The John R. Oishei Foundation Names Mark J. Scott as Vice President of Philanthropic Support

The John R. Oishei Foundation has named Mark J. Scott, Ph.D as Vice President of Philanthropic Support. Scott’s role will be to work closely with Foundation staff to strengthen and enhance the capacity and work of grantee organizations and community partners. He will also oversee the Foundation’s initiatives in leadership development, network building, and convening, most notably the Karen Lee Spaulding Oishei Fellowship for Leaders of Color, Community Conversations for Leaders of Color, and the Oishei Leader program. Scott succeeds Karen Lee Spaulding who will retire at the end of January.

The Niagara Falls native joins the Foundation with a strong background in nonprofit leadership, most recently as Chief Executive Officer at The Culinary Academy of Las Vegas where he led the nation’s largest joint-labor management hospitality training trust. In this role, he oversaw the development and deployment of workforce training programs for unionized frontline workers in the hospitality industry. Scott brings a deep skill set in strategic planning, team leadership, strategic financial planning, fundraising, program development and problem-solving to his new role.

Prior to that, Scott served as Executive Director of Campus Auxiliary Services for the State University of New York at Geneseo where he oversaw two self-supporting corporations that provide a multitude of non-academic campus services including restaurants and concessions, bookstore, vending, laundry, and recycling programs. He was also responsible for corporate support service departments including HR, Facilities, Marketing, Finance & Accounting, and more. In this role, he was responsible for 650 employees and more than $16 million in top-line operating and investment revenue.

Robert D. Gioia, President of the Foundation commented, “Mark brings a strong background in the nonprofit sector including deep experience in workforce development and education, and he also has a skill set that will be tremendously valuable for his role in capacity building with our grantees and partners. We believe he will be a wonderful addition to the Oishei team and will continue our deep commitment to the philanthropic support function and our ‘beyond grantmaking’ philosophy.”

Scott also had prior roles with Aramark Management Services as a District Manager in Healthcare and with Canisius College as the Assistant Director for Canisius Opportunity Programs for Education (COPE). He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and Policy and an MBA from Niagara University. In addition, he holds a BS in Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management from Cheyney University in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, the nation’s oldest HBCU.

While hired under Gioia’s leadership, incoming President Christina P. Orsi was also involved in the hiring process as the Foundation undergoes leadership change with Gioia’s upcoming retirement in late January. Karen Lee Spaulding, who originated the philanthropic support function under Gioia, was also deeply involved in the search for her successor.

The John R. Oishei Foundation enhances the economic vitality and quality of life for the Buffalo Niagara region through grantmaking, leadership and network building. Learn more at www.oishei.org.