Fortune Society Strengthens Executive Team with Key Appointments

The Fortune Society, one of the nation’s most respected nonprofit organizations serving and advocating for formerly incarcerated individuals, today announced the appointments two new members to their management team.

Lou Miceli, an entrepreneur and seasoned leader with decades of experience in the fields of workforce and youth development, education and human resources, will serve as Fortune’s new Chief Operating Officer – a newly created position.

Donald Powell, who began his professional career at Fortune in 1993 as an HIV Coordinator, returns to the organization to serve as Associate Vice President of Development and Communications.

In his role as COO, Miceli will serve on the executive team and ensure that Fortune’s programs and administrative functions meet best practice standards and that Fortune’s staff are fully equipped with the tools and resources they need to excel. With a wide range of experience in the social services sector and as an advisor to nonprofits, Miceli most recently served as Chief Program Officer for Semper Fidelis Youth Leadership Academy. Prior to that, from 2010 – 2017, he was Executive Director at JobsFirstNYC where he led the transformation of a fledgling nonprofit to an effective, high-impact, results-driven organization with local and national reach. He has advanced degrees in Management and Social Work from New York University.

As Associate Vice President of Development and Communications, Powell who has 18 years’ experience in resource identification, grant writing, event planning and donor cultivation, will lead critical fundraising efforts and work to increase Fortune’s visibility in the press, on social media and in the public eye. Formerly incarcerated, Powell first came to Fortune as a stipulation of his parole in 1992. He soon became a valued staff member developing and implementing HIV-related programming. For the past decade, he served as the Senior Director of Policy and Development at Exponents, an organization dedicated to serving those impacted by HIV/AIDS, substance use, incarceration and behavioral health challenges. With a Master’s Degree in Human Services from Lincoln University Graduate School, Powell has more than two decades of experience working with the LGBT community, incarcerated persons and others. He is also a member of the HIV Health & Human Services Council of NYC.

JoAnne Page, Fortune’s President and CEO, said, “Fortune is proud to welcome Lou and Donald to our executive team. Their diverse and impressive backgrounds, insights and perspectives, as well as their decades of experience serving vulnerable populations, will enhance our ability to serve people with justice involvement.”

Miceli said, “I am very excited to be part of The Fortune Society’s future. Its work is driven by wonderful talent with an excellent track record of success. I look forward to the chance to strengthen and build the organization.”

Powell added, “My professional career has now come full circle. Returning to Fortune gives me the opportunity to use my skills in grant writing, event planning, donor cultivation and communications to support and strengthen the very organization that helped me get back on my feet. I’m eager to tackle the work ahead.”

The appointments are effective immediately.

ABOUT THE FORTUNE SOCIETY: Founded in 1967, The Fortune Society has advocated on criminal justice issues for over five decades and is nationally recognized for developing model programs that help people with criminal justice histories to be assets to their communities. Fortune offers a holistic and integrated “one-stop-shopping” model of service provision. Among the services offered are discharge planning, licensed outpatient substance abuse and mental health treatment, alternatives to incarceration, HIV/AIDS services, career development and job retention, education, family services, drop in services and supportive housing as well as lifetime access to aftercare. For more information, visit www.fortunesociety.org.