Gary Community Ventures Adds VP of Legal & Finance, VP of Philanthropy

Jan. 24, 2023

GARY COMMUNITY VENTURES WELCOMES CAITLIN FINN, VP LEGAL & FINANCE, JILL HAWLEY, VP PHILANTHROPY

Finn and Hawley bring a wealth of knowledge and a diverse set of experiences steeped in equity that will strengthen Gary Community Ventures’ commitment to reshape the arc of opportunity for Colorado kids and families.

By Santhosh Ramdoss, Interim President and CEO

As we embark on a new year of partnership and possibilities, I am excited to do so alongside two new members of the Gary Community Ventures leadership team. I am honored to announce that Jill Hawley has joined as Vice President of Philanthropy and Caitlin Finn has joined as Vice President of Legal and Finance. Both Jill and Caitlin bring a wealth of knowledge and a diverse set of experiences steeped in equity that will strengthen Gary’s commitment to reshape the arc of opportunity for Colorado kids and families.

As Vice President of Philanthropy, Jill will lead a dynamic team focused on making high-impact, innovative grants across our outcome areas of Youth Success, School Readiness, and Family Economic Mobility. As she works to lead, manage, and grow Gary’s philanthropic portfolio, Jill will also help the team build proof points for a range of high-impact ventures that lead to transformative policy change as well as new collaborative programs and initiatives incubated within Gary.

Born and raised in Colorado, Jill brings a deep understanding of the challenges facing Colorado kids and families, particularly in the K-12 education space. Prior to joining Gary, Jill served as Senior Program Officer on the K-12 team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. While there she worked to advance college and career readiness outcomes through various grant portfolios, including personalized learning, networks for school improvement, and P-16 community investment. She also served as the Associate Chief of Academics at Denver Public Schools and as the Associate Commissioner of Achievement and Strategy at the Colorado Department of Education, where she oversaw the implementation of Colorado’s new academic standards, aligned assessments, early literacy, and educator effectiveness initiatives.

We are also excited to welcome Caitlin Finn as our new Vice President of Legal and Finance. Caitlin will play a critical role in ensuring that all of Gary’s assets, whether philanthropic, below-market, or market-rate, are managed in pursuit of our mission and values. Caitlin will lead a high-performing team of CPAs and legal professionals dedicated to implementing best practices and innovation in budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management, accounts payable, benefits & payroll, and grants management. As the compliance leader for the organization she will also oversee the legal and compliance needs of the full range of legal entities under Gary.

Caitlin comes to Gary from Concept3D, inc., a software company based in Denver, where she served as Vice President of Finance and Administration and General Counsel. Caitlin is also the co-founder of the Colorado Poverty Law Project, a Denver-based nonprofit with the mission of preventing homelessness through legal representation, education, and advocacy. Caitlin has served on the board of DAWN clinic and Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Clinic and currently serves on the board of the Colorado Poverty Law Project. 

Both Jill and Caitlin have already jumped in, and in Gary tradition, they are starting to dream up all kinds of new and ambitious ideas. We are excited for their leadership as well as that of the entire Gary team in our continued path to deliver ambitious outcomes for kids and families in 2023 and beyond.

Related Content