Our Team

dbrown@cfvi.net  

Dee Baecher-Brown has served as President of the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands since April of 1996. In this role, she works closely with local and national donors and businesses, and the extensive network of nonprofits in the U.S. Virgin Islands, to address important issues affecting the Territory, prioritizing programs and services which enrich the quality of life on our islands, with particular attention to the needs of the most vulnerable residents. 

Under Dee’s leadership the Foundation has provided more than $52 million in grants, scholarships and services to the territory. Assets of CFVI have increased from the founding donation of $540,000 to more than $18 million in December 2020. And membership in the CFVI Angel donor’s program has grown to become the largest philanthropic network in the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Dee’s current professional and civic memberships include the USVI Governor’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Committee; the governing board of the Federal Regional Education Laboratory – Northeast and Islands (REL-NEI); the University of the Virgin Islands, Presidential Advisory Council; and the St. Croix and St. Thomas/ St. John Chambers of Commerce. 

Prior to moving to the Virgin Islands, Dee served as the Director of Volunteer Services at the Isabella Geriatric Center in New York City. She has extensive experience in youth development and education, and held leadership positions in New York City with the National Services Corporation’s City Volunteer Corps, and the Academy for Educational Development. 

She holds an MBA from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University; a bachelor’s degree from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY; a certificate in management of nonprofit organizations from New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service; and was an Educational Policy Fellow, Institute for Educational Leadership, Washington, D.C. 

Dee and her husband Richard are long-time members of the Jesters Carnival Troupe. She is an avid swimmer and especially enjoys the beauty of Magens Bay.  

soniab@cfvi.net

Sonia Barnes-Moorhead assumed the role of Vice President of Development and Capacity Building at the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) in August 2023. In this capacity, she provides leadership and strategic guidance aimed at fostering sustainable financial growth for the Foundation while simultaneously bolstering the capacity of the nonprofit sector within the territory.

Prior to her tenure at CFVI, Sonia served as the Executive Vice President of The Children’s Foundation at Astor for 16 years. In this role, she provided leadership in all facets of fund development, communications, public relations, and government relations activities.

Sonia's professional journey also encompasses over nine years as an Organizational Development Consultant, focused on organizational capacity development, research, fundraising, strategic planning, and relationship cultivation and management across the United States and the Caribbean.

Furthermore, Sonia brings with her years of experience as a grantmaker at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, where she served as a Program Officer in the Philanthropy & Volunteerism Funding area,  and a program officer at the Spunk Fund. Additionally, she worked as a Development Director at the United Negro College Fund where she worked on both the annual and capital campaigns.

Sonia holds an M.S. in Urban Policy and Management from the New School University in New York, as well as a B.S. in Business Economics and French from the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. She has also pursued doctoral coursework at Case Western University's Weatherhead School of Business in Cleveland, focusing her research on "Leadership and Management in the Nonprofit Sector," with a specific emphasis on the role of "Emotional Intelligence" in nonprofit management leadership.

Sonia enjoys hiking and traveling.

Photo credit: Bryan Firestone

susanc@cfvi.net

Susan Clark joined the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as the Accountant in January of 2019. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience, including holding the positions of Accountant and Finance & Credit Manager for a private corporation in Louisville, KY. Susan graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting from Bellarmine University.

Susan and her husband moved to St. Thomas in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in November of 2017. They now reside in Punta Gorda, Florida, where Susan works remotely. Working for CFVI has been a rewarding experience for her. Susan states that she sees daily the generosity of CFVI’s donors and the work that its community partners do for the families and children of the Virgin Islands. Being a part of these endeavors has been a blessing to her. 

seanl@cfvi.net

Sean Liphard joined the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands in October 2019 as the Communications Manager, where he oversees the Foundation's brand, communications, public relations, marketing, advertising, social media, and website.

With more than 25 years of experience, Sean's background has been primarily in healthcare marketing, communications and public relations. He moved to St. Thomas in 2016 after stints in D.C., San Diego and Atlanta with organizations such as Johns Hopkins Medicine, Scripps Health and Kaiser Permanente, and now resides in West Palm Beach, Florida where he works remotely. 

Sean holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of Florida and a master's degree in human resource management from DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management.

Outside of work, Sean enjoys spending time with his partner and their dogs, Sunny and Kai, as well as soaking up the sun while exercising, on a boat, or just relaxing at the beach.

bethn@cfvi.net 

Beth Nuttall joined the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands as the Office Administrator in January 2018 and is now the Director of Grants and Programs, where she assists with the management of grants and scholarships, donor relations, and finance. Beth enjoys working in the nonprofit field where she can see local community projects come to fruition and the positive impacts they have.  

Beth holds a bachelor's degree from Centenary College of Louisiana in business administration and worked for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. before moving to the U.S. Virgin Islands, and then to Texas where she works remotely. 

Outside of work, Beth enjoys spending time with her friends and family (and cat!), playing volleyball, and volunteering at a local animal shelter. 

unap@cfvi.net  

Una joined the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands in 2020 as the Accounting and Administrative Assistant and currently serves as Accountant. Her responsibilities include supporting the Controller, as well as some administrative duties. She has 17 years of experience as an Accounts Payable Manager and 13 years as a Payroll Manager.  

Una loves to sing and is a member of her church choir at Wesley Methodist Church and United Brothers and Sisters, another choir out of the same church. She is also a member of the Mass Choir, made up of members from Wesley, Christ Church and Trinity Methodist Church in St. Thomas. Una was born in St. Kitts and has lived in St. Thomas since 1972. 

jbrennan@cfvi.net

Jeanne Brennan Wiebracht, CPA has been active in the financial function of CFVI since 1999.  She currently serves as the Foundation’s VP of Finance and Administration.  In this role she provides oversight and leadership for the Foundation’s financial matters, working closely with the Finance and Investment Committees to ensure fiscal integrity at the Foundation.

Jeanne has over three decades of experience in accounting and auditing in the not-for-profit sector.  She holds a Master’s in Accounting from Pace University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Bucknell University.  She is a Certified Public Accountant and started her professional career in New York City with Price Waterhouse.  After relocating to the Virgin Islands in 1985, she accepted a position with Brammer, Chasen and O’Connell and later became partner in the public accounting firm Accounting Strategies Group, LLC. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virgin Islands Society of CPAs.

She and her husband Mathias are longtime resident of the Virgin Islands.  She is an avid audio book listener and enjoys most time with her family, friends and their dogs. 

matikajp@cfvi.net

Matika John Pierre is a Staff Accountant at the Foundation, where she began her journey as an intern. With a recent Master's degree in Accounting from the University of the Virgin Islands, she brings a strong academic background and a passion for numbers to her role.

In her current position, Matika works closely with the accounting team to record financial transactions and maintain the foundation's financial records. She also collaborates with the grants and programs teams, assisting in the management of the foundation's database systems.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, she enjoys exploring the natural beauty of the Virgin Islands, solving word games and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.