AFP Names Rochelle M. Jerry, CFRM and Kevin J. Foyle, MBA, CFRE as Co-Chairs of FORGE Steering Committee

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) announced today that the AFP Global Executive Committee has approved the selection of Rochelle M. Jerry, CFRM and Kevin J. Foyle, MBA, CFRE as co-chairs of the FORGE Steering Committee — the group of volunteers who will provide strategic governance and ultimate decision-making authority for the implementation of AFP’s new FORGE Ahead initiative.

Introduced earlier this year by AFP president & CEO Art Taylor, FORGE is a values-driven framework grounded in Fairness, Openness, Respect, Grace, and Empathy. It provides AFP with a clear structure for putting its commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) into practice, offering shared language and tangible guidance to better support member engagement, strengthen connections across the profession, and advance outcomes for individuals and organizations alike.

“FORGE is how AFP turns its values into action,” said AFP president & CEO Art Taylor. “As we move from vision to implementation, we are committed to doing it the right way: built by those directly engaged in the profession and grounded in the lived experiences of all fundraising professionals and the communities they serve. Rochelle and Kevin embody that spirit, and I am confident they will steward this work in a way that upholds our principles and remains aligned with our strategic plan.” 

As one AFP Global organization, we have an opportunity to come together, collaborate, and assess where we currently are on our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) journey,” said Jackson Davis, vice president of culture & belonging at AFP Global. “More importantly we can harness the power, insights, experiences and uniquenesses across our amazingly diverse 24,000+ members, to shape the future of IDEA through FORGE for even greater impact and good throughout our industry.”

Jerry and Foyle were selected based on their deep commitment to AFP’s mission, their leadership across the association, and their longstanding dedication to IDEA. Jerry, a longtime member of the AFP IDEA Committee and current member of the AFP Global Board of Directors, brings nearly three decades of nonprofit leadership spanning fundraising strategy, governance, volunteer engagement, and board development, including work with organizations such as Indiana Black Expo, the Indy Arts Council and the Chicago Children’s Museum. Foyle, a past chair of AFP Global, brings more than 30 years of fundraising expertise, including senior roles at UTHealth Houston, Rice University, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His tenure as board chair was defined by a strong track record of advancing AFP’s priorities around ethical practice, member engagement, and IDEA.

Supporting their efforts, the FORGE Steering Committee will collaborate with five working groups—Behavioral Standards, Practice Audit, Accommodations, Bridge Building, and Continuous Monitoring—as well as two advisory councils, ultimately making recommendations to the AFP Global Board for review, approval, prioritization, and resource allocation.

The advisory councils will play an important role in ensuring the work remains practical and connected to member experience. The Affinity Network Leaders’ Advisory Council will provide insight from AFP’s affinity networks and help inform how those perspectives are reflected in FORGE recommendations. The Chapter IDEA Leaders’ Advisory Council will surface chapter-level insights, test recommendations for feasibility, and help ensure alignment between global efforts and local implementation.

“Kevin, as a past board chair, and Rochelle, as a current board member, have both been deeply engaged in AFP’s ongoing efforts to prioritize Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access,” said Roger Ali, MBA, C.Dir., CFRE, AFP Global board chair. “Their leadership as co-chairs of the FORGE Steering Committee ensures this work builds on the progress already made, while creating space for new voices and experiences to shape the next phase of AFP’s commitment to belonging within the fundraising profession.”

The selection of the steering committee co-chairs marks an important step in the broader FORGE volunteer recruitment process, which began at the 2026 AFP ICON conference in April. While many roles are moving toward confirmation, and the first wave of recruitment closed on June 12, the nomination process remains open for AFP members who wish to be considered for additional volunteer opportunities, reflecting FORGE’s commitment to broad participation and diverse perspectives. AFP Global is currently reviewing submissions and expects to finalize the steering committee, co-facilitators, and all working group and advisory council roles by the end of June, with a convening meeting targeted for July 7.

In early July, the eight volunteer groups will begin defining what “belonging” means within AFP. That definition will serve as an aspirational North Star, guiding the steering committee and working groups as they develop and refine recommendations. By mid- to late July, AFP will open a broader opportunity for members to share input and help shape the evolving framework.

For more information about FORGE, visit the FORGE page on the AFP website. 

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Since 1960, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. The association works to advance effective and ethical philanthropy by providing advocacy, research, education, mentoring, collaboration and technology opportunities for the world’s largest network of professional fundraisers. AFP’s more than 24,000 members in 180+ professional chapters raise over $100 billion annually for a wide variety of charitable organizations and causes across the globe. For more information, go to afpglobal.org.
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