PJ Layng
President and Founder
PJ Layng is the President and founder of PJL Associates, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic positioning, marketing, recruitment, and resource development. PJL Associates focuses on capacity building, capital campaigns, branding, sponsorship and events. Ms. Layng is also known for her work in the areas of Board recruitment and governance.
In addition to an extensive executive search, retail and sales background, Ms. Layng served as the Vice President, Office of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida between 2011 and 2016. In this role, she developed the Fund Development team, including capital campaigns, implementation of four new signature events, corporate sponsorships, and alumnae and stewardship programs. The annual appeal, major gifts, planned-giving, Board Development and grant funding were also managed by Ms. Layng. Under her leadership, fund development revenue increased by 30%.
A partial list of PJL Associates clients includes the Provincetown Theater Foundation, Provincetown International Film Festival, Highland Center for the Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical, The Mandel Public Library Foundation, 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, FoundCare Heath Services, Oxbridge Academy, West Palm Center for the Arts and Technology, Flamingo Gardens, Vita Nova, Inc. and Greater South County Road Association, Palm Beach.
A graduate of George Washington University, Ms. Layng is a leading expert in non-profit management, fundraising, working with non-profit Boards and Fund Development teams. She is the former President for Palm Beach Flagler Rotary, 2016-17, and is the founding member of Interact, the Rotary student group at Oxbridge Academy. Ms. Layng is a Leadership Palm Beach County alumna, class of 2011, Florida Caucus Chair, Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Philanthropy Chair 2016, and an active member of the Palm Beach Civic Association and Planned Giving Council of Palm Beach County. Ms. Layng is a founding member of the New England Women’s Foundation and Impact the Palm Beaches, currently serving on the Board of Directors as Sponsorship Chair.
Larry Rosensweig
Senior Project Manager
Larry brings over 40 years of experience to his role as President & CEO of LFR Consulting, a boutique firm specializing in building capacity for museums, gardens and other nonprofits. This experience has transferred to his work with PJL Associates.
He has been pleased to partner with PJL Associates as Senior Project Manager on projects with Oxbridge Academy, Vita Nova, Inc., Sea Star Waldorf School, Connections Education Center, 211 Helpline Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, Edna Runner Tutorial Center, Flamingo Gardens, Morean Arts Center and others. With PJL Associates, Larry has specialized in board and executive coaching, governance and strategy development. By questioning and listening carefully to clients, Larry zeroes in on clients’ critical issues and devises efficient plans for dealing with them.
As founding director of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida, Larry built a public-private partnership to create an institution that is highly respected in the museum community and a Japanese garden recognized among the best in the world. For the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, he was responsible for raising over $40 million for operations, art and endowment. As a Regional Executive Director for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, Larry broadened his international experience in major gifts fundraising while rebuilding Weizmann’s network of major donors in both Palm Beach County and the Southeastern United States.
As a Peer Reviewer for the American Association of Museums and long-time leader in the Florida Association of Museums, Larry has assessed, counseled and mentored dozens of museums while serving as a frequent speaker for the International Japanese Garden Symposium, Art Museum Development Association and Florida Association of Museums. Larry currently serves as Immediate Past President of the North American Japanese Garden Association and has served on the board of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach since 2011. He is a former Chairman of the Palm Beach County Cultural Executives Committee and former Chairman of Florida Association of Museums Foundation, among his many community and professional activities.
Larry earned an M.A. in Japanese Studies from University of Michigan and an A.B. cum laude in East Asian Languages & Civilizations from Harvard University. In 2005 Larry was decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun. In 2017 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Association of Museums.
Sara Johns Griffen
Senior Project Manager
Sara Johns Griffen is pleased to partner with PJL Associates as a non-profit advisor with 25 years of executive experience, with a focus on special events, board relations, governance, major gifts, capital campaigns, government relations, strategic planning and fiscal management. Since partnering with PJL Associates, Sara has worked on capital campaigns, annual funds, annual galas, and fundraising strategies for numerous clients, including Palm Beach Opera, Oxbridge Academy, and West Palm Beach Center for Arts and Technology. Most recently, as consulting Capital Campaign Manager for 211 Palm Beach and Treasure Coast, she helped raise over $5.5 Million towards their $6 Million campaign.
Sara served for 18 years as president and CEO of The Olana Partnership, a $2 million organization in the New York Hudson Valley that co-manages Olana State Historic Site, estate of Hudson River School painter Frederic E. Church. Her background in banking and state government provided depth to her work in the non-profit realm, allowing her to manage the growth of the organization from its grass-roots origins to a thriving, well-funded multi-million dollar entity, raising over $18 million towards the improvement of the site. Her passion has always been the fund-raising side of the work – interacting with donors to find areas of mutual inspiration and realize the power of transformative gifts.
Upon moving to Florida in 2015, Sara served as development director for the Flagler Museum from 2015-2016, with a focus on stewarding higher-level donors. More recently, she has taken on several volunteer positions at the Church of Bethesda by the Sea, including serving on its vestry (board of trustees). At Bethesda, she is also head of the 115-member Ambassador
Program, Finance co-chair of the Flower Guild, and Stewardship (Fundraising) Committee member. Sara also serves on the board of the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens and is chair of its National Advisory Council. She is also an alumni admissions interviewer for the Duke University Alumni Association.
Sara’s previous board experience includes serving as board member and board chair of The Olana Partnership before becoming CEO. She was also acting chair of the board of the Hudson Valley Greenway Conservancy and chair of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
Sara graduated with a B.A. cum laude from Duke University, and holds a fundraising certificate from Siena College in Albany, NY. Other continuing education coursework includes courses in museum studies, accounting, art history and art appraising.
Katie Deits
Senior Consultant
Katie Deits is a skilled writer, artist, and photographer, as well as an accomplished nonprofit leader, with expertise in organizational leadership, grant writing, fundraising, marketing, and art criticism. She has won numerous awards for her work.
Katie is pleased to be associated with the PJL Associates team as a senior consultant.
From 2016 to 2023, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of Florida CraftArt, a nonprofit organization that supports fine craft artists across the state. During her tenure, she achieved significant milestones, including a 500% increase in net profit in the first year and the establishment of a healthy reserve fund exceeding $400,000 from no reserve fund in 2016. She also secured top scores on State of Florida and City of St. Pete grants, and her contributions as an Arts Ambassador earned her the St. Petersburg Art Alliance Muse Award in 2022. In late 2023, she transitioned to the role of Director of Grants and Special Projects.
From 2009 to 2016, Katie served as the Executive Director of the Lighthouse Art Center Museum & School of Art, where she increased revenue by 84 percent while only increasing expenses by 28.5 percent. She produced the ArtCenter’s first annual report, which was used for fundraising, and cultivated donors within and outside the organization to increase donation levels. By researching and writing grants, she also increased grant funding from $21,014 in 2009 to $184,342 in 2015. At the end of her last fiscal year, the organization was finally able to run a surplus for the first time in over ten years.
Prior to her nonprofit work, Katie was an editor at The Palm Beach Post for seven years, where she managed all the special sections. Before that, she owned and operated the largest photographic and graphic design studio in Palm Beach County, specializing in commercial, advertising, aerial, and editorial photography. In 2007, she was awarded the South Florida Cultural Consortium Art Fellowship for Palm Beach County. Her artwork, which includes photography, figurative sculpture, and paintings, has been exhibited widely. She is also a member of the International Association of Art Critics and has written for newspapers and magazines.
Katie received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2015 and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Florida. She is a Dale Carnegie graduate and holds the Florida Degree of Photographic Excellence, a Master of Photography,
and a Certified Professional Photographer designation from Professional Photographers of America. She has taught at Barry University, Palm Beach State College, and The Society of the Four Arts, and is a sought-after lecturer on art, fundraising, and organizational leadership.
She has also served on the boards of the Executive Association of the Palm Beaches, Executive Women (where she was nominated for the Women in Leadership Award), Northern Palm Beaches Chamber of Commerce, Palm Beach Photographic Center, and St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff Vanier
Senior Operations and Project Manager
Jeff Vanier brings over 20 years of experience to his role as Senior Operations and Project Manager to PJL Associates. Jeff has experience with strategic planning, organizational best practices, quality improvement, change management, board relations development, financial controls and accounting, implementation of new initiatives and processes, and revising and originating Policies and Procedures and processes in compliance with State and Local laws and regulations. As Director of TQM and Contracts (CARP, Inc.), he worked effectively with funding and regulatory agencies, ensuring continued funding and compliance with standards and regulations. This experience has transferred to his work with PJL Associates both in Non-Profit Finance and Operations and For-Profit work.
Jeff began his career in the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation arena, progressing from clinical to administration and senior leadership. He has lead organization’s operations and finance in such roles as Director of Financial Operations and Continuum Services (Hanley-Hazelden Center, Inc.), COO (Aspire Behavioral Health, Inc.) and CFO (Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Inc.), where he was responsible for retail operations and all functions related to cookie sales throughout South Florida.
Jeff earned his B.A. in Applied Psychology and completed an additional 57 credit hours in graduate studies in Applied Psychology (SUNY, College at Plattsburgh) prior to earning an MBA in Management (Florida Atlantic University). In his tenth year as an Adjunct Professor at South University’s College of Business – Healthcare Management Program, Jeff teaches courses including: Strategic Management, Finance, Leadership and Management.
Sheriann Namer
Senior Consultant
Sheriann Namer has more than 20 years of fundraising experience in the nonprofit sector. Her experience includes Donor and Board Development, Stewardship, Community Relations, Business Development and Special Events.
Sheriann is responsible for connecting nonprofits, businesses and community leaders resulting in stronger relationships within Palm Beach County, as well as engaging those donors with philanthropic intent.
Some of her clients include: American Red Cross, ANGARI Foundation, Community Foundation, Digital Vibez, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Special Olympics, Oxbridge Academy, Tourism Cares, Weiss School and West Palm Beach CAT.
Sheriann works closely with PJL Associates as a consultant to assist with those clients needing fundraising and sponsorship development, as well as creating stewardship plans for existing donors of clients.
Sheriann is passionate with the development and stewardship around existing partnerships along with cultivating new relationships. Sheriann is a highly experienced professional who is committed to helping those systematize fundraising best practices. This in turn, further shaping strong philanthropic relationships and compelling cases that those within organizations such as staff, board members and other key constituents innately embrace.
Sheriann is very active in the community and belongs to several organizations within Palm Beach County and Broward County.