Thomas G. Vaccaro’s primary focus at The NHP Foundation is directing the Office of External Affairs. The application of his skills and experience at NHPF has been the culmination of a career focused on homelessness and affordable housing. At NHPF Vaccaro is responsible for creating and growing the robust six-member external affairs team which encompasses fundraising, thought leadership, PR/marketing, creation/maintenance of all organization collateral materials and websites, data analysis and as corporate secretary he oversees all paralegal activities for the corporate structure.
In addition to identifying, cultivating, and securing foundation and corporate grants, government funding, and program-related investments, Vaccaro is also credited with conceiving and producing NHPF’s widely respected bi-partisan Annual Symposium & Dinner which averages over 90 corporate sponsors and 400 in attendance. The event recently earned the Hanley Wood Brand Builder Platinum Award for Best B2B Custom Event.
Earlier in his career, Vaccaro worked for the Salvation Army’s Western Division. There, he skillfully directed the organization’s housing programs, which included emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, off-site scattered single-family housing, and a psychiatric housing program for the homeless. Vaccaro received HUD’s National Blue Ribbon Best Practice award for co-creating and chairing the Omaha Area Continuum of Care For The Homeless and he was recognized by the United Way of the Midlands with its Leota G. Norton Community Service Award for his efforts in working with the homeless. After earning a B.A. from St. Louis University in Psychology with an emphasis on homelessness and domestic violence, Vaccaro went on to Catholic Theological Union for Master Studies of Divinity.
