Foundation Staff

Executive Director of Philanthropy

Deb joined St. Mary’s in September of 2021 after serving as the Director of Advancement at Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn. She and her husband, Mark, served as the co-Chairs of the Making an Impact Capital Campaign for St. Mary’s that saw the completion of the Pediatric and Adult Behavioral inpatient units as well as the new Infusion Center.

She is a lifelong resident of Lewiston-Auburn and is proud to serve the community she grew up in and is passionate about connecting the needs of the St. Mary’s Healthcare System to resources through philanthropy. She has a BA in English from Saint Anselm College and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine.

Deb and her husband live in Lewiston and have 4 children, Mark, Jr., Connor, Katherine, and Kellen.

Senior Vice President & President
Covenant Health Foundation

J. Bradford Coffey joined Covenant Health and St. Mary’s in 2015, and serves as Senior Vice President & President of Covenant Health Foundation.  In his role, Brad is responsible for leading all philanthropic activity within Covenant Health’s member organizations.  At St. Mary’s he helped lead the recent capital campaign.

Prior to joining Covenant Health, Brad held the title of Vice President for EMHS (Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems) Foundation, where he led philanthropy efforts to build a new adult cancer center, pediatric cancer center, multiple sclerosis center and new inpatient tower.  He is known among his peers for his ability to communicate complicated concepts in straightforward and compelling language, and he is well respected by leaders in Maine and throughout New England.

Brad began his career in philanthropy at the University of Maine Foundation in 2001 after nearly a decade of practicing law.  Brad has received many service awards and recognitions dating back to the early 1990s.  He is a licensed Maine attorney, and he has been very involved in his community, including serving as president of the Maine Planned Giving Council and the Bangor Rotary Club, and board chair of Shaw House and treasurer of the Maine Conservation Voters.  He and his wife, Elizabeth, are the proud parents of three children.

Director, Resource & Strategy Development
Covenant Health Foundation

Susan is responsible for executing a comprehensive philanthropy program for Covenant Health’s post-acute care facilities and leading operations and strategic planning for the Covenant Health Foundation. Previous roles include Vice President at Graham-Pelton Consulting, a global non-profit management consulting firm. Service to clients included executive coaching, development assessments, campaign studies, campaign management, performance management and strategic planning.

Susan also served Saint Anne’s Hospital in multiple vice president roles, including Vice President, Development, providing strategic and operational leadership of philanthropy and as Vice President for Mission/Community Partnerships, providing leadership of Mission, Faith Community Nursing, Continuing Medical Education, Community Benefits, Volunteer Services and a residential program for individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
Susan received her BA in psychology from Bridgewater State University and completed a graduate program in Executive and Organizational Coaching in the School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas.

When not deriving joy from her work, Susan is most happy sharing time and adventures with her family and friends, working out, traveling and cooking.

Director of Annual Giving & Stewardship
Covenant Health Foundation

Erin joined Covenant Health Foundation in 2020 and oversees the Annual Fund for all Covenant Health member organizations.

Erin earned her master’s in International Development and Social Change from Clark University and her undergraduate degree from Niagara University.

She works remotely from her home in Massachusetts where she resides with her husband, Paul, and their cat, Sennie.

Grants Manager

Chelsea joined the Foundation Office at St. Mary’s in May 2024 as the Grants Manager; identifying grant opportunities and creating grant proposals for the organization.

Chelsea is working towards her Master’s in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University, and brings to St. Mary’s a background in grant writing and program management in both the government and nonprofit sectors.

Chelsea is based in Western Maine where she spends her time skiing, paddling and enjoying the outdoors.

Director of Grants Administration

Karen joined the Foundation in 2018 in the newly created Grants Associate role in Nashua. In 2021, she became the Grants Manager, as well as the grants administrator for Covenant Health’s Post-Acute Care facilities. In 2024, Karen became the Director of Grants administration supporting the grant writers for all of our facilities and continuing to write for St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua and the Post-Acute Care Facilities.

With 20 years of administrative and fundraising experience in non-profit settings, including Brown University and her alma mater Clark University, Karen now enjoys the more focused aspect of grantmaking and management as it supports an organization’s fundraising goals.

In addition to her B.A, Karen holds a Master’s in Museum Education, and is trained as an English Language Teacher to Adults, where she previously served as an instructor to diplomatic staff at the United Nations in New York City.

Karen works remotely from her home in Southern New Hampshire. In addition to local hiking and traveling with her husband and son, reading any kind of historical fiction and engaging Fergus, their 2-year-old border collie/poodle mix, occupies her free time.