Chelsea Wade

Chelsea joined Sterling in December 2022, bringing rich experience gained during 15 years serving the nonprofit sector, including her most recent 4-year stint as the Strategic Gifts Officer for SEARCH Homeless Services in Houston.

Chelsea began her nonprofit career as Buckner Community Ministry Coordinator at South Main Baptist Church, where she directed an after-school program for high school students at the Houston Academy for International Studies. There she facilitated the annual Shoes for Orphan Souls, a shoe drive for vulnerable children around the world, setting a Guinness World Record for the longest chain in history and securing 20,110 shoes for orphans. Over the following twelve years she built on this early experience as she took on a variety of roles at Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence (AVDA) and SEARCH Homeless Services, gaining skill and knowledge in relationship-building initiatives, annual fundraising events, communications, donor relations, stewardship activities, prospect research, and major gifts. This broad experience has allowed her to live out her passion for improving the lives of citizens in her hometown, and to make good use of her ability to connect important causes with those who can support them.

Chelsea earned a BA in Communications from Lake Forest College and a Masters of Liberal Arts in Public Administration from University of St. Thomas. Among other volunteer activities, she serves the John Cooper School as President of its Alumni Association.