Our Team

Having served hundreds of organizations throughout the United States, the Demont team combines international experience with local knowledge, service, and commitment. The team brings valuable experience and perspective as past managers, directors, board members, and volunteers of not-for-profit organizations throughout the country. Our associates are dedicated to the profession; they are self-motivated with an entrepreneurial spirit and committed to creating a partnership between client personnel, volunteers, and counsel that promotes fundraising success to make a difference in the communities we serve.

Robert D. Demont, CFRE, President

Robert Demont founded Demont Associates in 1993 after 14 years with Ketchum Inc., one of the world’s largest fund-raising consulting companies. Starting as a Campaign Director, he was promoted several times to Regional Manager, served on the six-member executive committee of the parent firm, and was President of the New England division, consistently one of the top three of ten divisions in the international firm.

Today Bob focuses on New England conservation, youth, educational, and community organizations, having helped raise over $1,300,000,000 for 325+ institutions across the US, most of whom conducted capital campaigns in the range of $3,000,000 to $50,000,000. The success rate of his New England clients was recognized as the highest of any region served by his former employer in the entire country.

Previously, Bob served as Field Coordinator for US Representative William S. Cohen (Maine)’s successful US Senate campaign and was an independent marketing consultant. He was also a promotion manager, performer, and recruiter for the international educational organization Up with People. He is a past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Northern New England Chapter, was a faculty member of AFP’s First Course and Survey Course, and a guest lecturer at Lesley College. He has also completed the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by AFP in conjunction with the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. AFP-NNE honored Bob with its only Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding service in advancing ethical and professional standards in philanthropy.

Mr. Demont attended Cheverus High School and is a graduate of Yarmouth High School in Maine. He received his BA in economics from Bowdoin College, minored in education, and received the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award in recognition of his vision, humanity, and service to the college and community. He also attended Harvard University Extension and the University of Southern Maine for advanced studies in business and computer science.

A native of southern Maine, Bob now lives in Falmouth with his wife, Priscilla. Mr. Demont is the former Chair of the Board of Visitors of the University of Maine at Machias, former President of Yarmouth High School Alumni Association, and former President of the Board of Directors of Agawam Council, a private character-based camp in Raymond, Maine serving American youth since 1919. The Demonts are active users and supporters of four local land preserves run by not-for-profit conservation organizations.

Bob remains a development committee member at Camp Agawam in Raymond, Maine. He has chaired eight local, regional, and international campaigns. He has been an active volunteer and Class Capital Campaign Chair at his alma mater, Bowdoin College. Hiking, golf, and reading are his current primary pastimes.

John Lanham, MBA, CFRE, Vice President

John Lanham joined Demont Associates in the fall of 2016 following three years working with the international, not-for-profit organization Up with People. As Market General Manager, he supported logistics for host families, stage production, and travel for 5-month world tours of 100+ persons, developed trusted relationships with community sponsors in 10 countries spanning 3 continents, and managed educational workshops and community impact projects with sponsors such as the International Lions Club, Habitat for Humanity, The University of Arizona, public schools in Eskilstuna, Sweden, and government organizations throughout Mexico.

Following undergraduate work at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, John completed his MBA at the University of Denver (DU). While studying at DU, John worked directly with the Dean of the Daniels College of Business and the ethics department as the Graduate Assistant for Diversity and Inclusion to bridge cultural gaps between foreign and domestic students. He was awarded Business Graduate Student of the Year in the spring of 2016 for his work.

John’s Demont clients have included Camp O-AT-KA (Sebago, ME), Pierce Pond Watershed Trust (New Portland, ME), Hale Education (Westwood, MA), City Theater (Biddeford, ME), Burke Mountain Academy (East Burke, VT), Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (Exeter, NH), Timanous Foundation (Raymond, ME), Blue Hill Heritage Trust (Blue Hill, ME) and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (Kent, CT). He also has eight years’ experience with prospect research and donor database systems, including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge/NXT, Filemaker Pro, DonorPerfect, SalesForce, and wealth screening tools such as iWave.

As a result of John’s extensive travel, he has developed a deep appreciation for human connection and shared experiences. A native of Bangor, Maine, John is thrilled to reside in his home state to work with the communities he cares about most deeply and apply his passion for doing good work with good people of every cultural, ethnic, and philosophical background. John lives with his wife Alejandra and their eight-year-old super-mutt Francis in Saco, ME.

Joseph Cannon, Managing Director

As Managing Director, Joseph Cannon coordinates with both clients and Demont staff as he manages the firm’s day-to-day operations. With a broad range of experience in fast-paced, detail-oriented positions, he brings a combination of technical know-how and can-do attitude to the office. Prior to joining the Demont team in 2016, Joe was a Network Associate at Professional Disability Associates, a local business where he worked closely with doctors and accreditation staff to assist injured Mainers.

Joe graduated magna cum laude from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he earned his BA in psychology. Both his course of study and his time at Cheverus, Portland’s Jesuit preparatory high school, have instilled in him the value of being a “person for others”—a sentiment exemplified by the nonprofits he now serves. Joe is a lover of the outdoors, and makes frequent excursions to the many wooded trails and scenic beaches that the greater Portland area has to offer. Other interests of his include compelling fiction in all its forms, ornithology, board games, and, most recently, disc golf.

Caisil Weldon, CFRE, Associate

Caisil Weldon has 20 years’ experience in marketing and fundraising for national and local nonprofits and businesses. She brings to the Demont team extensive experience in project and donor prospect management, marketing and communications, event planning and implementation, corporate sponsorship management, and campaign and volunteer management.

Caisil has contributed her professional expertise to nonprofit organizations such as the American Heart Association, UVM Medical Center Foundation/Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Cabot Creamery Cooperative, Saxon Hill School, and WGDR-Goddard College. She joined Demont in 2015. Her Demont consulting clients have included Mad River Glen Cooperative/Stark Mountain Foundation (Waitsfield, VT); VTDigger (Montpelier, VT); Maine Coast Heritage Trust (Topsham, ME); Brandon Free Public Library (Brandon, VT); Burke Mountain Academy (East Burke, VT); Adirondack Land Trust (Keene, NY); St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (Middlebury, VT); Temple Sinai (South Burlington, VT); and Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (Kent, CT). She also has eight years’ experience with prospect research and donor database systems, including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge/NXT, Filemaker Pro, DonorPerfect, and wealth screening tools such as iWave, which she uses to counsel clients on CRM best practices for prospect screening and evaluation, volunteer management, and donor stewardship.

A New Jersey native, Caisil fell in love with the mountains of Vermont at an early age thanks to annual ski trips to Smuggler’s Notch Resort. She then attended St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vermont, where she graduated with a BS in business administration and minored in both marketing and journalism. Caisil received a Certificate in Professional Fundraising from Boston University in 2017, and subsequently became a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Living in Essex, Vermont with her husband and two active sons, Caisil and her family enjoy the beautiful Vermont landscape, doing everything from skiing, to mountain biking, to gardening, and watching numerous soccer matches. For the past six years, Caisil has volunteered for the Nordic Soccer Club as a team manager and recently served a term on the Essex Town School Board.

Erin Foley, Associate

Erin joins Demont as a recent graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. During her time as a student, she studied political science and anthropology and was heavily involved in campus extracurriculars. Erin had three valuable experiences at Mount Holyoke that shaped her professional aspirations and instilled a passion for the power of philanthropy.

First, Erin organized a student labor union. In this role she gained campaign-specific experience by creating strategic plans to deliver on short- and long-term organizational and capacity-building goals, ultimately earning 90% of support among student workers. Second, Erin worked as a study-abroad mentor, which taught her how to serve in an advising capacity. Here, she proudly facilitated the launch of Mount Holyoke’s first American Passport Initiative, through which she assisted 25 students in obtaining their first US adult passports. Finally, Erin interned for the district office of Maine’s US Congresswoman, Chellie Pingree. Being exposed to different needs from thousands of constituents honed her ability to provide personalized and effective responses while upholding Congresswoman Pingree’s mission.

Erin strives to make a positive difference in the lives of others. She knew joining Demont’s team would provide her with the ability to make a difference on a larger scale, especially for conservation and children's organizations. Erin is eager to deepen her understanding of and make meaningful connections with local and regional communities.

As an athlete, Erin finds fulfillment in giving back by coaching high school girls’ lacrosse. Growing up on the coast of Maine and spending summers on Cliff Island in Casco Bay, she has an appreciation for the outdoors. In warmer weather, you will likely find her on walks, at the beach, or in the ocean.

Cathy Coffman, Senior Associate

Cathy Coffman has 33 years of institutional advancement and not-for-profit counsel experience. She has worked with a broad range of clients, including social service agencies, environmental and scientific organizations, universities, and independent schools. Although Cathy has served many large institutions, such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, her particular interest is in assisting small to medium not-for-profit entities to improve their fundraising capacity, strengthen organizational leadership, and tell their story more effectively.

Cathy has held positions across the spectrum of not-for-profit advancement and management. She has led annual, capital and planned giving efforts, and her communications positions have ranged from lead public relations officer to publications editor. For 19 years, she served as both Director of Advancement and Chief Financial Officer at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine, and knows firsthand how staff at small institutions must wear and balance multiple hats. At Thornton Academy, positions held included Campaign Director, Annual Fund Director, Director of Public Affairs, and Alumni Director. In addition, she has experience in the roles of Managing Editor, Publications Editor, Science Writer and Editor, and Evaluation and Data Management Assistant. She also oversaw the building of Thornton’s new Middle School.

A graduate of both Ohio State University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she completed her doctoral coursework, Cathy now lives in Saco. There she has served on local community boards and efforts and enjoys volunteering in the summer at the Fifth Maine Museum.

Lauren Geiger, Senior Associate

Lauren Geiger’s association with Demont Associates spans 14 years and includes assignments with the Keewaydin Foundation (Salisbury, VT), The Mayhew Program (Bristol, NH), The League of NH Craftsmen (Concord, NH), Stowe Community Church (Stowe, VT), The Cathedral Church of St. Paul (Burlington, VT), Keene Family YMCA (Keene, NH), Franklin Medical Center (Greenfield, MA), Thomas Memorial Library (Cape Elizabeth, ME), Vermont Commons School (Burlington, VT), Green Mountain Club (Waterbury, VT), St. John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church (Stowe, VT), Boys & Girls Club of Burlington (Burlington, Vermont), Ohavi Zedek Synagogue (Burlington, VT), the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (Brunswick, ME), and Hale Reservation (Westwood, MA). She also worked with Demont Associates while serving as a volunteer for a capital campaign for the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum (St. Johnsbury, VT). During her tenure with the firm and in her previous positions, she has raised over $45 million in campaign, annual, and endowment funds.

Lauren served as Director of Development at Keewaydin Foundation in Salisbury, Vermont from 2014 to 2019. Prior to this, she served as Chief Advancement Officer at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont (2012 to 2014), and as Vice President of Demont Associates’ New England West division (2004-2012). Before joining Demont, she served as Executive Director of Kingdom County Productions in Barnet, Vermont, and as Director of External Relations for the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

While raising her daughter, Lauren served as a freelance writer and public relations consultant to organizations including Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Chelsea Green Publishing, Readers’ Digest Books, Scribner’s, Athenaeum Publishing, and The New York Public Library. Before moving to Vermont in 1991, she held public relations roles at organizations such as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, The New York Public Library, Macmillan Publishing Company, and St. Martin’s Press.

Sheri Leahan, Associate

Sheri provides expertise and training in capital campaign procedures and documentation, database assessments, and prospect research and analysis to client staff and Demont campaign directors and associates in addition to administering internal assessments and planning studies. She facilitates the setup of campaign offices and campaign office management training, specifically on gift and acknowledgment procedures, database management, coding and report writing, prospect and foundation research, and campaign communications materials and cultivation events.

Sheri has served as a Demont associate on numerous capital campaigns throughout New England, and as the firm’s marketing coordinator. She has significant institutional leadership and management experience, including being the former Director of the Washburn-Norlands Living History Museum in Livermore, Maine, where she led the organization through a significant time of transition and rebuilding. Previously, she served as Curator of the Senator Margaret Chase Smith Library and Museum in Skowhegan, Maine, and as Director of the Noyes House Museum in Morrisville, Vermont. Sheri has provided development, grant writing, strategic planning, and other marketing and educational services to a variety of museums such as the Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center (Skowhegan, ME), Rokeby Museum (Ferrisburgh, VT), Southport Historical Society/Henricks Hill Museum (Southport, ME), William Seward House (Auburn, NY), Plymouth Plantation (Plymouth, MA), the New York State Historical Association (Cooperstown, NY), and Maine Historical Society (Portland, ME).

Sheri has served on the Board of Directors for the New England Museum Association and the Maine Archives and Museums Association. She earned an MA in history museum studies through the Cooperstown Graduate Program at the State University of New York College at Oneonta, after attaining a BA in history from the University of Southern Maine. She lives in the foothills of Western Maine and enjoys frame drumming, camping, letterboxing, and exploring the trails with her husband and dog, a Great Pyrenees mix named Amos.

Mari Mattuchio, Bookkeeper

Mari Mattuchio joined Demont Associates in early 2019, with five years' experience in banking and 13 years in accounting. She was a full-charge office manager of a small construction company for eight years before becoming an accountant for a golf course, aligning with Demont's number one pastime of hitting the links. Mari originally hails from Chicago, and moved to Maine in 2003 with her husband Ryan, a Kennebunkport native. She has two beautiful daughters, Matti and Ria.

Mari received her AA from the Community College of the Florida Keys and her BA from the University of Southern Maine. She enjoys volunteering at Wells Elementary School, Girls on the Run, and Dress a Girl. In her free time, she is an avid runner, currently working on her second Ultra Event.

Laura Young, Senior Associate

Laura has over 30 years of extensive professional development, donor engagement, family philanthropy, marketing, and public relations skills. She is experienced as both a funder and a fundraiser. For the past 18 years, she was Vice President of Philanthropy at the Maine Community Foundation, overseeing the statewide organization’s advancement and communications/marketing efforts. She and her team annually brought in $40–$60 million to help strengthen Maine philanthropy.

Laura is a strategic thinker and great listener. In addition to strategizing with philanthropic donors to help them fulfill their charitable goals through Maine Community Foundation, Laura launched campaigns with community volunteers to successfully build permanent county funds throughout the state and provided fund-raising counsel to land trusts and other nonprofit organizations to help them build new organizational endowment funds. Laura was also an active member of the Amelia’s Group, which consisted of vice presidents of philanthropy for the largest community foundations in the nation, to collectively research and discuss best practices in fundraising and donor engagement.

Prior to her time at the Maine Community Foundation, Laura was Senior Vice President at Demont Associates. For nearly 10 years, she provided on-site capital campaign counsel and associate supervision, and was integral to setting the company’s high standards for planning studies, institutional assessments, and capital campaign counsel. Laura’s unique and valuable perspective has developed through her experiences on a wide array of local and national campaigns.

Earlier in Laura’s career, she spent seven years working on campaigns and donor development strategies on a national level in Washington, DC, with senator George Mitchell and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Laura is a graduate and former trustee of Bates College, serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, and is an active Portland Rotarian. Laura previously served as a Board member for the Center for Grieving Children and the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Northern New England chapter.

Additional Demont Partners

Thomas W. Smith, CFP ®, Planned Giving Consultant

Tom Smith is a private consultant in planned giving with more than 40 years of development experience, both as a manager, front-line fundraiser, and consultant specializing in major and planned gifts. His private and independent sector work, together with his extensive knowledge of financial planning and tax issues, have resulted in more than $125 million in planned and major gifts at numerous nonprofits throughout the United States.

Mr. Smith was formerly Senior Philanthropic Advisor at The Vermont Community Foundation. His additional experience includes Director of Gift and Estate Planning at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, and various development roles at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont. Tom has been a presenter for various groups including NSFRE (AFP), NACUBO, NCPG (CGP) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Some of his presentations have appeared in print in CASE Currents, The Journal of Gift Planning, and Planned Giving Today. Prior to his career in development, Tom was a language professor on the college level.

Tom has an AB degree from Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio, and an MA degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana. In 1986, he received his certified financial planner designation from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, Colorado. He currently resides in Ripton, Vermont.

Catherine Ruby, Educational Consultant and Speaker

Catherine Ruby is an executive with a unique combination of business, nonprofit, and school experience ranging from urban educational settings to Fortune 100 corporations. Her background includes leadership and management roles in corporations and educational institutions where she has led program design, development and assessment as well as professional development, coaching, and direct instruction. With a reputation for entrepreneurial energy, she is known for creating solutions that exceed expectations.

Catherine possesses a keen ability to maximize the capacity of people and organizations by working collaboratively to develop clear goals and outcomes and using innovative strategies that support engagement and development. Recent organizations to whom she has provided volunteer solicitor training include Camp O-AT-KA (Raymond, ME), Cape Elizabeth Land Trust (Cape Elizabeth, ME), Maine Coast Heritage Trust (Topsham, ME), Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy (Kent, CT), Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire (Exeter, NH), and Keewaydin Foundation (Salisbury, VT). Catherine has also supported the Keewaydin Dunmore and Songadeewin camps with professional development for their staff and counselors to develop better connection with their campers.

Using highly interactive best practices combined with her passion and belief in the potential for growth and increased achievement, Catherine has excelled in her mission to support capacity building in individuals and institutions. She helps others become more comfortable and confident as they take on new and challenging tasks. Catherine’s experiences in educational and corporate arenas have contributed to her passion in helping others develop tools and strategies to effectively support change.

Catherine lives with her husband in Windham, Maine and Tarpon Springs, Florida. When not working, Catherine enjoys hiking, kayaking, boating, daily walks in the woods and time with her children and four grandsons.

Craig Freshley, Strategic Planning Consultant and Facilitator

Craig Freshley is a professional speaker, author, and meeting facilitator with an inspiring attitude and a well-earned reputation for helping groups to be efficient, harmonious, and productive. He works with a wide range of clients of all sizes and in all sectors, including many nonprofits for which he has provided strategic counsel and helped to get focused and organized prior to launching a capital campaign.

Craig is the owner of a Good Group Decisions, Inc. and the author of The Wisdom of Group Decisions. He has professionally facilitated over 3,000 meetings, helping groups of all kinds address challenging issues in practical, visionary, and sustainable ways. He has also published hundreds of videos, tips, and handouts on his website on all aspects of group dynamics. Craig understands the value of getting clarity on exactly what an organization seeks to achieve, and why.

Craig has bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy from the University of Maine and a master’s degree in public policy and management from the Muskie School for Public Service. He has worked for the Maine State Planning Office and for the Maine Development Foundation. He has extensive experience in public policy development with special expertise in community indicators, environmental policy, downtown revitalization, education policy, and healthcare policy. His research and writings serve as valuable resources for government, nonprofit, corporate, and community leaders.

Learn more about Craig here, including a list of clients and testimonials.

Joel Osgood, Videographer

Joel Osgood is a freelance videographer living in North New Portland, Maine. He graduated from Syracuse University’s New House School of Communications with a BS in television, radio, and film in 2001.

Joel produces web videos, commercials, corporate videos, and live events. He works as a grip and gaffer for multiple local and national production companies such as The History Channel and the National Geographic Channel. Other grip credits include the films See Girl Run, and 48-Hour Film Festival best film winners A Brief Case of Love and Flippy Day. In addition to grip work, he is hired as a camera operator, teleprompter operator, and production coordinator.

Joel is a skier, golfer, and outdoorsman. In the winter he speeds down the slopes and produces ski videos for Sugarloaf Mountain.