The Child Mind Institute Announces Two Key Leadership Hires

Demetrios Kadenas joins as Chief Development Officer and Charles Fields
takes on Chief of Staff role

New York, NY – The Child Mind Institute announced today that it has made two key hires, appointing Demetrios Kadenas as Chief Development Officer (CDO) and Charles Fields as Chief of Staff (COS).  The leading children’s mental health non-profit will welcome both individuals to the organization in November 2023.  Kadenas and Fields join the Child Mind Institute at a time of significant growth.  The organization has more than tripled its staff since 2018 and announced earlier this year that they will soon move their headquarters to an 82,000 square foot new office space at 825 Third Avenue.

Kadenas, currently the interim CDO, came to the Child Mind Institute in May.  He previously served as Head of Advancement at Success Academy, focusing on principal and major gifts and working to grow the team and establish new work standards and best practices. Prior to Success Academy, Demetrios held leadership positions in healthcare development for 10 years at Northwell Health and NYU Langone Health. He launched his career in non-profit development two decades ago at CCS Fundraising, consulting for organizations on strategic vision planning and major fundraising campaigns.

Kadenas has already made substantial contributions to the Child Mind Institute as interim CD­O, working with leadership to build strategic development initiatives, diversify funding streams, and expand major and principal gift outreach. He is managing the launch of the Child Mind Institute’s next comprehensive campaign and a crucial digital fundraising program expansion.

“We are so pleased that Demetrios has joined us as Chief Development Officer. He arrives with an incredibly strong background in development and a remarkable enthusiasm for our work and mission,” said Child Mind Institute Founding President and Medical Director Harold S. Koplewicz, MD.  “He has an extensive plan for expanding our development work and planned giving, and for continuing to grow our major gifts programs.”

“It has been an honor to serve as interim Chief Development Officer at the Child Mind Institute, and I’m excited to continue working with Child Mind’s leadership and our generous community to build a development enterprise and scale our fundraising to support the Institute’s next chapter of strategic and philanthropic priorities, so we can reach even more children and families,” said Kadenas.

Fields is a global strategic operations executive with recognized expertise in project portfolio management, corporate planning, execution, and organizational management.  As a strategic operations consultant, he has transformed businesses in the technology, healthcare, pharmaceutical, insurance, energy, financial services, and public sectors. He has also solved long-term business challenges and reshaped key divisions of large corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.  From 2015 to 2018, Fields served as New York’s Deputy Secretary of State.

Fields will be responsible for partnering with the Institute’s President on the roll out of strategy and growth, management of key relationships and oversite of the executive office.  He will also serve as a liaison with senior leaders and staff, and support engagement with the board of directors and key donors.

“With Charles’ impressive experience enabling large organizations to build innovative programs and best respond to challenges, we are confident that he is the right person to take on the role of Chief of Staff.  We all look forward to working with him,” Koplewicz shared.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Child Mind Institute at such an exciting time as they develop far-reaching programs and campaigns to help children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders here in the US and around the world,” said Fields.  “It’s a privilege to contribute to this crucial mission during a time of significant growth for the Child Mind Institute.”

About the Child Mind Institute

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The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments. Learn more at childmind.org.

For press questions, contact our press team at childmindinstitute@sunshinesachs.com or our media officer at mediaoffice@childmind.org.