shannonMercyOne Des Moines Foundation President Shannon Cofield has been appointed as national chair of the 2021 CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy Education Summit. The summit will be held virtually Feb. 10-11, 2021. The event is headlined by Chris Gardner, CEO of Happyness, who overcame homelessness to become a successful businessman and motivational speaker.

“I am honored to serve in this role and to help equip other health care foundation leaders and staff members around the nation with the knowledge and skills needed to make great philanthropic impact in their communities, especially in a time such as this,” said Cofield.

“We are pleased to have Shannon serve as chair for the 2021 CommonSpirit Health Philanthropy Education Summit,” said Fred Najjar, Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer at CommonSpirit Health. “Her passion and vast expertise is vital to this summit’s success, and we are thankful for her leadership as we educate a national audience of 300 health care philanthropy leaders.”

The Philanthropy Education Summit is an annual two-day event that brings staff and leadership from foundations across CommonSpirit Health – the largest nonprofit health system in the country by revenue – together to cultivate skills, network with peers and celebrate accomplishments. Sessions at the summit will cover a wide range of professional developmental and educational topics.