Carrie Gray

Although I wasn’t aware of it at the time, I began preparing to be co-founder and principal of Burnam | Gray in my hometown of Columbus, Indiana where I joined Brownies in second grade. I worked my way through the Girl Scout program and as a freshman, attended a GS Wider Opportunity for four weeks in California exploring different cultures and learning about race and ethnic relations. I gained leadership skills and went on to earn my Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouting. I served on the local Girl Scout Council’s board of directors, and after graduating from Indiana University, joined the ranks of professional Girl Scouting.

That was my launch pad into a 30-year career working with and for people to build healthier families and stronger communities. Throughout my career, I have embraced challenges, delivered results, and built happy and productive teams. I have designed innovative programs and developed strategies for increased donor engagement, resulting in fundraising and development success for nonprofits. As a member of senior leadership teams, I have been responsible for multi-million dollar budgets, fundraising campaigns and communications plans.

My path has been circuitous and sometimes serendipitous taking me to small towns like Racine, Wisconsin, big cities like Boston and Seattle and growing metropolitan areas like Raleigh, North Carolina and San Antonio, Texas. It is an honor to now work as a social impact and nonprofit consultant, helping organizations strengthen and grow. I have learned something about myself and gained a notch on my professional tool belt in each city and in every position. My family has grown along the way and includes my husband, Christopher Lefelhocz and our two children, Julianne (23) and James (17).