Rachel Dickey: CSVP's First Partner's Fellow

(Profiled 7/20/11)

Will caught Rachel on the phone recently to learn more about CSVP’s newest member and first Fellow. A lawyer by training, Rachel is a new Clevelander who is looking to become more involved in the philanthropy and nonprofit communities. Rachel graduated from Pepperdine University’s law school, where she was a senior staff member at the Pepperdine Law Review and the chairperson of the Moot Court Board. As a participant and alumna coach, Rachel traveled to Moot Court competitions in Hong Kong, Vienna, and Las Vegas.

Rachel moved to Cleveland this past winter when her husband began a career at Squire Sanders. Since leaving a position with the Kentucky Court of Appeals, she has transitioned from working solely in the legal field and seeks to expand her experiences while serving the nonprofit community in diverse ways. Currently, she does freelance research and writing for her friend and mentor Amy Dwyer-Shute, with whom she has done projects for the KnowledgeWorks Foundation and Cincinnati State University. CSVP’s focus on stewarding its investments attracted Rachel after she made a connection to Linda Springer through Mrs. Dwyer-Shute. “The buck usually stops with writing a check,” Rachel said, “but times are tough, and people want accountability when they make donations.” Other factors that attracted her to CSVP were the opportunities to work with several organizations at once and the selection process that focuses on "the willingness to evolve and the desire to achieve sustainability,” she said.

Tremont is Rachel and her husband’s new home. She loves her neighborhood, as well as the Cleveland Museum of Art, which she compared favorably to those in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. A lifelong student of ballet, Rachel volunteers and takes classes at Verb Ballet, a contemporary dance company based in Shaker Heights. Rachel looks forward to being deeply involved with CSVP, and will start work with the Investment Team soon.