Staff
Sonia White
Instructor/Director
In 2019, Sonia White became licensed to offer consulting services for the Standards for Excellence® program by completing an exclusive professional development initiative that gives independent consultants the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to work with nonprofit organizations across the country interested in learning about and implementing the Standards for Excellence code.
About the Standards for Excellence Institute®
The Standards for Excellence® originated as a special initiative of Maryland Nonprofits in 1998 and has since expanded into a national program to help nonprofit organizations achieve the highest benchmarks of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management and operations. The program is offered by twelve state, regional and national affiliate organizations, and is supported by 150 Licensed Consultants and over 200 volunteers with professional experience in nonprofit governance and administration. Since its inception, the program has accredited or recognized over 200 individual nonprofit organizations that completed a rigorous application and review process to demonstrate adherence to the Standards for Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.
In 2008, BoardSource named the Standards for Excellence code as “one of the most important milestones in the field of nonprofit governance in the last 20 years.” The Institute’s program has been cited as exemplary at hearings and roundtables before the US Senate Committee on Finance and the American Society of Association Executives.
Marla Malone
Assistant Director
(940)397-4962
Marla started with the Nonprofit Center in 2008 and quickly fell in love with the nonprofit sector. She Achieved completion of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Fundraising Course in 2010 and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from MSU in 2011. Marla transitioned with The Center in January 2019 when it went from a stand-alone nonprofit organization to become part of the MSU/Texas Tech system. Recently, in 2022 Marla became a Standards for Excellence licensed nonprofit consultant. She also received her Certificate in Nonprofit Board Consulting from Board Source in April of 2023.
Community involvement is very important to Marla. She is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Wichita Falls and served on their Board of Directors for 6 years as Board Chair, Treasurer and Program Chair. She has also served on boards and committees for several other nonprofit organizations. To name a few, Vernon College Foundation, Nonprofit Management Institute, Empty Bowls, THOR, CASAblanca, and High Heels for Hot Meals.
Marla has 2 children, Morgan (23) and Mason (20) and a dog, Maggie, who fill her time outside of work and volunteering. You can find her at home gardening when she is not out in the community.
Marla can be reached at marla.malone@msutexas.edu