jefferson University
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Senior Director, Alumni Relations | Office of Institutional Advancement
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Dec 2020 - Jan 2022
In this role, I was responsible for creating programs and events that encouraged alumni to engage in ways that deepened their connections with each other and the Jefferson Enterprise. These programs ranged from lifelong learning programs to wellness programs to social networking opportunities. Additionally, I initiated and stewarded relationships between the Office of Alumni Relations and the East Falls campus community that built trust and engagement with our division, and identified and cultivated prospective donors to support the work of colleagues in the Office of Institutional Advancement.
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The Franklin Institute
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United States
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Museums, Historical Sites, and Zoos
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100 - 200 Employee
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Managing Officer | Festival & Public Events
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Nov 2018 - Mar 2020
In this role, I maintained oversight of the Philadelphia Science Festival and led a team of five full- and part-time professionals and four consultants to produce 100+ annual public events for the museum. Responsibilities included the management of program budgets that amounted to $850,000 and initiating the development of a new program called Engineered Eats, which cultivated new partnerships and business opportunities for the museum. This collaborative city-wide program aimed to showcase the expanse of science in food and involved the recruitment of over 45 restaurants, bars, and cafes to participate, and the guidance of our internal teams in the development of promotional materials and marketing strategy.
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Assistant Director | Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives
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Apr 2016 - Nov 2018
While serving in this capacity, I directed the Philadelphia Science Festival, a nine-day, 65+ event, region-wide, annual celebration of science. This included leading a team of full- and part-time staff and four consultants per year and managing cross-departmental teams to ensure all stakeholders (including over 100 corporate and community partners) met deadlines necessary to produce the festival. Additionally, I planned and facilitated monthly webinars for festival planners that included participants from the US, Canada, and Great Britain and covered topics relevant to informal science festival and event planning.
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Manager | Strategic Partnerships
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Aug 2015 - Apr 2016
In this role, I was responsible for the programmatic participation of external partners in the annual Philadelphia Science Festival, and I cultivated beneficial relationships that garnered 150-200 partnering organizations for the museum. I developed communication guides and festival involvement resources for the museum, and hosted a monthly engagement webinar series, and designed online resources for festival producers and the Science Festival Alliance. I also created a service-learning partnership with Drexel University and taught a section of CIVC 101, a course covering key concepts and frameworks for understanding civic engagement, and provided opportunities for students to connect classroom learning with real-world experiences.
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Specialist | Community Programming
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Dec 2012 - Aug 2015
As the Community Programming Specialist, I provided strategic direction for community-engagement programs for The Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Science Festival. This included the production of informal science engagement events across the city in libraries, parks, community centers, cemeteries, historic homes, universities, and museums. Additionally, I leveraged funding from the National Science Foundation to deliver events that engaged historically hard-to-reach populations in science. I also pioneered the founding of the Hunting Park Community Science Network, a group of non-profit organization representatives and community stakeholders who came together to provide science events to an under-resourced neighborhood.
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Private Practice
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Professional Training and Coaching
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1 - 100 Employee
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Licensed Professional Counselor
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Jan 2011 - Jun 2012
As a therapist in private practice, I employed evidence-based techniques to provide support and mental health counseling to a caseload of individual and couple clients. Additionally, I served as a psychotherapist for students at the University of California's DC Center. As a therapist in private practice, I employed evidence-based techniques to provide support and mental health counseling to a caseload of individual and couple clients. Additionally, I served as a psychotherapist for students at the University of California's DC Center.
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Johns Hopkins University
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United States
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Hospitals and Health Care
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1 - 100 Employee
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Assistance Clinician
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Aug 2010 - Mar 2012
In this role, I delivered brief counseling for staff, faculty, and graduate students and provided risk management assessments and consultative services to management and senior leadership of the Johns Hopkins Institutions. In this role, I delivered brief counseling for staff, faculty, and graduate students and provided risk management assessments and consultative services to management and senior leadership of the Johns Hopkins Institutions.
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University of Pennsylvania
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Associate Director, Alcohol & Other Drug Program Initiatives
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Mar 2009 - Aug 2010
In this position, I was responsible for providing brief interventions and ongoing counseling to students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. I also developed and implemented substance abuse harm reduction and educational programming and fostered collaborative relationships within the Division of University Life, College Housing, Student Health Services, and Academic Services to ensure that students received comprehensive services. In this position, I was responsible for providing brief interventions and ongoing counseling to students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. I also developed and implemented substance abuse harm reduction and educational programming and fostered collaborative relationships within the Division of University Life, College Housing, Student Health Services, and Academic Services to ensure that students received comprehensive services.
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Saint Joseph's University
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United States
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Higher Education
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Program Director, Prevention & Intervention of Substance Abuse
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Jul 2006 - Mar 2009
When hired to be the Counselor and Prevention Specialist in 2006, I was responsible for delivering counseling services to undergraduate students and for developing harm reduction presentations and educational activities for students and parents. I was promoted to Program Director in 2008 and assumed strategic, operational, and fiscal management of the University’s substance use intervention and education program. When hired to be the Counselor and Prevention Specialist in 2006, I was responsible for delivering counseling services to undergraduate students and for developing harm reduction presentations and educational activities for students and parents. I was promoted to Program Director in 2008 and assumed strategic, operational, and fiscal management of the University’s substance use intervention and education program.
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Millsaps College
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United States
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Higher Education
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200 - 300 Employee
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Coordinator, Wellness Education & Leadership Development
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Sep 2004 - Jul 2006
While at Millsaps, I developed and implemented a Wellness Education Program on campus once I identified a need for health-related education for students. This included researching and creating programming on topics that supported well-being, including suicide prevention awareness and intervention, sexual assault response, substance abuse intervention, eating disorder awareness, time management, and stress reduction. Additionally, I managed the recognition and compliance of 82 student organizations on campus, planned the first annual Student Engagement Awards Ceremony, and oversaw the leadership development program.
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Lynchburg College
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United States
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Graduate Assistant
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2002 - 2003
In this role, I advised the Student Activities Board, a group of students that planned concerts, trips, movie nights, and other engagement opportunities for the campus community. Additionally, I planned and coordinated World AIDS Awareness Day activities. In this role, I advised the Student Activities Board, a group of students that planned concerts, trips, movie nights, and other engagement opportunities for the campus community. Additionally, I planned and coordinated World AIDS Awareness Day activities.
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Education
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2002 - 2004
Lynchburg College
Master of Education (MEd), Community Counseling -
1998 - 2002
Millsaps College
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Community
