About Patty Phillips,
President
Patty's track record of experience with all sides of the talent acquisition process make her ideally suited to be your trusted executive recruiter for middle and senior management roles in almost any industry, or your career coach with a unique focus on helping recent college graduates and younger adults in the early stages of their careers.
Her career began as a commercial banker for JPMorgan Chase, where she counseled business owners whose companies generated between $10 - $250 million in annual revenue. After a ten year pattern of career progression she became introspective about her own comparative advantage, finally recognizing that her sales success was tightly tied to an ability to read the true motivations of others. She began to explore career paths where she could utilize this comparative advantage more often. After making her career-changing discovery, Patty left Chase to manage the upstate New York operation for Drake Beam Morin, a global outplacement consulting firm. At DBM she helped hundreds of downsized professionals transition successfully from one career path to another. Patty was next recruited to head up the Career Management Office for the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester, a top 30-ranked MBA program, where proper matching of student talent to employer needs increased the school’s graduating student employment rate and national ranking during her leadership tenure.
Patty graduated with a BA from St. John Fisher College, and received her MBA from Rochester Institute of Technology. She lives in Webster, New York with her husband Randy and their two children, Megan and Mitch. She also serves on the board of Lifespan, a Rochester-based not-for-profit that helps older adults take on the challenges and opportunities of aging. She is a past recipient of Rochester’s 40 Under 40 Award, a graduate of Leadership Rochester, and a founding member of the Rochester chapter of the Moxie Exchange, a women's professional development group.
About Deb Rosen,
Vice President of Retained Search
With over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Deb Rosen is a proven leader dedicated to translating mission into action. In her role as Vice President of Retained Search at Clarity, she leverages her extensive background in people-leadership, talent acquisition, governance, and community engagement to assess leadership positions and identify and place top-tier talent.
Deep Regional and National Expertise
Born and raised in Rochester, NY, Deb possesses unique and intimate knowledge of the local nonprofit infrastructure and talent pool. She returned to Rochester in 2010 after 25 years in Wisconsin, where she built a broad national network. Her career trajectory includes:
- Executive Leadership: Serving as the Executive Director and later CEO of mid-size agencies in the human services field, including significant growth at Bivona Child Advocacy Center and Jewish Family Services of Rochester.
- Clinical Foundation: Beginning her career in direct-service roles within child welfare and victim advocacy, including deep engagement as a clinical social worker and leader of innovative programs.
- Education: Earning her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A Recruiter with Insider Insight
As a nonprofit leader herself, Deb brings unparalleled insight into the unique challenges and opportunities of the sector. She understands what truly attracts and retains top talent, offering specialized expertise in:
- Candidate sourcing and management
- Board dynamics and partnership
- Skill-based assessment
- Structured decision-making
Deb is deeply connected within the community, serving on both local and national boards of directors, reinforcing her commitment to strengthening the nonprofit landscape. Having held leadership positions in prominent human services organizations such as Wellpoint Care Network and Hillside Family of Agencies, Deb is in close touch with emerging leaders across the country and is able to draw on this network as a compelling recruiter of top talent.