Our Staff

Chad Harris is an energetic executive leader and mentor with extensive experience in nonprofit and association management. Since 2018, Dr. Harris served as Chief Advancement Officer for Cornerstones of Care, a behavioral healthcare organization serving 16,000 children and families. He directed fundraising, community engagement, marketing, advocacy, and business development. As a member of the executive team, he helped execute three strategic plans, two capital campaigns, and multiple accreditation reviews. He also led the agency’s WIDE (Welcoming, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) Initiative and served as Interim President & CEO during a 2022 leadership transition.

Professional Background

• FarmHouse International Fraternity: Served 10 years as Executive Director, overseeing educational, leadership and career programming for 1,800 students across 50 campus-chapters in North America, ran the organization’s risk management program and provided programming and communications focused on engaging 25,000 alumni. During his tenure, he helped support the FarmHouse Foundation’s $25 million Live. Learn. Lead. capital campaign.
• Rooted Cause, LLC: Co-founder and Principal of this consulting firm, providing strategic planning, board governance, and fundraising expertise to national and regional nonprofits.
• Higher Education: Early career roles included positions with the Indiana University Foundation and the Wisconsin Alumni Association.

Education & Credentials

Dr. Harris holds an Ed.D. from the University of Missouri, where he researched servant leadership behavior in nonprofit board presidents. He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from BoardSource. He earned an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University and a B.S. in Political Science from Iowa State University.

Community Leadership

An active volunteer, Chad is the past board chair for the Iowa State University Alumni Association, AFP Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Society of Association Executives, Centurions Alumni Board and the Nelson-Atkins Museum Young Friends of Art.

In his personal time, he enjoys travel, photography, cooking, architecture, presidential history, and exploring National Parks.