GIVE A KID A COAT!Meet Our Executives
Operation Warm’s small and talented staff raises the funds and manages the activity required to source and distribute over 200,000 new winter coats each winter to children in need. With expertise in development, grant writing, marketing and communications, community relations, finance and administration, procurement, operations and logistics, our team strives to deliver new coats to as many children as possible each year.
Richard D. Sanford
Founder & Chairman - email
Dick is a lifelong entrepreneur and philanthropist. He began his career at Arthur Anderson and was VP of Finance and Executive Vice President of Commodore International. He went on to found Intelligent Electronics, which grew to a $3.7 billion dollar wholesale distributor of micro-products and services. In 1998 Dick started The Sanford Foundation to support disadvantaged children. The first charter school in Pennsylvania was an early product and today that school, known as The Chester County Family Academy, operates in West Chester, PA. He has served on the Board of the Brandywine Museum and Conservancy. In 1998 Dick founded Operation Warm.
Carey Palmquist
Executive Director - email
Carey is responsible for the overall direction of the organization, which includes: development, coat procurement and manufacturing, communications and organizational strategy and developing strategic partnerships and community programs. Since her tenure in 2010, the organization has increased funding support by 30%.
Prior to joining Operation Warm, Palmquist was Vice President of Operations and Continuous Process Improvement at ProCure Proton TherapyCenters, a billion dollar private corporation based in New York City. At ProCure she worked to build and operate proton therapy centers throughout the United States for the treatment of specific cancers. Originally from Radnor, Pennsylvania, Palmquist attended Villanova University and then earned her Master's Degree in Management at Cambridge College. She is a certified Master Six Sigma Green & Black Belt instructor and national lecturer on the principles of Lean process improvement to help increase cost-efficient production for organizations.
Stephanie Cohen
President of Operation Warm Marketplace
Treasurer/Secretary to the Board of Directors - email
Stephanie Cohen currently serves as President of Operation Warm Marketplace and Treasurer/Secretary to the Board of Directors. She brings more than 20 years of finance, operations, and consulting experience with a focus on business development (mergers & acquisitions, public offerings), process improvement, and financial control in both public and private companies. She served as SVP and CFO of Alliance Consulting (acquired by Safeguard Scientifics); EVP and CFO of XLConnect Solutions (acquired by Xerox, formerly owned by Intelligent Electronics); and in various executive capacities at Intelligent Electronics. Ms. Cohen has a BS Accountancy from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and is a CPA, having started her career with KPMG Peat Marwick.
Rich Lalley
Vice President, Development- email
Prior to joining Operation Warm in 2009, Rich served as the President of the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield, IL. He joined Rotary in 2004, when he and his wife started a business in Winnetka. He was a Board member and the Chair of the Public Relations Committee, before assuming his position as President, and now serves District 6440 as webmaster and Club Service Advisor. Rich also brings over 20 years of brand marketing and advertising experience to Operation Warm, most recently as Vice President of Advertising & Brand Management for Discover Financial Services. Rich is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he studied advertising. He resides with his wife in Lincolnshire, IL. Their son Alex attends the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago.