Random Acts of Flowers Chicago Names Debbie Cohen to The Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RANDOM ACTS OF FLOWERS (RAF) CHICAGO NAMES WILMETTE’S DEBBIE COHEN TO

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EVANSTON -- Random Acts of Flowers Chicago has named Debbie Cohen (Wilmette) to its Board of Directors, it was announced today by Joanie Bayhack, Executive Director of RAF Chicago. RAF Chicago recycles flowers by engaging dedicated volunteers to deliver beautiful bouquets and moments of hope and encouragement to individuals in healthcare facilities across Chicago and beyond.

“Debbie brings such energy and passion to the warehouse. An early volunteer, she shared that she wanted to get more involved by contributing her development, fundraising and organizational skills to our rapidly growing organization,” said Bayhack. “We are so fortunate to add her to an already talented and dedicated Board,” she added

“Random Acts of Flowers Chicago and its nearly 800 volunteers are touching more lives every day. We now deliver to 150 healthcare facilities and just delivered our 35,000th bouquet to a woman in a low income nursing home, who may have never received flowers before. I am looking forward to contributing my skills to an organization I truly believe in,” said Cohen.

Over her 37-year career as a professional fundraiser, Debbie has worked for several high-profile non-profit organizations. After earning a degree in international relations, she interned for Senator Howard Metzenbaum in Washington DC and was later recruited to work for The Nature Conservancy as a Development Associate, a job that inspired a deep commitment to cause-related organizations. After moving to Chicago in 1980, Debbie worked in development for The Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and in 1988, she joined a national fundraising consulting firm, where she provided a broad range of services to hospitals, educational institutions, arts and social service agencies. In 1992 she formed Cohen & Associates, which specialized in serving a variety of subspecialty medical associations. Her team’s focus was on raising corporate funding for medical research and education, until her retirement in 2016.

Debbie has been married for 37 years, raised two daughters in Wilmette, where she and her husband still reside.

Random Acts of Flowers Chicago recycles flowers and delivers hope and encouragement to people in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice and rehab centers and military medical facilities. To learn more or donate, go to www.rafchicago.org.

200 Greenleaf Street, Suite 5, Evanston, IL 60202 • (847) 430-4751 • www.RAFChicago.org