Strengthening The Coalition: Jessica Siraco Joins RAHC
Real American Hardwood® welcomes Jessica Siraco as Director of Development, strengthening the Coalition’s capacity to grow partnerships, funding, and long-term impact.
The Real American Hardwood Coalition (RAHC) has spent the past several years building something the hardwood industry has long needed: a unified effort to increase awareness, understanding, and demand for Real American Hardwood products.
Now, the Coalition is investing in the infrastructure needed to take that work further.
Jessica Siraco has joined RAHC as its new Director of Development, bringing more than 15 years of experience in revenue development, organizational leadership, strategic partnerships, and fundraising. Throughout her career, Siraco has helped organizations build the revenue, relationships, and infrastructure necessary to turn ambitious ideas into sustainable programs.
For RAHC, the creation of this position represents another step in the Coalition’s evolution from an ambitious industry initiative into an organization capable of sustaining and expanding its work.
“The focus and ambition of this position align closely with the work I’ve led throughout my career—building development strategies that drive revenue, strengthen partnerships, and support long-term growth,” Siraco says.
Most recently, she served in leadership roles at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum in Bethel, Maine, including as Interim Executive Director and Chief Advancement Lead. During a period of organizational transition, she led fundraising, communications, and strategic partnerships while working alongside the museum’s board and staff.
Across her career, Siraco has secured significant private, institutional, and public investment while building the partnerships and systems needed to sustain organizational growth. Her experience spans major investments, institutional funding, revenue strategy, development operations, and partnership building.
That breadth of experience is particularly relevant to an organization like RAHC. The Coalition brings together different sectors and organizations around a shared goal, requiring not only financial resources but also strong relationships, clear communication, and coordination among stakeholders.
Siraco has spent much of her career working in similarly lean organizations and entrepreneurial environments, where building systems and cultivating partnerships are as important as raising revenue itself.
“My work has centered on translating complex initiatives into clear opportunities for investment—bringing together funders, partners, and leadership to build momentum and deliver results,” she explains.
Building Resources for Growth
One of Siraco’s strengths is her experience connecting organizations with individuals and institutions that can help advance their missions.
Her experience includes building fundraising systems from the ground up, improving donor pipelines and revenue tracking, and working with boards to establish a more active role in organizational development.
That systems-building experience could prove particularly valuable as RAHC grows.
Siraco emphasized the importance of establishing clear communication structures and systems to maintain transparency and accountability with organizational leadership.
Investing in the Future of Real American Hardwood®
For members of the hardwood industry, development work can sometimes feel removed from the larger mission of increasing hardwood demand. In reality, the two are closely connected.
Every new funding source, donor relationship, grant, and strategic partnership has the potential to give RAHC greater capacity to put Real American Hardwood in front of the audiences who influence material decisions.
Siraco’s role will help strengthen the structure behind that work.
Her experience gives RAHC another tool for moving from individual initiatives toward sustained, long-term market development.
It is also a sign of how far the Coalition has come.
RAHC began with the industry recognizing that telling hardwood’s story required collective action. As that effort grows, so must the organization supporting it. Adding a dedicated Director of Development helps create the capacity to build new relationships, pursue additional resources, and turn support for Real American Hardwood into measurable action.
