Cheryl Katon, Vice President of Resource Development and Donor Engagement, is a proven leader who has employed strategic vision, creativity, and innovation throughout her nearly 30-year career in non-profit development.
Until recently, Katon has worked for Boy Scouts of America (BSA), where she presented at work under her masculine identity. Since 2010 she has been the executive director of Spirit of Adventure Council, a semi-autonomous BSA affiliate serving 12,000 youth and their families from 76 cities and town in eastern Massachusetts. Throughout her career she worked to unlock Scouting for all youth and helped lead changes in policies in part by developing an inclusive year round outdoor education model. Her leadership led to a multi-state collaboration of Scouting councils throughout New England to offer services to all youth. During her tenure as executive director of the Spirit of Adventure Council, where she oversaw a staff of 150 full time, part time and seasonal employees, Katon retired $2 million of organizational debt, increased funding for the organization, and employed new outreach and marketing to increase participation of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youth and their families.
Katon is also on the board of directors of Trans Club of New England and chaired First Event, the second largest transgender conference in the United States, in 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2019 she received the “LGBTQ+ People of Color Ally Award” from Get Konnected; that same year Trans Club of New England was awarded the “Black Trans Advocacy Award” from Black Trans Men, Inc.