FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sarah Werner
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Date: 11/6/25
FOCUS North America Welcomes Two New Leaders
FOCUS North America is pleased to announce two key leadership appointments: Claire Vlachos-Martin has joined the organization as Director of Operations, and Daria Mayrose has been named Director of Donor Engagement & Events. Together, they bring a wealth of experience, faith, and vision that will help guide FOCUS through its next season of growth and impact.
With more than twenty-five years of business leadership experience, Claire Vlachos-Martin comes to FOCUS following a distinguished career in the life sciences and healthcare sector, including sales and marketing roles at GE Healthcare, Merck Sigma-Aldrich, Avantor, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Claire’s latest appointment before coming to FOCUS was as Global Senior Director of Marketing and Commercial Strategy at Thermo Fisher, serving as an integral member of the senior leadership team.
Claire’s professional leadership has been marked by operational excellence, strategic innovation, and a deep commitment to integrity and service. Her personal leadership is marked as a long standing member of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in St. Louis, where she is an active member of the parish women’s Philoptochos group. She was also recently appointed to the Advisory Board for Avila University’s Women in Leadership Program, as part of her passion in supporting women. Claire holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and a certification in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University.
“Claire brings extraordinary operational and strategic insight to our team,” said Steven Christoforou, Executive Director of FOCUS North America. “Her experience leading large, complex organizations—and her faith-driven commitment to service—will strengthen every aspect of our ministry as we continue to grow and mature.”
Joining Claire as a new hire, Daria Mayrose steps into the new role of Director of Donor Engagement & Events, where she will directly support FOCUS’s fundraising, donor relations, and events strategy at both the national and Center levels.
Daria brings more than twenty years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and community engagement, most recently serving with St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. A native of Brooklyn, NY, Daria grew up helping in her family’s local toy store and learned early the value of community and hard work. She is an active member of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, where she serves on the parish council.
“Daria’s warmth, professionalism, and deep love for the Church make her the perfect person to lead our donor engagement efforts,” said Sarah (Werner) Popovici, Director of Development. “She brings both the heart of a servant and the skill of an experienced fundraiser to this work.”
Daria and her husband, Tommy, have been married for 34 years and are the proud parents of two sons, Connor and Christopher.
With these appointments, FOCUS North America continues to strengthen its national team, supporting a growing network of twelve FOCUS Centers across the country and expanding programs that serve those in need.
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About FOCUS North America:
FOCUS North America is the Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve. A pan-Orthodox ministry affiliated with the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America, FOCUS serves the poor by bringing together Orthodox Christian churches and community partners to make Christ’s love visible. FOCUS North America operates twelve FOCUS Centers across the country and offers a variety of outreach ministries such as Youth Equipped to Serve (YES) and the annual Back-to-School Backpack drive.
FOCUS’s social media accounts: facebook.com/FOCUSNorthAmerica and instagram.com/focusnorthamerica.
