Since 2007, she has found much success as the co-founder and executive director of disABILITYsa.
SAN ANTONIO, TX, January 06, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Melanie R. Cawthon has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Drawing on over two decades of expertise, Ms. Cawthon specializes in nonprofit management and fundraising. Since 2007, she has found much success as the co-founder and executive director of disABILITYsa, a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate, advance and engage individuals with disabilities by building connections, exchanging information, creating opportunities and strengthening the disability community in the greater San Antonio area. In this capacity, she is responsible for various operations, as well as the financial and strategic planning of the organization. During this time, Ms. Cawthon has also served as the director of education and development at Reaching Maximum Independence from 2011 to 2017, after working as a director of development services at SAMMinistries from 2010 to 2011.
Ms. Cawthon initially began her career as a fundraising coordinator and an administrative assistant at Alpha Home Inc. in San Antonio, Texas, where she served from 1999 to 2002. Following this post, she was active as a director of communications at Baptist Child and Family Services from 2002 until 2003. Between 2003 and 2005, she garnered expertise as a community relations director at Providence Place, formerly known as the Methodist Mission Home, and was further associated with the Mission Road Ministries as an associate development director from 2005 to 2010. Ms. Cawthon has also contributed to the ChildSafe organization as a development director from 2009 until 2010, and subsequently served as an independent nonprofit consultant between 2010 and 2017.
Prior to embarking on her professional journey, Ms. Cawthon pursued an education at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, with an emphasis in leadership and administration in 1998. She continued her academic efforts at Our Lady of the Lake University, earning a Master of Science in nonprofit management in 2009. As a commitment to her field, she has attained the American Humanics certificate in nonprofit management and leadership via the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2002, and has been certified as a nonprofit professional, as well as a festival and an events associate. Additionally, Ms. Cawthon has been active with several industry-related organizations, including the International & Texas Festivals and Events Associations, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Long dedicated to civic advocacy, Ms. Cawthon serves on various boards and committees in her community, including the San Antonio Digital Connects Advisory Committee, the City of San Antonio Vaccine Implementation Committee, the League of Women Voters and Disability Outreach Committee and the City of San Antonio Disability Access Advisory Committee, among many others. Well regarded for her contributions to the field, she has been recognized as one of 20 Most Captivating People in 2015 by the San Antonio Current, garnered the 40 Under 40 Award from the San Antonio Business Journal in 2013, and the Individual Advocacy Award from the San Antonio Independent Living Services in 2013. In 2021, she was inducted into the Leadership San Antonio Class 46, a premier program for existing and emerging leaders in the Bexar County and surrounding areas.
Among her professional accomplishments, Ms. Cawthon is most proud of leadership and life-skills development program for individuals with disabilities she developed called, the Fiesta Especial® Royal Court, which significantly impacts the lives of the program members. Reflecting on her career, she attributes much of her success to her strong family support unit, especially her parents, who taught her to have a sense of humor in the face of adversity and the ability to seek out solutions independently. Looking toward the future, Ms. Cawthon aspires to expand the scope of disABILITYsa into a thriving legacy and hopes for it to continually advance.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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