Orbis Appoints Kristie DeKoker as Chief Development Officer

NEW YORK, May 3, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Orbis announces the appointment of Kristie DeKoker as Chief Development Officer to lead the organization’s fundraising portfolio across the world. Her appointment is effective immediately.

Kristie first joined Orbis in August of 2014 as the Director of Major Gifts and was asked to establish and grow Orbis’s major gifts program in the U.S. Over time, Kristie’s portfolio grew to include the mid-level donors, monthly donors, online donations, planned giving and direct mail. In August of 2017, Kristie was promoted to Deputy Chief Development Officer.

In her new role as Orbis’s Chief Development Officer Kristie is charged with the global strategic leadership and coordination of fundraising efforts in the branch and affiliate offices, and the close oversight of all U.S. fundraising programs. She will spearhead a robust effort to grow and diversify the organization’s fundraising streams and raise overall revenue.

Prior to joining Orbis, Kristie was the chief fundraiser at the Touch Foundation where she oversaw all development activities including institutional partnerships and individual giving. At VillageCare, Kristie rose to become Director of Development and chief fundraiser. At VillageCare, Kristie increased funds raised by 100%; secured new corporate partners; and generated national television, print and online press, by engaging the fashion industry and reformatting VillageCare’s annual events.

Commenting on the appointment, Bob Ranck, President & CEO of Orbis, said, “I’m thrilled to be working closely with Kristie to expand our efforts to bring people together in the fight against avoidable blindness. The more money we can raise, the more good we can do where it’s needed most: training, mentoring and inspiring local eye health teams to save sight in their communities.”

Looking forward to her new challenge, Kristie DeKoker said, “I’m excited about the opportunity to bring our donors, board members and staff together to grow our fundraising so that Orbis can transform more lives through the gift of sight.”

About Orbis
Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of blindness for over 35 years to transform lives. Working in collaboration with local partners including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas. Orbis operates the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft and expands its training and mentorships worldwide through its telemedicine platform, Cybersight. To learn more about Orbis, please visit www.orbis.org.

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Silvana Vivas

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