Nikki Khurana-Baugh, Vice President for Advancement at Mount Saint Mary College, moderates the panel discussion during the “Partners in Purpose” forum. Seated from left to right are panelists Robbie O’Quinn, Lead Generation Specialist, BBG&G Advertising, Inc.; JoAnn Parker, director of Development, Foundation for Abilities First, N.Y.; Derrik Wynkoop, CEO of Walden Savings Bank; Christina Mazzarella, Senior Associate at Mackey, Catania, & Whalen LLP; and Kaysie Romana, Chief of Human Resources, Cornerstone Family Healthcare.
The Orange County Chamber of Commerce, the 2023-2024 NYS Chamber of the Year, held its first “Partners in Purpose: Forum on Non-profit and Business Collaboration” on Thursday, April 23 at Mount Saint Mary College.
The event brought together local business and non-profit leaders to discuss creating intentional synergies between the business and non-profit sectors to maximize community impact.
The forum featured a keynote presentation on artificial intelligence by Robbie O'Quinn, Lead Generation Specialist at BBG&G Advertising, Inc., followed by an expert panel discussion moderated by Nikki Khurana-Baugh, Vice President for Advancement at Mount Saint Mary College.
In his welcoming address, Dr. Robert Gervasi, President of Mount Saint Mary College, highlighted the deep connection between business logic and philanthropic mission, drawing from his own professional journey from classical scholarship to a career at Procter & Gamble.
“You have to have a business orientation no matter where you are, and you have to have a community orientation no matter where you are,” said Dr. Gervasi. “The Chamber is really ahead of the game by saying ‘we’re all in this together.’ To say that self-interest and altruism are permanently never the twain shall meet doesn't make sense. I no longer apologize for being very business oriented in the way I see the college, and I also no longer apologize for talking to my business friends about how you’ve got to be involved and make things better, especially to help people facing challenges they can’t overcome on their own.”
During her keynote, O’Quinn addressed the transformative potential of AI in marketing and fundraising, while clarifying the role of the user in the process.
“When you’re using these tools, remember that AI does not think,” she explained. “It finds and curates, and it matches patterns. You create the content, ideas, and the structure.”
The forum concluded with a panel discussion featuring leaders across the finance, healthcare, and legal sectors, including O’Quinn and:
- JoAnn Parker, Director of Development, Foundation for Abilities First, N.Y.
- Derrik Wynkoop, CEO, Walden Savings Bank
- Kaysie Romana, SHRM-CP, Chief of Human Resources, Cornerstone Family Healthcare
- Christina Mazzarella, Senior Associate, Mackey, Catania, & Whalen LLP
The event was made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: Mid-Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union, Mackey, Catania, & Whalen LLP, Walden Savings Bank, and Affinity by Molina Healthcare.
Orange County Chamber CEO Heather Bell also praised the dedication of the Chamber’s Non-Profit Committee, co-chaired by John Bell and Darshini Dakhara, for their work in bringing the “Partners in Purpose” vision to life.