Biography

Gwenn Heller-DellaPelle, Vice President, Development began her career in fundraising on Capitol Hill as a Finance Director for the Reagan-Bush White House in 1984. After traveling the country for several years organizing Presidential Dinners for U.S. Senate candidates from New York to Alaska and working as a Finance Director for Senate campaigns in North Carolina, Georgia, California and Nevada, she returned to her home state of New Jersey, and entered the non-profit development world by serving as the Director of the United Way of Passaic County. She then became the Director of Development and Public Relations for Visiting Health Services of New Jersey, Inc. and Passaic Valley Hospice for 18 years. There, she led annual fundraising campaigns, planned and managed special events and handled all of the PR for the agency. Gwenn also regularly interfaced with local, state and federal elected officials in managing public relations for the home health care agency and hospice. Before joining Cornerstone Family Programs, Gwenn held a variety of fundraising consulting positions, including first as a Trustee, and later as the Special Events Director for the New Jersey Hall of Fame Foundation beginning in 2009, after the Hall of Fame was created by the New Jersey Legislature. While at the Hall of Fame, Gwenn organized the annual induction ceremonies for 2300 people–a fundraising event held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where thousands of fans and supporters would honor inductees such as Bruce Springsteen, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Queen Latifah, Yogi Berra, Jack Nicholson, Buzz Aldrin, Frankie Valli, Jon Bon Jovi. During her tenure, she also led efforts on a capital campaign to fund the creation and operation of a New Jersey Hall of Fame Mobile Museum, which was designed by Hall of Fame inductee and world-renowned architect Michael Graves. She and her husband, Anthony, a local attorney and have lived in Morris Township for nearly 30 years, where they have raised three children, Jaime, David and Rachel.