Major Gifts Team Members

Lisa Kivel

Philanthropy Advisor

Territory: Mideast and West Coast ((AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, WY)

About Lisa

Lisa has dedicated her career and volunteer efforts to supporting various non-profits with a passion for creating meaningful impact. Drawn to HFOT’s mission and values, Lisa joined HFOT in January of 2024 and embraced the opportunity to help Veterans by building strong relations with donors and supporting the organization’s goals. Lisa is committed to making a difference and is excited to continue collaborating with others in this vital work. Lisa enjoys traveling, boating, skiing, gardening, cooking, reading and most importantly spending time with her family.

Favorite Home Adaptation

The complete concrete surround sidewalk provides seamless accessibility between indoor and outdoor spaces. This continuous pathway eliminates barriers, allowing for easy transitions from inside and out, enabling the Veteran to participate in activities around them fully. I love this design because it promotes inclusivity, allowing our Veterans to be fully present without facing mobility challenges. It fosters independence and ensures that outdoor spaces can be enjoyed as easily as indoor ones, making daily life more fluid and engaging for the Veteran and his/her family.

Contact Lisa

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 508-744-8729

Suzanne Shaheen

Senior Philanthropy Advisor

Territory: Planned giving supporters throughout the United States and donors in New England and New York (CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT)

About Suzanne

Suzanne has had the privilege of working at HFOT since 2014. With many years of service working with incredible HFOT donors throughout the country, she loves to talk, chat, answer questions, and learn more about each donor and their reasons for supporting HFOT. She takes pride in providing a positive donor experience, which is a key aspect of building relationships nationwide. In her free time, Suzanne likes to vacation with her family, workout each morning, meet new people, explore new restaurants, read an enjoyable book, watch Boston sports, and spend time with her husband.

Favorite Home Adaptation

The introspective concept of the HFOT home offers Veterans and their families the opportunity to begin the process of healing and rebuilding their lives. An HFOT home provides a sense of peace and comfort and helps in the journey of moving forward. It is not just one adaptation within the home—all adaptations create a viable future for our Veterans and their families.

Contact Suzanne

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 508-967-9041

Kay Wright

Philanthropy Advisor

Territory: Central (AL, AR, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, WI)

About Kat

Kat brings more than 17 years of nonprofit experience to Homes For Our Troops. She has dedicated her career to development in veterans’ support, healthcare advancement, education, and food insecurity. She finds HFOT’s mission profoundly meaningful and is honored to support the organization’s work of providing safe, accessible homes for our Veterans. Kat believes strongly in the power of united effort to create lasting, positive change. She is deeply inspired by the personal stories behind why donors choose to support HFOT and is committed to building meaningful relationships through thoughtful, personalized stewardship.

Kat enjoys sailing, hiking, spending days at the beach, eating good food with her husband and friends, and spending quality time with her grown children.

Favorite Home Adaptation

The HFOT kitchen adaptations are especially inspiring to me. Over 20% of HFOT home adaptations are found in the kitchen, which is truly the heart of the home. For many of our Veterans, however, the simple act of preparing a meal can be filled with challenges. That’s why ensuring full accessibility in every aspect of the kitchen is such a vital part of our mission here at HFOT.

Features like roll-under cooktops and sinks, pull-down shelving, accessible counter heights, and touchless faucets can be life-changing. These adaptations restore independence, confidence, and dignity, transforming the kitchen from a barrier into a space to be enjoyed, where our Veterans are free to cook, host, and make happy memories.

Contact Kat

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 508-744-8726