Biography
Stephanie Eller Vaughn is a doctoral candidate in public administration at Florida State University’s Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, where she serves as a graduate research and teaching assistant for the Center for Civic and Nonprofit Leadership. A practitioner-scholar with more than 20 years of cross-sector nonprofit leadership, she brings extensive experience directing research, marketing, and fundraising programs across arts, early childhood, and philanthropy organizations. She specializes in diagnosing underperforming systems through rigorous data analysis and strategic planning, delivering dramatic organizational turnarounds in revenue generation, donor development, and market growth through in-depth SWOT analysis, market segmentation, and data-informed decision-making. Her applied work also includes developing scopes of work for multi-million-dollar community initiatives — including perinatal navigation, summer learning, family support, and family resource center programs — subsequently implemented across Leon County schools, healthcare settings, and community organizations. She holds an MBA with a concentration in data analytics from Florida State University, a Master of Performing Arts in Arts Administration from American University, and a Bachelor of Music from Furman University. Her research examines gender differences in financial well-being, women’s philanthropic decision-making, and nonprofit effectiveness, with a particular focus on financial literacy as a mechanism shaping women’s charitable giving. She lives in Tallahassee with her husband, Terry, and son, Connor.
