A Direct Solution is pleased to be working with several Development Associates and partners, with their different specialties, which makes the agency as flexible as possible to serve our clients best.

Profiles of the full A Direct Solution Team follows:
Erica Waasdorp, President
Sue Belekewicz, Development Associate
Sara Fleck, Development Associate
Laura McMahon, Development Associate
Michaela Miteva, Development Associate
Christiane Perry, Development Associate

Erica Waasdorp, President, A Direct Solution

Erica lives and breathes direct response and fundraising and can be considered a Philanthropyholic. Building partnerships and trying to find the best solution for members and donors and thus clients' needs are what Erica does best. Her multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience are of added value to those clients interested in raising money internationally and her experience in monthly giving has given her an edge for those clients who are ready to embark on this way of giving.

Erica Waasdorp started A Direct Solution in December of 2003 with more than twenty years of experience in direct marketing, from both sides of the desk, on the client side and the agency side. She has since worked with numerous non-profit clients on and off-Cape.

A Direct Solution provides part-time fundraising executive support to organizations and manages events, writes grants and focuses on annual fund campaigns. In addition, ADS supports clients with request for proposals for outsourcing of their activities. Finally, Erica Waasdorp and her agency develop and execute training sessions and presentations to small and large nonprofit groups.

Before starting her own business, Erica was Vice President Fundraising at DMW, a direct response fundraising agency in Plymouth. She was responsible for new business development, strategy and tactical execution. She helped her clients raise millions of dollars, acquiring and retaining thousands of their donors and members as well as starting and building sustainer programs.

On the client side, she was with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for seven years, last as Marketing Manager of Planned/Committed Giving. She raised $18 million a year (increased from $5 million) and directed acquisition, donor, monthly giving, major-donor and planned-giving programs in seven countries: US, Canada, UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia and South Africa. Her upgrade strategy for the monthly giving program in the UK won IFAW and their telemarketing agency the Gold UK DMA award and the Gold FEDMA Award in 1998.

Prior to working at IFAW, she worked with several companies in the Netherlands, including Readers Digest, Kluwer Academic Publishers and Reed Elsevier Seminars. Erica Waasdorp has a Marketing degree from Limburg Business College in the Netherlands as well as a degree in Public Relations (from the Dutch Public Relations Association NGPR) and Advertising from the International Advertising Association (IAA). Besides English, Erica Waasdorp speaks four other languages: Dutch, German, French and Spanish.

Erica Waasdorp writes, edits and advises various direct-marketing and national and international fund raising publications. She has written various articles about monthly giving, international fundraising, fundamentals of fundraising, writing and answering RFP's and many more. She is a columnist for the Dutch Fundraising magazine.

She has moderated sessions and spoken at several nonprofit conferences, ranging from fundamentals of fundraising, to international fundraising, to monthly giving. She spoke at the New England Museum Association workshop, the New England Association for Health Care Philanthropy (NEAHP), the Massachusetts AFP Conference in Boston and Business Connect in Hyannis, Boston Fundraising Summit, Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod, and more.

Erica Waasdorp served as Publicity Chair for the 100th Anniversary Committee Cape Cod and Islands Boy Scouts, is a member of the Direct Marketing Fund Raisers Association, Professionals in Development Cape Cod, , DMA Non-Profit Federation, Association of Fundraising Professionals.

In addition, Erica serves as Secretary for the Planned Giving Council of Cape Cod and as Publicity Chair for the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Business Women's Association. She is recognized in the National Association of Professional Women and Biltmore Who's Who. Finally, Erica Waasdorp was Co-Chair for Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod 2007, 2008 and co-chaired the 2007 DMA Nonprofit Federation Conference in Washington DC. She served on the Planning Committee for Philanthropy Day and the DMA Nonprofit Federation in Washington DC for numerous years and helped plan speakers for the Bridge Conference in Washington DC 2009 and 2010. She most recently spoke at the AFP Rhode Island Conference in May 2010. and she managed the Featured Speakers for the AFP/DMAW Bridge Conference in Washington DC July 2010. She is currently working on a book about monthly giving.

Susan Belekewicz, Development Associate

Susan joined A Direct Solution in July 2010 to help provide fundraising support services to ADS customers.

Susan has spent 30 years in a variety of management positions in the financial services industry supporting nonprofit organizations, nationwide. Most recently, she was the Director of Nonprofit Services for a major financial services firm in Boston. In this role, she had P&L responsibility for the business and was directly responsible for customer relations, product development and market positioning, pricing and process management. She served as the senior representative from the firm at sales presentations and "did the ask" for new business. She is experienced in gift processing and deferred gift strategies.

Susan is a graduate of Smith College with majors in Art History and French. During her junior year, she studied at the University of Paris' Institute of Art and Archeology and L'Ecole des Beaux Arts. Recently, she has relocated to Cape Cod with her husband, Bob, and her golden retriever and Maine Coon cat.

Sara Fleck, Development Associate

Sara joined A Direct Solution as a marketing and fundraising coordinator in April, 2008 where she helps the many non-profit organizations who are clients get their messages out through press releases. She and her husband recently relocated to Belle Chasse, Louisiana where her husband is stationed with the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition to her position with A Direct Solution, Sara also works from home as a Marketing Coordinator for a small college.

Sara graduated from the University of West Florida in December, 2007 with a degree in Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. She enjoys working directly with non-profit organizations and helping them make a difference and help others.

Laura McMahon, Development Associate

Since 2007, Laura has enjoyed working with A Direct Solution and learning about the meaningful things local non-profits do for our community. She has a diverse background in business and in communications. Finding ways to help nonprofits raise funds and promote their organization has become her specialty.

Prior to returning to school to earn her masters degree, she enjoyed a 14-year career with the Otis Elevator Company, a division of United Technologies, where she managed their North American international business. Her main focus was to drive sales, service, and process improvement initiatives. Laura's career achievements include: developing a fully automated export system; creating measurable improvements in process efficiencies and in customer relations; playing a critical role in increasing annual sales from $3 to $15 million.

Laura holds an A.S. in Computer Science, a B.A. in Business and English where she graduated with honors, and a M.A. in Professional Writing (May 2011). Her writing concentration is in the area of business communications. In addition to mastering the theories and styles of writing techniques, she has focused on numerous genres: visual communications, grant writing, public relations, teaching technical and business communications, web authoring, journalism and article writing. Additionally, Laura has completed a number of print design courses through the Rhode Island School of Design and is experienced in a variety of professional design and media technologies.

Providing grant writing, copywriting, and print design services for A Direct Solution has been a rewarding career change for Laura. She looks forward to becoming more active in the local nonprofit community and helping organizations focus their messaging and fundraising efforts.

Laura is a member of the Society for Technical Communication and the National Association of Professional Women.

Michaela Miteva, Development Associate

Michaela Miteva joined A Direct Solution in November 2007 as a Marketing/PR Intern. Since then, she developed several break-through marketing and fundraising campaigns (such as the 6th, 7th and 8th Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfasts, the First and Second Annual Red Cross Open Charity Golf Tournament). In May 2008 Michaela graduated with distinctions with a BS in Communications and Journalism, Public Relations and Marketing major from Suffolk University. In 2009 she went back to school pursuing her Masters in Public Administration and Government Affairs with Suffolk University.

Michaela is passionate about marketing, graphic design, fundraising, public relations and public service. Michaela enjoys planning integrated marketing campaigns by designing print materials, radio and TV ad scripts, developing media campaigns, public affairs and event support. Creativity is her strength. Just give her a project, and she will get the job done, whatever it takes.

Christiane Perry, Development Associate

Christiane (Chris) Perry was born in Dreux, France and moved frequently during her childhood in a military family. This experience included living in Texas, California and Arkansas, Europe and the Middle East.

After moving to San Diego, California, Chris attended San Diego State University where she received her B.S. in Political Science in 1983. During her last semester in college, Chris participated in an internship program in Washington, DC, interning at the U.S. Information Agency's Office of International Visitors. There she developed professional programs for American embassy-appointed foreign visitors and diplomats. After graduating, Chris remained in Washington DC where she worked in nonprofit international development, which included travel to Pakistan and El Salvador.

Chris continued her work with nonprofit organizations while living in Annapolis, MD and Brookline, MA. After moving to Cape Cod in 1999, Chris implemented the Kids Voting Cape Cod Program in six Lower Cape Communities before becoming the state organization's Executive Director. She served as Director of Development for the Lower Cape Outreach Council and then as Director of Marketing and Membership Services for the Community Development Partnership.

Chris started working with A Direct Solution in the fall of 2009. Her experience includes extensive grant writing, budget preparation, annual appeals and event planning. She currently works part time as the Membership Services Coordinator for the Harwich Chamber of Commerce and consults for local nonprofit organizations. She co-chairs Philanthropy Day on Cape Cod and is a Board Member on the Planned Giving Council of Cape Cod.