Conference Speakers

I con of mobile phone.

There’s an App for that!

Download the Big Ten Development Conference app to keep directions, schedules, announcements, presentation materials, and more at your fingertips. Follow the links for iOS or Android devices, and rest assured that print directions will be available at the conference if needed.

Download for iOSDownload for Android

Keynote Speakers

O. Richard Bundy III

O. Richard Bundy III
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn State

The Stories of “We Are” and the Pegula Ice Arena
July 24 @ 12:30 p.m.

In his role as Penn State’s vice president for development and alumni relations, Rich Bundy leads a team of nearly 450 staff in advancing the University’s land-grant mission through the engagement of Penn State’s alumni and friends. He assumed the helm in January 2017 as Penn State began a University-wide fundraising campaign, A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, a five-year, $1.6 billion effort. This is Penn State’s third $1B+ comprehensive campaign, firmly placing the institution among public higher education’s most successful fundraising organizations. In FY18, his first full year in the role, the University established a new all-time record for fundraising with more than $360 million in donor commitments. The Penn State Alumni Association, which also reports to Rich, is the largest dues paying alumni organization in the world with more than 174,000 members.

Rich’s twenty-five-year+ career in public higher education fundraising and alumni relations began at Penn State, and has included positions at Michigan State University, the Iowa State University Foundation, and the University of Vermont Foundation. At Vermont, he served as the foundation’s inaugural president and chief executive officer and led the university to six years in a row of record-setting fundraising, highlighted by a $66 million gift to the Robert Larner College of Medicine in 2016. UVM had already raised $400 million of their $500 million campaign objective when he returned to his alma mater in 2017.

Rich holds BA and MA degrees in History from Penn State, an MBA from Michigan State, and he attended the Management Development Program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. A native of Pennsylvania, Rich is a retired marathon runner who has successfully completed forty marathons, including at least one on each continent. He now keeps active as an avid CrossFit athlete.

Jessica Capitani and Caden

Jessica Capitani
Board Member and Disability Advocate, Children’s Miracle Network

A Personal Perspective on Philanthropy’s Impact
July 24 @ 8 a.m.

Jessica is a former chairperson of the Family Advisory Council at Penn State Children’s Hospital and member of the Penn State Health Family Faculty. She is a Miracle Mom with Children’s Miracle Network and a member of the CMN Advisory Board. She is vice president of The Arc of Pennsylvania and is co-chair and founder of the nonprofit group Derry Township Special Education Parent Advisory Council. She is a contributing author to the book “Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives” and assistant editor to the follow-up, Gifts 2. She received her BA in psychology at the University of Virginia.

Kathleen Loehr

Kathleen Loehr
Senior Consultant, Aspen Leadership Group

Gender Matters: A Practical Approach to Grow Women’s Philanthropy
July 25 @ 8:45 a.m.

Kathleen Loehr is a Senior Consultant at the Aspen Leadership Group. Her partnership with nonprofit leaders is grounded in thirty years in the sector. She combines nonprofit expertise, fundraising, coaching, and strategy to help individuals and groups navigate change.

Kathleen knows that women are more frequently driving philanthropy, given the increased money they earn and inherit, and their influence in the household giving. Kathleen translates the research on how women give into practical action fundraisers can take. Her top selling book, Gender Matters: A Guide to Growing Women’s Philanthropy, was published by CASE in August 2018.

Kathleen was a C-suite leader of fundraising for the American Red Cross, Save the Children, and key departments at Cornell University. She chairs the Advisory Council for the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Kathleen received a BA in Government from Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Matthew W. Schuyler

Matthew W. Schuyler
Chief Human Resources Officer, Hilton Worldwide and Vice Chairman, Penn State Board of Trustees

Welcome Address
July 23 @ 6:30 p.m.

Matthew Schuyler was elected to the Board of Trustees effective July 2015 as an at-large trustee. The Chief Human Resources Officer of Hilton Worldwide earned his B.S. in Accounting from Penn State in 1987 and an MBA in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources Management from the University of Michigan in 1995. His Penn State volunteer service includes membership on the Board of Visitors of the Smeal College of Business, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and on the School of Hospitality Management Advisory Board. He has been a member of the National Academy of Human Resources, and the Penn State Alumni Association honored him with an Alumni Fellow Award in 2013.

Kat Walsh

Kat Walsh
Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives & Student Engagement, University of Michigan

Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Prevention in Higher Ed Fundraising
July 25 @ 10 a.m.

Ms. Walsh oversees the  execution of the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic objectives within University of Michigan Office of Development and serves on faculty at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. During her twelve-year tenure at Michigan, Ms. Walsh developed the nationally award-winning Development Summer Internship Program (D-SIP). D-SIP introduces college students to fundraising as a career path through work placement in a fundraising office across the U-M campus, course work for credit, and a rigorous professional development component. In addition, Ms. Walsh developed the first comprehensive student giving program at U-M, resulting in 10,000+ students donating over $2 million during the Victors for Michigan Campaign, and oversaw the Telefund operation for five years.

Previous to her work at Michigan, Ms. Walsh worked as Director of Alumni, Coordinator of Admissions, and part-time instructor at Saint Joseph Academy in Brownsville, Texas. While there she initiated an on-line class agent program; worked with the Director of Institutional Advancement on all special events and fundraising; created the inaugural SJA Ambassador program; restructured the new student orientation, and taught U.S. History, World Geography, 9th grade religion, and World Religions.

Ms. Walsh grew up in Brownsville, Texas and received her degrees from the University of Notre Dame in History (B.A.) and Theatre (B.A.), the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (M.A.), and the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy (M.P.P.). She has presented at numerous academic and professional conferences, is published in the International Journal of Educational Advancement, and is a certified administrator and trainer in the Intercultural Development Inventory, Emotional Intelligence and Diversity (EIDI), and Unconscious Bias.

Session Speakers

Jenny Daigle Benoit

Jenny Daigle Benoit, Executive Director of Annual Giving, Penn State

Acquire, retain, renew – the three words that guide Jenny Daigle Benoit in her position as executive director of the Office of Annual Giving at Penn State. This philosophy provides a roadmap to her goal of building the University’s annual giving donor base and ensuring that donors will continue to support Penn State for many years to come.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Jenny graduated from Tulane University in 2000. Jenny is currently enrolled in the Master of Education in Higher Education program at Penn State.

In her 20 year career at Tulane University, she held many positions in both alumni affairs and annual giving. In December 2014, she earned the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) confirmation through CFRE International, an independent nonprofit organization that sets professional standards in the field of philanthropy.

It’s Not Always Sunshine and Rainbows
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Donor Retention and Infamous Leaking Buckets
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Lee Beard

Lee Beard, Campaign Executive Committee for A Greater Penn State, Penn State

Lee Beard may be a graduate of the University of South Carolina, but she is a Penn Stater at heart. Lee’s involvement with Penn State began in 1993 when she moved to the Hazleton area to serve as President and CEO of First Federal Bank. Both she and her husband, Bill, became avid supporters of Penn State Hazleton, as she volunteered with development efforts, and he volunteered with the campus softball team. Lee was vice-chair of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students and chair of the campus committees. She also served as chair of the Hazleton campus campaign committee during A Grand Destiny. Currently, Lee serves on the Campaign Executive Committee for A Greater Penn State and as Chair of the Women’s Philanthropic Advisory Board.

Time, Talent, and Treasure: How to Make Volunteer Relations a Priority
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Rich Bundy

O. Richard Bundy III, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn State

In his role as Penn State’s vice president for development and alumni relations, Rich Bundy leads a team of nearly 450 staff in advancing the University’s land-grant mission through the engagement of Penn State’s alumni and friends. He assumed the helm in January 2017 as Penn State began a University-wide fundraising campaign, A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence, a five-year, $1.6 billion effort. This is Penn State’s third $1B+ comprehensive campaign, firmly placing the institution among public higher education’s most successful fundraising organizations. In FY18, his first full year in the role, the University established a new all-time record for fundraising with more than $360 million in donor commitments. The Penn State Alumni Association, which also reports to Rich, is the largest dues paying alumni organization in the world with more than 174,000 members.

Rich’s twenty-five-year+ career in public higher education fundraising and alumni relations began at Penn State, and has included positions at Michigan State University, the Iowa State University Foundation, and the University of Vermont Foundation. At Vermont, he served as the foundation’s inaugural president and chief executive officer and led the university to six years in a row of record-setting fundraising, highlighted by a $66 million gift to the Robert Larner College of Medicine in 2016. UVM had already raised $400 million of their $500 million campaign objective when he returned to his alma mater in 2017.

Rich holds BA and MA degrees in History from Penn State, an MBA from Michigan State, and he attended the Management Development Program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. A native of Pennsylvania, Rich is a retired marathon runner who has successfully completed forty marathons, including at least one on each continent. He now keeps active as an avid CrossFit athlete.

Development Leadership Session (VPs only)
July 24 @ 10 and 11:05 a.m.

Susan Burlingame

Susan Burlingame, Lead Writer, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State

Susan joined the College of the Liberal Arts Alumni Relations & Development team in December 2018 after serving as assistant director of development communications for the College of Agricultural Sciences. She has more than 30 years of public relations and development communications experience, including tenures as director of public relations (and member of the advancement team) for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, St. Bonaventure University, and the Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Utica, NY). For seven years, she was senior writer for Snavely Associates, a nationally focused development communications company, after which she established her own freelance writing firm, where she wrote case statements, proposals, donor profiles, annual fund appeals, recruitment materials, feature stories, and more for colleges and universities, hospitals, independent schools, and others. Past academic clients include Stony Brook University, University of Cincinnati, West Virginia University, University of South Florida, the Ohio State University, and two U.S. service academies: Annapolis and West Point. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Kutztown University.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Cathy Carlson

Cathy Carlson, Director of Leadership Communications and Creative Strategy, Office of Development Communications, Penn State

Cathy Carlson is the director of leadership communications and creative strategy in Penn State’s Office of Development Communications. She joined the University’s development team as a writer/editor in 2002, bringing a background in higher education and arts administration. After earning both her bachelor’s degree and her master of fine arts degree in creative writing at Cornell University, she served her alma mater as a lecturer in English and then as managing director of the Cornell Cinema Media Arts Center. In her present role, she has partnered with units across Penn State on a diverse range of high-level projects, including the proposals to create the Pegula Ice Arena and the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens of the Arboretum at Penn State, and she has been the lead writer on the case statements and branding efforts for the For the Future and A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence campaigns. She has also served as the creative lead on gala events associated with these campaigns. She now leads a team of writers who partner with fundraisers across the University on major gifts fundraising and stewardship.

The Future of the Written Proposal
July 24 @ 3:15 a.m.

Brian K. Danforth

Brian K. Danforth, Executive Director of Advancement for University of Florida, Central Advancement

Brian K. Danforth is the Executive Director of Advancement for University of Florida, Central Advancement. Brian is a progressive fundraising professional with over 12 years of experience in higher education fundraising. As the chief fundraiser for the UF College of Education, he is responsible for individual major gift fundraising, managing a high performing development and alumni affairs team, and assisting college leadership in establishing funding priorities that align with the college’s vision and campaign aspirations. Brian also provides leadership and support to the College of Design, Construction, and Planning and the College of the Arts. In this role, Brian works closely with three deans, senior directors and their teams to maximize private support by assisting with long-term comprehensive fundraising strategies and prospect development. Since the start of the University of Florida’s $3 billion, Go Greater Campaign in 2014, he has overseen fundraising efforts that have secured $82 million (or 98%) of the combined $84 million campaign goals between the colleges that he supports, with three years remaining in the campaign. Brian has extensive experience in developing annual giving strategy, cultivating and soliciting major gifts, high-level stewardship and engagement, and personnel management.

Brian received his bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill University (Asheville, NC) where he also served for three years as Director of Annual Giving. In 2008, he earned a masters in entrepreneurship degree from Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC). Brian also served as Director of Annual Giving at Texas Lutheran University (San Antonio, TX) from 2009 to 2013. One of Brian’s greatest accomplishments was being recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 people to watch by the San Antonio Business Journal in 2012. He is married to LaZendra Danforth and has two boys, Stephen (7) and Braxton (6).

Managing Fundraisers
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Gail Driban

Gail Driban, Associate Director of Stewardship, Office of Donor Relations and Special Events, Penn State

Gail Driban has been with the Office of Donor Relations and Special Events for six years. She supervises the eSteward and stewardship training for university and development staff. She is also responsible for providing strategic support of the Penn State stewardship coordinator network including consultation on meeting university-wide stewardship plan metrics. She serves as a member of the planning and execution team for high-level donor recognition events and beneficiary/benefactor engagement strategies. Gail currently serves on the CASE V conference planning committee as the Advancement Services Track Chair.

eSteward: Portal to Stewardship Success
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Kate Emmick

Kate Emmick, Director of Donor Relations, Smeal College of Business, Penn State

Kate Emmick is the director of donor relations for the Smeal College of Business at Penn State where she is responsible for the college’s overall stewardship strategy. Prior to her role in Smeal, Kate was the associate director of stewardship for the College of Education at Penn State. Her career in fundraising and development began at Conservation International in Washington, DC. In total, Kate has spent nearly 17 years in the field of development. Her areas of expertise include stewardship strategy and best practices, event planning, strategic donor communications, volunteer management, and annual giving.

Metrics for Success: Creating a University-Wide Stewardship Plan
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Melissa Erekson

Melissa Erekson, Assistant Vice President for Corporate Engagement, Penn State

Melissa Erekson is the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Corporate Engagement at Pennsylvania State University, where she is charged with standing up the Corporate Engagement Center. The Center is a new university-wide office, supported by an internal partnership between the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Division of Development and Alumni Relations, and the Office of Career Services. She leads a team of 8 focused on providing a holistic approach to university-industry relations.

 

Prior to her appointment at Penn State, Erekson served for 14 years in the Office of Advancement at Tulane University, most recently as the Executive Director of Corporate, Foundation, and Research Relations. She led a staff of nine that serves all of the schools, colleges and institutes at Tulane – including professional schools of medicine, architecture, law, business and social work, in addition to schools of science and engineering, public health, and liberal arts.

Erekson holds a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish Studies from Tufts University and an MBA in International Marketing from the FW Olin School of Business at Babson College.

Redesigning the Corporate Engagement Experience
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Jeff Fortin

Jeff Fortin, Associate Vice President for Research and Director of the Office of Industrial Partnerships, Penn State

Jeff Fortin, PhD, was appointed associate vice president for research and director of the Office of Industrial Partnerships at Penn State in 2014. Jeff is responsible for developing and nurturing strategic relationships with industry partners. Jeff and the Research office recently partnered with the Office of University Development to establish a new Corporate Engagement Center bringing research and philanthropy together as one team supporting university-wide corporate engagement. Jeff has 20 years of experience in industry. Before coming to Penn State, Jeff spent 15 years at General Electric and held various positions from Principle Investigator to Executive Engineering Director in charge of global product development teams. Jeff received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Southern Maine and an M.S. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also holds a PhD in Engineering Science from RPI. Jeff holds 19 US patents, has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles, and co-authored 2 books.

Redesigning the Corporate Engagement Experience
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Geoff Halberstadt

Geoff Halberstadt, Senior Director of Development, College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State

Geoff Halberstadt is Senior Director of Development at Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts. Geoff has worked for the University’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations for nine years, beginning as an intern before serving tenures as assistant director (2011-2014) and associate director (2014-2016) of development in the College of Engineering. He joined the College of the Liberal Arts in May 2016 as director of major gifts and had served as the college’s interim director of development since July 2017. Geoff is also a Penn State alumnus, having received his bachelor’s degrees in political science and history in 2011 and his master’s degree in higher education in 2017.

Internships in Advancement: A Key Strategy for Building Your Talent Pipeline
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Portfolio Optimization – Positioning Gift Officers for Success
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Geoff Hallett

Geoff Hallett, Associate Director of Annual Giving, Penn State

Geoff is an Associate Director of Annual Giving at Penn State where he oversees digital fundraising initiatives including crowdfunding (Let’s Grow State), text-to-donate, event-based/peer-to-peer fundraising, and the Penn State day of giving (#GivingTuesday). His responsibilities include developing and implementing a cohesive digital fundraising and engagement strategy that complements other Annual Giving communication and solicitation efforts. Prior to his start at Penn State, Geoff worked for two years at his alma mater, Bucknell University, managing their student philanthropy programs and carrying a recent graduate, leadership annual giving portfolio. He has worked at Penn State for seven years.

Giving Days
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Virginia S. Harrison

Virginia S. Harrison, Ph.D. Candidate (ABD); Co-Chair, AEJMC PRD Graduate Student Committee; Bellisario College of Communications, Penn State

Virginia S. Harrison is a doctoral candidate in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State. Her research interests include nonprofit public relations and donor communications. Her dissertation will explore the concept of stewardship in donor communication to better understand and measure its implications for nonprofit-donor relationships. Virginia has presented her work annually at the International Communication Association and Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conferences, where she has received four top paper awards. She has solo- or first-authored six peer-reviewed journal articles, which have appeared in publications like Public Relations Review and Communication & Sport and are forthcoming in the Journal of Communication Management and Corporate Communications: An International Journal. Before returning to school, Virginia spent seven years working in the fundraising industry as Public Relations Specialist in Penn State’s Office of Development Communications, Manager for Corporate and Individual Stewardship at Mural Arts Philadelphia, and Assistant Director of Development at Penn State Brandywine. She has an M.A. in media studies, a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism, and a bachelor’s degree in history, all from Penn State.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Kaitlin Hedberg

Kaitlin Hedberg, Director of Engagement Strategy, Office of Development Communications, Penn State

Kaitlin joined Penn State’s Office of Development Communications in 2011. In her current role, she oversees the creation of print and digital materials designed to solicit and engage annual-level donors across all colleges and campuses. She partners closely with the Office of Annual Giving in developing solicitation strategy, particularly around efforts to engage new and younger donors. Kaitlin serves as editor of We Are magazine and oversees the Office of University Development’s digital platforms, including raise.psu.edu and @raisepennstate on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Kaitlin graduated from Penn State in 2005 and before rejoining the University community, worked in fundraising and communications for Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern restaurant and Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Tina Hennessey

Tina Hennessey, Executive Director of Development, Penn State

Tina Hennessey is Executive Director of Development at Penn State University, where she provides central leadership and management to 9 fundraising units (Penn State Abington, Arts and Architecture, Dickinson Law, Earth and Mineral Sciences, Information Sciences and Technology, Liberal Arts, Penn State Law, the Schreyer Honors College and University Libraries), overseeing a team of more than 60 professionals. Tina has been closing 7-figure leadership gifts for more than a decade and has managed and led increasingly larger fundraising teams to similar success. Prior to her current role at Penn State, she worked in major gifts and gift planning before becoming the Senior Director of Development in the College of the Liberal Arts. She is the 2018 recipient of the Patrick Scholl Mentor Award in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. She holds an MBA from Arcadia University and a BA in journalism with honors and distinction from Penn State University.

Managing Fundraisers
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Prevention in Higher Ed Fundraising
July 25 @ 10 a.m.

Charleon Jeffries

Charleon Jeffries, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Division of Development and Alumni Relations, Penn State

Charleon joined Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR) as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in May of 2018. Prior to that, she served as the University’s diversity educator in the Affirmative Action Office from 2013 – 2018 and had eleven years of progressively more significant roles in the College of Education’s Office of Multicultural Programs, concluding with serving as multicultural coordinator from 2011 to 2013. In addition to her Penn State experience, Charleon also served as director of the Pennsylvania Future Educators Association from 2006 to 2011. She has been active with the President’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity, the Penn State Council of College Multicultural Leadership, and was founder and advisor to the Multicultural Education Student Association. She is active in the community, as well, having just completed training of over 700 faculty, staff, and administrators in the State College Area School District addressing the influence and impact of unconscious bias, and has served as Counselor Advocate, trainer and board member for the Center County Women’s Resource Center (Centre Safe). Charleon recently accepted a position on the board of the Centre Region Community Diversity Group as the director of their education and outreach initiatives. Charleon is a two time graduate of Penn State with B.S. and M.Ed. degrees.

Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into an Advancement Function
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.

Cheryl Kaplan

Cheryl Kaplan, Director of Talent Management, Penn State

Cheryl Kaplan is the Director of Talent Management for Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations. Her responsibilities include leading the recruitment, retention, and a talent planning/development strategy for a more than 400-person fundraising and alumni relations team. Prior to joining Penn State in 2014, she held talent management, change management, coaching, and leadership development roles at The Vanguard Group and Aramark Corporation. Cheryl began her career at Penn State Abington, and, after 15 years in industry, feels fortunate to be back at Penn State. Cheryl holds a B.A. in Organizational Studies from State University of New York at Albany, a M.P.S. in Communication from Cornell University, and a coaching certificate from the Coaches Training Institute.

Internships in Advancement: A Key Strategy for Building Your Talent Pipeline
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Rethinking Recruiting: LinkedIn and Beyond
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Megan Kissinger

Megan Kissinger, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development, UCLA College of Letters and Science

Megan Kissinger is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for UCLA College Development. A development professional with more than 25 years of experience, Megan is the chief fundraiser for the UCLA College—the largest academic unit on campus. In this role, she provides fundraising strategy to support the highest academic priorities of the University. Since the start of UCLA’s $4.2 billion, seven-year Centennial Campaign for UCLA in 2012, she has overseen the College’s fundraising efforts that have surpassed its original goal of $400 million, reaching over $500 million to date. Working closely with five deans and development executive directors for five divisions, she leads the conceptualization and implementation of long-term fundraising strategies. She has extensive experience cultivating and soliciting major gifts and works to ensure the success of all philanthropy for the benefit of the UCLA College and donors. Megan also oversees the College’s development communications and stewardship program, and the development programs for the UCLA Library and UCLA Extension. She is committed to maximizing the impact of philanthropy in a public research institution—working to ensure tomorrow’s discoveries and to level the playing field for the best and brightest, regardless of economic background.

Megan began her fundraising career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, followed by the Getty Museum and the Hammer Museum. She received her bachelor’s degree in Art History from UCLA.

Managing Fundraisers
July 24 @ 10 p.m.

Drew Kovacs

Drew Kovacs, Associate Director of Talent Acquisition, Penn State

Drew Kovacs is a 15-year veteran of helping organizations find the right people, and helping people find the right careers. Beginning in San Francisco recruiting technology professionals during the first dotcom boom in the ‘90’s, Drew later moved to Las Vegas and joined Zappos.com as its first tech recruiter. A graduate of Penn State, Drew’s creating and executing a comprehensive recruiting strategy to bring the nation’s best fundraising professionals to the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.

Rethinking Recruiting: LinkedIn and Beyond
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Todd Lineburger

Todd Lineburger, Associate Vice President for Strategic Advancement Communications, Rutgers University Foundation, Rutgers University

Todd Lineburger has made a career of matching messaging to markets in higher education and nonprofits. He serves as associate vice president of strategic advancement communications at Rutgers University Foundation and has held similar roles at Franklin & Marshall College and Widener University. As an editor, marketer, feature writer, and student of literature, he first found success in articulating value—and values—in elegant, inspiring prose aimed at mature audiences. Today, he aspires to bring the same relevance and craftsmanship to audiences across a broad spectrum—including Gen Z. His secret formula is homemade: two teenage children, who constantly remind to him that language is fungible, memes are the new broadsides, and that while everything is changed, nothing has changed at all.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Kris Meyer

Kris Meyer, Executive Director, Donor Relations and Special Events, Penn State

Kris Meyer joined Penn State in 2008 as executive director of the Office of Donor Relations and Special Events where she leads a team of nineteen professionals who manage stewardship, donor recognition, and donor engagement. She started her career in downtown Minneapolis working in advertising agencies where she focused on market research and media analysis for national consumer and business-to-business accounts. After seven years in the private sector, she joined the University of Iowa Alumni Association staff and served five years as their Director of Marketing and Membership. Then the University of Iowa Foundation, their partner organization at the time, hired Kris as the Foundation’s first Director of Annual Giving. After ten years on the Iowa campus she left for another Big Ten institution, the University of Michigan, and held the position of Director of Annual Giving Programs for three years. She has her BA in Journalism from Iowa State University and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from Penn State University.

Stewardship Best Practices
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Stephanie Mizer

Stephanie Mizer, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition and Management and Chief Diversity Officer, The Ohio State University

Stephanie Mizer joined Ohio State in May, 2012 and leads the comprehensive talent acquisition and management functions for the university’s advancement activities. This includes a team of nearly 500 development, alumni relations and marketing professionals located centrally and in the colleges and units across campus as well as the Wexner Medical Center. She also serves as Advancement’s Chief Diversity Officer.
Prior to joining the world of higher education, Stephanie spent 17 years in the zoo industry. Stephanie is proud to be a frequent CASE V roundtable host and presenter. She is a founding advisor of Ohio State’s Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Collegiate Chapter. She received her BA in psychology from Otterbein University and possesses the SHRM-CP certification.

Rethinking Recruiting: LinkedIn and Beyond
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

McQuillan Murphy

McQuillin Murphy, Program Assistant to the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations, Penn State

Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, McQuillin “Quill” Murphy graduated from Penn State in May 2017 with degrees in International Politics and Geography, as well as a goal to work in organized philanthropy. Quill joined the Penn State Division of Development & Alumni Relations Internship Program for the summer of 2017, where he began developing an incentive program for advancement staff and recommendations for the division’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In 2018, Quill was hired as the program administrator in the Office of the Vice President; in this capacity, he manages the incentive program and other special initiatives of the vice president’s office.

Internships in Advancement: A Key Strategy for Building Your Talent Pipeline
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Driving Performance with an Incentive Program: Current Perspectives
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Kelly Nguyen

Kelly Nguyen, Associate Director of Stewardship, Office of Donor Relations and Special Events, Penn State

Kelly Nguyen joined Penn State’s Office of Donor Relations and Special Events as an associate director of stewardship, after serving as the stewardship coordinator for Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College. Previously, she worked at Barnard College, Columbia University as the Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations and spent five years working in development at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Metrics for Success: Creating a University-Wide Stewardship Plan
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Sacha Patera

Sacha Patera, Associate Vice President, Rutgers Corporate Engagement Center, Rutgers

Sacha Patera serves as Associate Vice President of the Rutgers Corporate Engagement Center, leading a team of corporate engagement professionals. The CEC team provides a front door into Rutgers University for companies and brokers comprehensive research-based partnerships between the University, faculty and industry that enable academic innovation, translation and entrepreneurship. Sacha is co-author of NACRO’s “Five Essential Elements of a Successful Twenty-First Century University Corporate Relations Program”. She has held CR positions at Northwestern University and Dartmouth College. In 1989, Sacha was part of a startup that sent protein crystallization experiments onto the Soviet Space Station MIR. She is passionate about societal diversity and the professional development of scientists. Sacha holds a biochemistry BS from McGill University, a chemistry PhD from Brandeis University, and a business executive education certification from the Northwestern University.

Redesigning the Corporate Engagement Experience
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

J. Andrew Petersen

J. Andrew Petersen, Associate Professor of Marketing; Associate Research Director, Institute for the Study of Business Markets; Faculty Director, Master’s in Marketing Analytics and Insights, Smeal College of Business, Penn State

J. Andrew Petersen’s research interests include measuring and maximizing customer/donor lifetime value (CLV/DLV) and customer/donor equity, managing customer product return behavior, measuring the value of word of mouth, selling and sales management, linking marketing metrics to financial performance, social network analysis, and text analytics. His research has been published in journals including Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, The Wall Street Journal, Journal of Retailing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Journal of Service Research among others. He has taught undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and Ph.D. Marketing courses for Universities in Marketing Management, Sales Management, Customer Relationship Management, Marketing Research, and Marketing Analytics in the US and India. He has a Ph.D. in Business Administration (concentration in Marketing) from the University of Connecticut. He has a BA with Honors in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Sarah Salomon

Sarah Salomon, Director of Recruitment and Human Resources, University of Michigan

Sarah Salomon is the Director of Recruitment & Human Resources at the University of Michigan’s Office of University Development, joining the team in 2011. Sarah is responsible for a variety of aspects of talent management including recruitment, retention, recognition and talent analytics. In addition, Sarah serves as program director of the Development Summer Internship Program (D-SIP). Prior to joining the University, she was Human Resources Manager for Borders Bookstores and gained experience in corporate, store and distribution center HR.

Sarah holds a Bachelor Degree in Apparel Merchandising & Product Development from Bowling Green State University and is certified in Talent Management Analytics. She is also a certified facilitator of TRACOM’s social intelligence tool, Social Style®.

Internships in Advancement: A Key Strategy for Building Your Talent Pipeline
July 24 @ 10 a.m.

Kindra Samons

Kindra Samons, Engagement Center Manager, Legends, The Ohio State University Alumni Association

Kindra joined The Ohio State University Alumni Association team in 2012 as a student caller at Ohio State’s Calling Center. She later moved on to become the call center manager and the program director, fueled by her passion for philanthropy. She then joined the Annual Giving team when she transitioned into her current role as a digital fundraising specialist. In this role, Kindra assisted with the digital fundraising strategy using numerous digital tools to bring alumni, students, family, and friends back to the university. She worked very closely with the Office of Student Life and the Student Philanthropy Council to help educate and engage students on the importance of philanthropy. This quickly became her inspiration and she continues to be drawn to help make a difference by connecting Buckeyes to what matters the most to them. As the Engagement Center Manager with Legends and The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Kindra helps with the development of programs targeting the engagement of Ohio State alumni through telephone, email, SMS, video, social media and face-to-face meetings.

Evolving Media: Reaching Young Alumni on Their Terms
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Joe Scialabba

Joe Scialabba, Manager of Annual Leadership Gifts, Annual Giving, Penn State

A member of Penn State’s Office of Annual Giving Strategic Management Team, Joe is responsible for managing the Annual Leadership Gifts (ALG) Team, working closely with the ALG officers, many who as recent graduates are in their first professional positions.

A director of major gifts at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business from 2011-14 during the “For the Future” Campaign, Joe returned to Penn State in November 2017 after three years at Juniata College as executive director of development for the successful planning and private phases of “Believe” – Juniata’s current $115 million comprehensive campaign.

Joe is a 1986 Juniata graduate and began his 30+ years in the nonprofit/higher education advancement field in Juniata administration from 1986-98. He held his first roles in fundraising at Juniata and served as director of annual giving from 1997-98 when the College established its (still current) record for total alumni donors.

Joe received his master’s degree in nonprofit management from Regis University (CO) in 2003. He has served as chief fundraiser for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and Mount Aloysius College.

Joe is a frequent presenter on a wide range of advancement, fundraising and strategic planning topics, speaking at a variety of training workshops, and regional and national conferences, and for nonprofit boards and leaders throughout his career. He also presents often to high school coaches and officials about basketball and football rules and sports officiating issues and mechanics.

The Evolution of an Annual Leadership Gifts Program
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Dena Schwartz

Dena Schwartz, Consultant for Research Development, EAB

Dena Schwartz conducts best practice research related to major and principal giving, working with academic partners, multidisciplinary fundraising priority development, professional development for major gift officers, and corporate and foundation relations. She conducts interactive workshops for advancement staff and academic leaders on topics including storytelling, generating bold ideas, and communicating advancement’s value. In her time at EAB, she has also contributed to benchmarking initiatives related to institutional advancement and student affairs.

Ms. Schwartz holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master of science degree from the London School of Economics.

Perfecting the Partnership: Reimagining the Academy’s Role in Advancement Initiatives
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m. and 4:20 p.m.

Kelly Snyder

Kelly Snyder, Executive Director, Research and Analytics, Development and Alumni Relations, Penn State

Kelly Snyder is the Executive Director of Research and Analytics. She received both a BS and M.Ed from Penn State.

She has been on staff at Penn State over 32 years including a 17 year career in Student Aid followed by front-line fundraising experience and now her current role leading the Research and Analytics team.

Her office’s primary goal is to help the Office of University Development (OUD) work more efficiently and effectively by providing data analytics, data mining services, individual research, data integrity, and managing the storage of our electronic files.  She leads a crack team of professionals who have a passion and curiosity for providing data, system improvements and analysis and who love their work and their role in supporting the mission of the organization.

Portfolio Optimization – Positioning Gift Officers for Success
July 24 @ 4:20 p.m.

Haley Staub

Haley Staub, Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs, Penn State

An avid volunteer leader herself during her time as a student at Penn State University, Haley Staub was drawn to the newly-established Office of Volunteer Programs and began her role as Assistant Director in June 2018, following her college graduation in May. Staub received a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the Bellisario College of Communications and graduated with honors from the Schreyer Honors College. After serving as the Volunteer Programs Summer Intern in 2017 and the Penn State THON Public Relations Director in 2018, Staub was confident that philanthropy was the path for her.

Time, Talent, and Treasure: How to Make Volunteer Relations a Priority
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Kim Van Lue

Kim Van Lue, Vice President, Talent Management and Human Resources, Indiana University Foundation

Kim has nearly 20 years of experience in Human Resources having previously held senior leadership roles in Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 corporate organizations in distribution and financial service industries. Kim graduated from the University of Evansville (Indiana) with a BS in Business Administration and has an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Rethinking Recruiting: LinkedIn and Beyond
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.

Brenda Walker

Brenda Walker, Director of Volunteer Programs, Penn State

As Penn State’s director of volunteer programs, Brenda Walker leads an office charged with developing new ways to make the most of the time and talent that fundraising volunteers offer to the University. Walker previously served as associate director of volunteer relations, and before that as assistant to the senior vice president of development and alumni relations. She began her tenure at Penn State in 1997 as assistant director for constituent relations. Walker received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lock Haven University.

Time, Talent, and Treasure: How to Make Volunteer Relations a Priority
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Stephen Watts

Stephen Watts, Office Manager of Volunteer Programs, Penn State

With a relentless passion for all things Penn State, Stephen Watts jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Volunteer Programs Team and started as Office Manager in June 2018. Prior to this position, Watts held various roles at Penn State University from 2014 – 2018, including assistant outreach coordinator, data management specialist, undergraduate support assistant, and accounting assistant. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Smeal College of Business in 2012. Currently, he is enrolled in a master’s degree program of strategic communications through the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications’ World Campus program.

Time, Talent, and Treasure: How to Make Volunteer Relations a Priority
July 24 @ 3:15 p.m.

Roxanne Zoschg

Roxanne Zoschg, Alumni Relations and Stewardship Officer, Office of Donor Relations and Special Events, Penn State

Roxanne Zoschg is an alumni relations and stewardship officer with Penn State’s Office of Donor Relations and Special Events, focusing on the University-wide stewardship plan and annual endowment reporting and spending analyses. Roxanne previously served as special assistant to the vice provost for graduate education at Penn State. Between her time as a Penn State undergraduate (’08, Liberal Arts) and a Penn State professional, Roxanne spent several years in business operations management.

Metrics for Success: Creating a University-Wide Stewardship Plan
July 24 @ 11:05 a.m.