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A – B
Ofelia Alayeto, Manager, Research Unit
University of California, San Francisco
Ofelia Alayeto has more than 15 years of experience in advancement research and management. She is manager of the Research Unit, University Development and Alumni Relations, at the University of California, San Francisco. She has been a frequent conference speaker for CARA, APRA and other organizations. Alayeto was a part-time lecturer for 14 years, teaching writing and communications at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She is the author of a scholarly book and many articles in her field. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Italian and French, and a doctorate in comparative literature, all from City University of New York.
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Eva Aldrich, Associate Director, Public Service and The Fund Raising School
Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
Eva E. Aldrich, CFRE, is an alumna of The Fund Raising School and has been associate director since 2007. Her work centers on the development and revision of The Fund Raising School’s curriculum. She also teaches core curriculum courses and customized contract programs for The Fund Raising School, regularly makes conference and seminar presentations for the School and the Center, and has been published in the New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising series from Jossey-Bass.
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Patricia Ambler, Client Service Manager
Wealth Engine
Tricia Ambler joined WealthEngine in October 2007. Previously, she was Director of Prospect Research and Tracking at Virginia Commonwealth University, responsible for the management of the research office and for prospect tracking. She has also held development positions at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia, and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Inc. in Williamsburg, Virginia. Ambler is President of APRA-Virginia, serving as a member of this board for the past six years, first as Program Chair and then as Vice President. She has contributed articles to Connections about peer screenings and finding private company wealth. In addition, Ambler has served as Conference Chair and Program Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Researchers Conference (MARC), and presented at MARC in 2005 and 2007 and the CASE District III conference in 2008.
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Valerie Anastasio, Development Officer, Special Projects
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
Valerie Anastasio has spent 18 years in development research, operations and prospect management, and frontline fundraising roles at educational and cultural institutions and in an advisory capacity for a variety of nonprofits. From 1999 to 2007, she served as the Director of Research and Prospect Development at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, working on strategic, feasibility and donor prospecting for its $500 million campaign, to date the largest campaign by a cultural institution outside New York. Previously, she was the Director of Development Research in the Harvard University Development office, managing a staff of 14 in the context of Harvard's comprehensive $2 billion campaign. She also has worked in frontline annual fundraising at Boston Lyric Opera, Bradeis University and WGBH Television and Radio.
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Jason Befort, Major Gifts Officer Manager, Prospect Management & Research
Mayo Clinic
Jason Befort has worked in prospect research for five years, first at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, then at Mayo Clinic Rochester. For the past two years, he has headed prospect management and research at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. Befort hols a bachelor’s degree with a double major in history and philosophy from University of Minnesota at Duluth, and an MLS degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Inez Bergquist, Senior Consultant
Skystone Ryan Inc.
Inez Bergquist is a founder of APRA, served as the association’s first President and has been a researcher in the nonprofit arena for 27 years.
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Joshua Birkholz, Principal
Bentz Whaley Flessner
Joshua M. Birkholz is the director of DonorCast, the analytics division of Bentz Whaley Flessner. He has built data mining and fundraising production analysis solutions for leading universities, medical centers and cultural nonprofits across the U.S. Before joining Bentz Whaley Flessner, Birkholz engineered the data mining program for the University of Minnesota Foundation. He is a published author and sought-after speaker in the field of analytics, prospecting and constituent relationship management. Birkholz earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University-St. Paul and his master’s in arts administration from St. Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota.
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Steve Birnbaum , Chief Operating Officer
Jacobson Consulting Application
Steve Birnbaum has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit management, with expertise in organizational planning, tehcnology implementation and change management. In 2003, he was named COO of Jacobson Consulting Applications, and manages consulting services and new business development. He also leads engagements for large organizations working on new technology initiatives.
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Anne Brownlee, Senior Research Associate
Harvard University
Anne Brownlee is a Senior Research Associate at Harvard University's Office of Alumni Affairs & Development. She oversees research efforts in the New York Region and London, and works to educate researchers and fundraisers about wealth and philanthropic trends. Brownlee joined Harvard in 2006 after two years as a Senior Research Analyst at Brown University. She started her career in development research in 2002 at Brandeis University. Anne has a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and an MLS from Indiana University.
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Judith Busse, Director of Prospect Research
Advocate Charitable Foundation
Judith Busse has worked in the prospect research field for 15 years. For more than six years, she has been the Director of Prospect Research at Advocate Charitable Foundation, the fundraising arm of Advocate Health Care. Advocate is the largest fully integrated not-for-profit health care delivery system in metropolitan Chicago. It has eight hospitals with 3,500 beds and more than 24,500 employees, making Advocate one of Chicagoland's 10 largest employers. Busse has participated in three campaigns — at University of Chicago, Kalamazoo College and Advocate, which finished a $134 million campaign in 2004.
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C – D
Sarah Cadbury, Director of Prospect Research
La Salle University
Sarah Parnum Cadbury redesigned the La Salle University’s prospect management system, and she and another researcher are heavily engaged in proactive research. After working in research at World Wildlife Fund and the National Parks Conservation Association, she appreciates having an alumni base to work from. She was President of APRA-Metro DC and served as the group’s Membership Chair. She was Resource Center Co-Chair at the 2002 APRA international conference, Program Chair for MARC 2003, Volunteer Chair for MARC 2007, and Conference Chair for MARC 2008. Cadbury earned a degree in sociology/anthropology from Earlham College.
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Chris Cannon, Senior Associate
Bentz Whaley Flessner
Christopher Cannon, CFRE, is a senior associate at Bentz Whaley Flessner. His areas of expertise include fundraising systems and operations, prospect research and management, database management, database conversion projects, gift processing and acknowledgment, business intelligence and reporting. Before joining Bentz Whaley Flessner, Cannon served as Research and Development Services director at Saint Louis University where he managed an advancement services team, provided leadership for an enterprise-wide database conversion and developed new campaign and prospect-oriented reporting. Cannon earned a master’s degree from The University of Kansas and a bachelor’s from Truman State University. He has been a featured speaker at APRA, AFP and other conferences, and has written for APRA's Connections, AFP's Advancing Philanthropy and the AHP Journal.
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Amy Carrier, Associate Director, Prospect Management
Georgetown University
Amy Carrier is responsible for prospect identification, prospect management and data mining efforts as well as developing campaign analytics and performance metrics. She began working for Georgetown in 2001 as a researcher before moving to prospect management. Previously, she was the manager of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship in Denver, Colorado. She has spoken at numerous professional conferences, including the American Planning Association and the American Society for Public Administration. Carrier holds degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas; and Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Georgetown University and the University of Colorado, Denver.
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Amber Countis, Manager, Prospect Research
Tufts University
Since 2005, Amber Countis coordinated electronic screenings, special projects and research needs primarily for the Tufts University’s School of the Arts and Sciences. She is also a Development Research Consultant for The National World War II Museum. She previously worked in research at Loyola University and Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Elizabeth Crabtree, Director of Prospect Development
Brown University
Elizabeth Crabtree manages a team of professionals who provide advice, counsel and analytical support to Brown's fundraising effort, including campaign planning and management, prospect identification and research, data mining, modeling and market research, relationship management and volunteer engagement. She is President of APRA and a member of AFP, CASE and NEDRA as well as a frequent and nationally recognized speaker and industry expert. Crabtree is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and an Executive MA candidate in the philanthropic studies program at Indiana University.
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Diane Crane, Campaign Director
University of North Texas
Diane Crane became the University of North Texas’ Campaign Director in Fall 2007 after serving as Vice President for Development at Cook Children’s Health Foundation, where she oversaw all development operations with an emphasis on building a major gifts program. Previously, she was a consultant with Bentz Whaley Flessner, where she worked with numerous health-care clients including children’s and community hospitals, as well as colleges and universities and other nonprofits. Crane began her development career in 1989 as Director of Prospect Research at Texas Christian University. She was the founding president of the APRA-Texas chapter and served on the APRA Board of Directors for six years; she chaired APRA’s 2000 international conference in Anaheim.
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Janice Cunning, Senior Research Consultant
Ketchum Canada Inc.
Janice Cunning works with clients in Central Canada for Canada's largest fundraising consultancy. She is Vice President of Information Resources for APRA and formerly served as a founding Director of APRA-Canada. She co-presented at the 2002 and 2003 APRA international conferences and co-presented a workshop at the 2004 conference. Cunning is a longstanding APRA volunteer and previously served on the international conference planning committee in 2004 and 2006. Active in her community, she participates in charity runs and completed the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. She holds an undergraduate degree from Trent University and a master’s in library science from the University of Toronto.
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Mark DeFilippis, Associate Director, Prospect Development
The Nature Conservancy
Mark DeFilippis joined The Nature Conservancy in 2007. Previously, he was Director of Advancement Research and Prospect Management at the University of Georgia, where he served on staff for more than 11 years. DeFilippis recently completed two terms on the APRA Board of Directors. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and an MEd from the University of Georgia.
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Rachel DeMaster, Manager of Research
Museum of Science, Boston
Rachel DeMaster has worked in the field of prospect research for eight years. Before joining the Museum of Science, she spent more than six years in the development research office of Boston University. DeMaster also has volunteered as a consultant to several nonprofits, most recently traveling to Houma, Louisiana, to work with the Voice of the Wetlands, a group dedicated to raising awareness about coastal erosion in Southern Louisiana. She has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Rochester and is on schedule to receive her MBA in nonprofit management from Boston University in 2009.
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Elizabeth Dollhopf-Brown, Senior Director of Research and Prospect Management
University of Rochester
Before joining the University of Rochester, Elizabeth Dollhopf-Brown served as the Director of Prospect Analysis and Research at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was responsible for leading the transformation of the department from a reactive support function into a fully integrated and proactive unit working as a strategic partner with campaign planning staff, senior management and development officers. Her pervious work was in annual giving, most recently as the director of the Marquette Fund where she oversaw a 37 percent increase in dollars raised. She is a graduate of Susquehanna University and received her MBA from Marquette in 2005.
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Monika Dorough, Senior Proactive Researcher
University of California San Francisco
Monika Dorough began her career in prospect research in 1997, at the University of California, Davis. In 2003, she accepted a position as manager of prospect research at the UC Davis Medical Center, and served in this capacity until 2007, when she transferred to the Development and Alumni Relations unit at the University of California, San Francisco as a Development Research Analyst. Additionally, during 2004, Dorough held a temporary position as an officer with the GAP Foundation, located in San Francisco. From 2003 to 2006, Dorough served as the Marketing Chair for the California Advancement Researchers Association, (CARA); she has also presented at the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, (NSFRE ) conference held in Sacramento. Prior to working in prospect research, Dorough identified sources of corporate and government funding and contributed to proposals submitted for Federal funding on behalf of the Office of Graduate Studies at UC Davis. She holds a BA in Business Management from Saint Mary’s College, located in Moraga, California.
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Jon Duschinsky, Director
Resources Non-Profit
Jon Duschinsky was a founding member of the fundraising group Cascaid in the UK before becoming an established fundraiser in France. A board member of the European Fundraising Association, Duschinsky headed up the French Institute of Fundraising for four years before creating the Ressources Non-Profit agency in 2006. He is committed to helping NPOs across Europe develop and implement strategies for tomorrow’s fundraising challenges. Duschinsky trains and advises fundraisers around the world and is a recognized speaker at international events such as the International Fundraising Congress in Holland, AFP Toronto, the UK Institute of Fundraising Convention and the Australian Fundraising Congress, and has taught university classes in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
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E – F
David Eberly, Director of Prospect Development
Children's Hospital Trust Boston
During his more than 25 years in fundraising, David Eberly has divided his time between higher education and healthcare. He served as Director of Prospect Research at Tufts University, Director of Development Services at Harvard Medical School and Director of Resource Development at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government before returning to the research field at Children’s Hospital Boston in 2003. Eberly has consulted for numerous institutions in higher education, health and other member organizations. He is a member of the APRA Board and editor of Connections. A past President of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA), he is a recipient of its Ann Castle Award.
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Sara Edwards-Asuncion, Director of Prospect Development
Smithsonian Institution
Sara Edwards-Asuncion oversees development research and prospect management in support of the institution's 23 museums and research units. With more than 15 years of specialized experience in the development field, Edwards-Asuncion has held leadership roles in many aspects of fundraising including prospect research, prospect tracking and management, board development, grant writing and foundation relations, direct-mail, member services, stewardship, special events and database management. She has worked for a number of Washington-area nonprofits including the Cathedral Choral Society, OPERA America and Youth for Understanding International Exchange. In addition to serving as a trustee for the Pan American Symphony Orchestra and a former board member for APRA-Metro DC, Edwards-Asuncion has taught courses on development research at Northern Virginia Community College and been a presenter at past APRA international conferences.
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Robin Eidle, Associate Director, Research
Emory University
Robin Eidle joined the Emory research office in 1992, primarily serving the university’s Woodruff Health Sciences Center. Previously, she worked with Lehigh University's Iacocca Institute. Eidle presents classes internally on research methods and techniques. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public speaking from Pennsylvania State University.
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Maria Estrada, International Prospecting Manager
The Nature Conservancy
Before joining the conservancy, Maria Estrada was a faculty member at the University of Utah. In addition to her researching and lecturing experience, Estrada has been an invited speaker at conferences focusing on ethics, education and collective responsibility.
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Barbara Fanning, Director, Research Services
SickKids Foundation
Before serving in her current role, Barbara Fanning had the opportunity to direct donor research activities in support of two $400 million campaigns. A professional librarian, she was the first Canadian researcher to be elected to the APRA Board, where she served six terms, and is a founding member of APRA's first international chapter, APRA-Canada. Fanning chaired APRA’s 2004 international conference and was a member of the 2007 APRA Conference Curriculum Planning Committee. In 2007, she received the APRA Distinguished Service Award.
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Hilla Ferguson, Director of Prospect Management
Mayo Clinic
Hilla Ferguson worked in the private sector for 20 years in market research and analysis, then spent five years as the Executive Director of a local United Way. She joined Mayo Clinic in 2002 as a Major Gift Officer and in 2005 assumed added responsibility as Director of Prospect Management, a new position for Mayo. She holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative methods/behavioral sciences from the University of Chicago, a certificate in nonprofit management from the University of St. Thomas and is pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration at the University of Minnesota.
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Sarah Fernandez, Director of Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Roseann Fitzgerald, Director of Prospect Research
College of the Holy Cross
Roseann Fitzgerald is director of prospect research at her alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross, and has worked for more than 15 years in advancement research. She has served on the APRA Awards Committee since 2004, formerly served on the board of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) and volunteers as a tutor with Literacy Volunteers of Worcester.
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Heather Flannagan, Manager, Donor Service Center
Iowa Health Systems
Heather Flannagan has been a part of the Iowa Health System since May 2007 and has been the Manager through the creation of the Donor Service Center. The Donor Service Center exists to provide the scientific support of fundraising, providing database management and donor research (among other services) to five of the seven senior Iowa Health System affiliate foundations. Flannagan has invested a great deal of time, energy and insights into the creation and growth of the Donor Service Center, and it has met with great success in its first year. She is also a member of the Iowa Health System HIPAA Privacy Task Team to aide in the compliance of the data as well as donor privacy issues.
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Michelle Franke, Associate Director of Development Research
University of Illinois Foundation
Michelle Franke has more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit management with proven track records in fundraising, program administration, prospect research and management. She has developed skills in external communications and marketing, stewardship and cultivation of donors/volunteers, program administration including strategic planning and budget planning, and policy and procedure implementation. She has raised more than $10 million dollars in her career for several organizations including The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California; Hospice of the Valley in San Jose, California; Industry Initiatives for Science & Math Education in Santa Clara, California; Jabboury Foundation for Cancer Research in Houston, Texas; and The American Red Cross in Houston, Texas.
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Suzanne Franzino, Associate Director of Development Research
Princeton University
Suzanne Franzino manages the team in support of capital and annual giving, and works on special projects and development-wide initiatives including campaign planning for the university's $1.75 billion campaign. She has been a member of the research staff at Princeton for six years. Previously, she worked in the market research industry. Franzino began her career in the prospect research field as the Prospect Researcher for the Corcoran Gallery of Art/Corcoran School of Art (now Corcoran College of Art + Design). She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester and a master's degree from George Washington University.
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Kate Fultz Hollis, Senior Research Analyst
University of California, Los Angeles
Kate Fultz Hollis has worked in development research for 21 years. She started her research career at Harvard Medical School in Boston and learned her skills from New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) mentor David Eberly. She is one of the founding Directors of NEDRA.
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G – H
Leslie Gonnella, Director, Prospect Management
University of Chicago
Leslie Taylor Gonnella, has nearly 12 years of professional research, prospect and data management experience with corporate, nonprofit, government and international organizations as well as higher education institutions including University of Chicago Office of Medical Center Development, Grenzebach Glier & Associates, The Rotary Foundation, University of Maryland, United States Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, United States Department of Commerce in Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
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Karen Greene, Vice President of Operations and Services
Arizona State University Foundation
Karen L. Greene has served in her current role since August 2007. Previously, she was a partner at a national consulting firm where she led the prospecting practice and worked with diverse clients such as the University of Michigan, Children’s Hospital Trust (Boston), the Girl Scouts of America and the Culinary Institute of America. Greene has spent many years in prospect management, research and fundraising for educational and public organizations such as the University of San Diego, the University of Virginia and the University of Minnesota Foundation. She also served as director of major gifts for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
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Nancy Gregovich, Consultant
DeLauro & Associates Consulting
Nancy Gregovich is a national industry expert in the HIPAA Privacy Rules pertaining to the use of protected health information in healthcare fundraising. She serves as the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) designated resource on HIPAA and has presented at more than a dozen AHP, APRA and CARA national and international conferences. Her materials are frequently used at AHP’s Institute for Healthcare Philanthropy at Madison, and she is a contributing author to the Advisory Board’s pieces including Elevating Philanthropy: Exceptional Practice in Major-Donor Fundraising Connecting Through Care: Best Practices in Grateful Patient Fundraising and Bridges to Prosperity: Strengthening Donor Ties Through Personal and Patient Connections. She also has served numerous individual HIPAA clients across the U.S. With more than 10 years of experience in project management, research and analysis, she specialized in strategic planning and management of fund development programs, Gregovich has experience as a senior-level development officer, has conducted multiple capital campaign studies and has provided general and strategic client fund development counsel.
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Cristian Hamilton, CTO and Senior Director, University Advancement
Executive Director, Constituent Management and Technologies
University of California, Riverside
Cristian Hamilton has worked for University of California, Riverside for approximately 15 years. During his tenure, he has participated in many of the areas that comprise the modern development/fundraising infrastructure of a higher education institution. His responsibilities have included advancement services, new initiatives and economic development, real estate development, event management and donor relations. In his current position, Hamilton coordinates and implements all reporting, analysis, strategic planning, coding, administration and processes related to prospect/donor management and prospect/donor tracking for the university. He was a prospect management presenter at the CARA annual conference in 2006, APRA international conference in 2007 and the CASE District VII & VIII annual conferences in 2007.
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Holly Hamilton, Chief Advancement Information Officer
Marquette University
Holly Hamilton oversees the areas responsible for advancement information, data services, research and project management. She drives strategy on the effective use of information and technology as tools in the art and science of fundraising. As a member of University Advancement’s strategic senior management group, Hamilton works collaboratively to partner and position research on the frontline of the organization. She has been with Marquette for nine years, beginning her tenure in information technology. Hamilton brings a broad perspective from a cumulative 12 years in nonprofit systems and 20 years of management in the nonprofit and private sectors.
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Thomas Hampsey, Director of Development Research
Lafayette College
Thomas C. Hampsey joined the staff at Lafayette College in 1997, leading the research office during the college’s $213 million capital campaign. Previously, he served as associate director of development research at Drexel University in Philadelphia, assistant to the superintendent of schools for the Ridgefield Park School system in New Jersey and a grant writer/researcher for Centenary College in New Jersey. Hampsey is a regular speaker on a variety of research topics, and serves as President of PREP/APRA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Saint Mary’s University and a master’s in history from the University of Scranton.
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Kristin Harold, Associate Director
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Kristin Harold manages prospect identification, prospect data entry, central donor files and information resources. Previously, she was a Senior Research Analyst for prospect identification at MIT, and began her prospect research career as a Research Analyst at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
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Samantha Harris, Prospect Researcher
Tufts University
Samantha Harris researches prospects for the University School of Medicine. Previously, she worked for a fundraising arm of Brandeis University and as an Editorial Assistant at Purchasing Magazine, a trade journal.
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Elizabeth Harty, Managing Director of Donor Acquisition and Development
Hazelden Foundation
Elizabeth Harty is the Managing Director of Donor Acquisition and Stewardship at the Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota. She has a master's degree in nonprofit management from Hamline University; her master's thesis focuses on the use of technology in fundraising.
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Hodan Hassan, Director, Program Services and Research
U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Before joining the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Hodan Hassan was Senior Director of Research and Prospect Management at the Arizona State University Foundation in Tempe, where she directed the research and prospect management team and implemented a university-wide prospect management system. Previously, as Associate Director of Development Research at the University of Washington in Seattle, she led the research team and university-wide prospect identification efforts to support a $2 billion campaign. Hassan also held various positions at her alma mater, Long Island University, including Director of Development Services and Campaign Associate. An active APRA volunteer, she is a member of the APRA Board and co-chaired APRA's 2007 international conference. She has served in various leadership positions including President of APRA-Northwest.
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Lawrence Henze, Managing Director
Target Analytics, A Blackbaud Company
Lawrence Henze has extensive experience in fundraising, market research and applying predictive modeling services to the nonprofit marketplace. The founder of Core Data Services, which Blackbaud acquired in 2001, he has also served as Vice President of Predictive Modeling Services at USA Group Noel-Levitz and President of The Philanthropic Division of Econometrics Inc. Henze has 15 years of experience in development, raising more than $125 million primarily for higher education institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Carroll College in Wisconsin, a master’s degree in public policy and administration, and a law degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
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Lisa Howley, Director of Prospect Management
Johns Hopkins Institutions
Before joining Johns Hopkins Institutions in 2008, Lisa Howley was Director of Prospect Management and Research at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, where she implemented and led prospect identification and research, prospect management, strategic information management and data mining efforts. Previously, she was Director of Philanthropy Research at Women & Infants’ Hospital of Rhode Island and Assistant Director of Development Research at Johns Hopkins Institutions, where she focused on the implementation and management of the Office’s prospect identification, analysis and rating services. Howley is an APRA Board member and former editor of Connections. She is also a Director for the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) and was a Co-Chair of the 2007 annual NEDRA conference. She has served as Chair of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Researchers Conference (MARC), 2005 CASE Conference for Development Research Faculty Member and as a 2004 APRA international conference track Chair. Howley has presented for several APRA, CASE and AFP conferences, and APRA chapter programs.
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Karen T. Isble, Director of Prospect Management and Research
University of Michigan
Before accepting her current position in 2006, Karen T. Isble spent seven years as Administrative Director of the Chamber Music Society of Detroit and four years as Director of Research for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She serves on the APRA-Michigan Board of Directors and is a former Vice President of APRA-Illinois. She has been a speaker for APRA-Illinois, and has delivered presentations on prospect management across the University of Michigan campuses for development staff, deans and faculty.
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Amanda Jarman, Development Research and Prospect Manager
Portland State University
Amanda Jarman has more than 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including five years in development. Her previous experience includes foundation and corporate relations, public relations and marketing, and volunteer management. Jarman is the recipient of the Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO) 2007 Starbright Award, which recognizes a rising star in the development profession. She serves on the Boards of APRA-Northwest and WVDO.
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Jennifer Key, Statistician Architect
Target Analytics, A Blackbaud Company
Jennifer Key is one of the founding statisticians and developers of the Target Analytics services. She brings more than seven years of statistical modeling experience in the nonprofit industry and nine years of extensive experience in a variety of other industries including admissions, healthcare, direct mail and travel. She has a doctorate degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Shelby Kloures Radcliffe, Director of Campaign Administration
Bucknell University
Shelby Kloures Radcliffe oversees advancement services and research, and coordinates campaign planning, policy development and reporting. Previously, she was Associate Campaign Director and the Director of Prospect Research and Management. Radcliffe presents frequently at conferences about advancement and research topics, is a former PREP/APRA Board member, a founder of MARC and a past chair of the CASE Research Conference. She served on the APRA International Conference Committee from 2001 to 2005 and now is chair of the APRA-MARC Partnership Task Force. She is a frequent contributor to Connections and a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University.
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Nicole Kurowski, Associate Director for Prospect Research
Marquette University
Nicole Kurowski joined the world of prospect research in July 2007, but has been involved with fundraising since 1993. She has worked in various capacities at Marquette University since 2004, and previously was employed with the United Performing Arts Fund in Milwaukee. Kurowski has worn multiple fundraising hats including handling donor relations, managing volunteers and planning events. In her current role, she helps balance the daily needs of university advancement staff with proactive sharing of research and resources to enhance all aspects of development.
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David Lamb, Senior Consultant
Blackbaud Analytics
David Lamb has been a prospect researcher since 1989. He has served as the Director of Prospect Research at the University of Washington and Santa Clara University. He is a Prospect Research Consultant with Blackbaud, a provider of fundraising software, custom data modeling and prospect research services. Lamb holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Sterling College (Sterling, Kansas), a master's in Sociology from Wichita State University, and a master's in Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences, including those sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA). In 1997 he received APRA's Service Award for outstanding service to the profession and in 2001 he was awarded the CASE's Steuben Apple award for excellence in teaching.
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Ruth LaMere, Manager of Prospect Management and Research
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Ruth LaMere has worked in prospect research and management for 18 years. She began her research career at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and then served as Director of Prospect Research at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. In 2003, she joined the Department of Development at Mayo Clinic Arizona where she is currently the Manager of Prospect Management and Research. She has had extensive capital campaign experience at all three organizations, having assisted each in all phases of their highly successfule fundraising efforts. She is a former member of the APRA-MN Chapter and more recently served in various elected positions with the APRA-AZ Chapter.
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Mark Lanum, Associate Director, Relationship Management
University of Washington
Mark Lanum has been with UW for more than eight years, during which the university successfully conducted its $2.5 billion Creating Futures campaign. Though he spent most of these years in information and reporting services as Assistant Director for Stewardship and Manager of Campaign Reporting, Lanum spent the past two years overseeing all aspects of prospect management and tracking. His responsibilities included tracking the portfolios of more than 100 fundraisers and the continuing development of UW's Top 25 portfolio management system. Lanum holds a bachelor’s degree from Trinity Lutheran College.
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David Lawson, Vice President Market Strategy
Kintera Inc.
David Lawson brings more than 30 years of experience in the art of finding and profiling America’s wealthy. In 1997, he founded Prospect Information Network (PIN) to provide prospect identification services and software to the nonprofit community. PIN was acquired by Kintera in 2004. Lawson began his fundraising career in the late 1970s as editor of The Foundation 500. In the 1980s he founded The Information Prospector, a company that grew to employ more than 30 researchers and writers producing 300 in-depth profiles monthly. As a senior consultant at CDA/Investnet (now Thomson Financial), Lawson created the firm's securities and real estate MATCH products and designed its FACT$ Viewer database. He is a member of APRA, is a CASE Steuben Apple Award recipient and co-founder of the WOW! Institute, a training organization for fundraisers and philanthropists.
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Ilana Lester Moreno, Director of Research
Environmental Defense Fund
Before joining the Environmental Defense in July 2006, Ilana Lester Moreno was a Screening and Prospect Management Consultant with Kintera PIN, Manager of Prospect Research at Amnesty International USA and Prospect Research Associate at Oxford University's North American Development Office. On the professional development front, Moreno has been involved with APRA conference planning as a member of the 2008 Curriculum Committee and a 2006 track chair. She has also volunteered as a member of the APRA-MARC task force as well as nominating and conference scholarship committees. She has served as President of APRA-Greater New York and as the chapter's Program Director. Moreno was Program Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Researchers Conference (MARC) in 2001–2002 and chaired the conference in 2003–2004. She is a frequent speaker at APRA international conferences as well as local APRA, AFP and Women in Development chapter events.
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Jennifer MacCormack, Associate Director, Development Research
University of Washington
Jennifer MacCormack has been working in the field of prospect research for six years and has also worked professionally and as a volunteer in grant-writing. Before her move to prospect research, she was a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution where she worked studied ancient Near Eastern archaeology. MacCormack received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and her doctorate in anthropology from Yale University.
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Jay Maloney, Chief Development Officer
The Colorado College
Jay Maloney has been a development professional since 1975. He is presently engaged in a leadership role within the Colorado College’s $300 million funding effort. Previously, he was as President and Founder of Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation, an affiliate of Centura Health, where he served for 11 years. The Association of Fundraising Professionals selected Maloney as its Fundraising Professional of the Year in 2004. The Southern Colorado Chapter of AFP named him Fundraising Professional of the Year in 2003. The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy selected Maloney’s AHP Journal article, titled “Integrating Multi-Hospital Development Programs,” as the best contribution in 1998. Many healthcare systems have designed fundraising systems based on that model. Maloney also served as Vice President for Development for the Sisters of Charity Health Care Systems, where he developed several hospital foundations across the U.S. His consultations and educational presentations most often focus on organizational design, governance and operational issues found in complex development programs.
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Emily Mangone, Director of Prospect Research
Lucile Packard Foundation
Emily Mangone is Director of Prospect Research at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health in Palo Alto, California, and a member of the Conference Curriculum Committee for the 2009 APRA Conference. Previously she worked in Development at Human Rights Watch in San Francisco. She has a BA in International Relations and French from Tufts University.
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David Manuel, Sales Director
WealthEngine.com
David Manuel came to WealthEngine from Blackbaud Analytics where he served as Managing Director. In that role, he helped fundraisers implement Web-based prospect research tools to identify their best potential donors. Manuel began his career as a fundraiser at Wabash College, where he was Director of Annual Giving. He was also the Director of Annual Giving at Butler University before becoming the Director of Development for Krannert, the Purdue University School of Business. While at Purdue, he helped the university complete a $500 million campaign and directed a $35 million campaign for the School of Business. After Krannert, Manuel worked at Thomson Financial in the nonprofit screening division, also known as CDA/Investnet, and helped to launch Prospect Identification Network (PIN).
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Liz McHugh, Vice President for Prospect Research
Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation
Elizabeth McHugh is responsible for prospect identification, moves management, database integrity, screening, prospect research and cultivation. Previously, she spent 20 years at the Arizona State University Foundation, where she built a sustaining prospect management department that assisted in the success of the ASU Campaign for Leadership, which raised more than $550 million. McHugh is a member of APRA, AHP, AFP, AASP and APRA-Arizona. She is a frequent speaker about prospect management and research at APRA conferences, virtual seminars and chapter meetings as well as local AFP meetings. She was a member of the APRA Board of Directors for six years and a founding member of the APRA-Arizona chapter. McHugh received the 2006 APRA Distinguished Service Award.
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Erin Miller, Research Specialist
University of Illinois Foundation
Erin Miller is the corporate and foundation research specialist for the University of Illinois Foundation. She has a master’s degree in library and information from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an master’s in theatre from Bowling Green State University. She has worked in prospect research, records management and information systems for the past four years. Before working as a research specialist, she worked for the University of Illinois library.
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Michele Miller, Director of Constituent Management
Butler University
Michele Miller has been in the field of prospect research and prospect management for nine years, managing research shops in the areas of higher education, performing arts, and health and human services. She served on the APRA-Indiana board for five years, including two years as First Vice President and Programming Chair and two years as President. Miller has spoken at APRA-Indiana events, AFP-Indiana luncheons and Small Shop Development luncheons on topics such as Prospect Research: When Research Isn't Your Primary Job, Managing a Small Shop, Top Ten Research Resources, and Through the Looking Glass: A Look into Volunteer Screenings. She is an active mentor in the APRA-Indiana Mentoring Program.
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Stacy Mitz, Senior Director, Alumni Relations & CIRCLES Programs
Marquette University
Stacy Mitz is Senior Director of Alumni Relations and CIRCLES Programs at Marquette University. She joined the Marquette Advancement staff in April 2005. During her time at Marquette, she has helped to nationalize the CIRCLES program, focused on diversity initiatives, and worked to increase engagement by providing valuable experiences to Marquette alumni. Prior to coming to Marquette, Mitz served as the Senior Manager of Team In Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, where she led a team of five that raised approximately five million dollars per year for cancer research. Before Mitz began working in the non-profit sector, she was a forecaster and market researcher based in Cincinnati, OH — her client was Procter & Gamble. She is a an honors graduate from Washington University in St. Louis.
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Deborah L. Mueller, Director of Relationship Management
Minnesota Medical Foundation
Deborah Mueller has served as a development professional for more than 25 years with the Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota. She previously served as the Director of Prospect Research with a team of five staff members. She has presented numerous times for APRA, APRA-Minnesota and CASE. Mueller recently completed her second term on the APRA-Minnesota Board of Directors as President and a member of the Executive Committee. She also is serving her first term on the APRA Board as a member of the education and professional development team, the conference curriculum committee, and the conference executive committee. Mueller holds a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit leadership and development with extended studies in organizational communication from the University of Minnesota.
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Amy New, Director of Advancement Research, Planning and Performance Enhancement
University of North Texas
Amy New is responsible for building the Division of Advancement’s Research Office, implementing relationship management, and managing the division’s strategic planning and assessment processes. Using her experience in strategic marketing and business development from banking and healthcare industries, she applies business planning and implementation approaches to her work in advancement.
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Myra Norton, Chief Executive Officer
Community Analytics
Myra Norton brings more than 12 years of experience leading successful, dynamic teams in a variety of industries. She serves on the Institutional Advisory Board at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is an adjunct faculty member at Towson University and a mathematical specialist at the United States Naval Academy. She also is actively involved in the Greater Baltimore Technology Council and the Center for Women in Technology, where she serves on the leadership team for the National Girls Collaborative Project. Norton has experience speaking at The Network Roundtable and University of Virginia, Microsoft’s Annual IT Pro Insights Day, Microsoft’s IT Pro Enterprise Summit, The Center for Women and Technology’s Computer Mania Day and Weber Shandwick’s Global Technology Practice Summit.
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Caroline Oblack, Manager, Client Services
WealthEngine.com
Caroline Oblack is Manager of Client Services at WealthEngine.com and Vice President of the APRA-Virginia Chapter. Before joining WealthEngine in April 2007, she was the Founder and Owner of Oblack Research, a prospect research consulting firm. Oblack has seven years of nonprofit and prospect research experience including work with Rady Children's Hospital Foundation in San Diego, California, and the American Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C. She has presented at the APRA international conference in 2007, and was a roundtable facilitator in 2005 and 2007. Oblack has also worked in a training capacity with WealthEngine and the American Red Cross.
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Marianne M. Pelletier, CFRE, Director of Advancement Research and Data Support
Cornell University
Marianne Pelletier has been in the fundraising field since 1988, when she joined the research team at Harvard's University Development Office. She has served as a researcher for Harvard and Lesley University, and as Director of Advancement Research at Carnegie Mellon University. She is now working on Cornell University’s $4 billion campaign. Pelletier has served as Director of Annual Giving and Development Services for Southern New Hampshire University, where she led an annual fund that grew an average of 27 percent per year over five years. She also worked with Datatel's clients on the Benefactor product and process improvement. She has a bachelor's degree from Rockford College and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Pamela Poland, Senior Associate
Bentz Whaley Flessner
Pamela Poland is a senior associate in Bentz Whaley Flessner's Advancement Services practice. Her expertise includes all aspects of prospect development including donor research and identification, prospect management, data mining and prospect strategy as well as fundraising plan development and general development operations. Previously, Poland was Director of Development for Glimmerglass Opera, where she managed $3.5 million in annual development income. Her career in development has also included roles as Director of Research at The Metropolitan Opera, where she led the prospect development effort at the world's largest performing arts organization for eight years; Associate Director of Development at New York University Medical Center; and Director of Development Operations at the Japan Society. Poland also is APRA’s Immediate Past President and a frequent speaker and author for APRA, AFP, MARC, NEDRA, DMA and other organizations.
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Christina Pulawski, Principal
Christina Pulawski Consulting
Christina Pulawski is an independent consultant specializing in development research, prospect management and information flow for fundraising. Previously, she was Director of Development and Donor Services at Loyola University Chicago, overseeing the areas of research, prospect management, data management, systems and stewardship. Before joining Loyola, she was Director of Development Research at Northwestern University from 1994–2003, which earned “top research shop” distinction under her direction. Pulawski hold a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northwestern and a juris doctorate from the University of Illinois. She is admitted to practice law in Illinois and practiced in the fields of real estate and litigation before exploring development in 1991. She was a member of APRA’s Board of Directors for six years, serving as Vice President for Education and Professional Development and Secretary-Treasurer. She chaired APRA's international conferences in 1999, 2001 and 2002, has developed APRA symposia, and received the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005. She has also served as President of APRA-Illinois. She co-chaired CASE's 1999 and 2000 Development Researcher conferences, and has frequently published, presented, and consulted on the field of prospect research and advancement services for APRA, CASE, Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, AFP, and other public and private organizations and nonprofit education and management programs.
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Patricia Quigley, Senior Research Assistant
University of Rochester
Patricia Quigley has been a Prospect Researcher with the University of Rochester since 1993. In 1999, she was hired by the university's Medical Center Development office to establish its own research office. Quigley has extensive experience with all aspects of proactive and reactive research, electronic screenings, assessing research resources, managing large research projects, campaign research and understanding wealth indicators. She has been a speaker, panelist and roundtable leader for local APRA and AFP functions and a presenter at APRA's 2005 international conference. Other development experience includes grant writing, creating annual fund letters and freelance writing for development.
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Shannon Rafferty, Research Consultant
Ketchum Canada Inc.
Shannon Rafferty, works with clients in Western Canada, identifying prospects, profiling them and monitoring government funding. Rafferty is the Professional Development Director for APRA-Canada, presented a workshop at the 2004 APRA international conference and an APRA-Canada Teleconference, and volunteers with the National Colorectal Cancer Society and the International Festival of Authors. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Kings College/Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and a master’s of library and information studies from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Deborah Reinhardt Youmans, Director, Advancement Research
Le Moyne College
Before joining Le Moyne, Deborah Reinhardt Youmans was involved in Newspapers in Education Programming at Syracuse Newspapers and the United Way. She is a member of APRA’s 2008 Conference Curriculum Committee, a former President of APRA-Upstate New York, former Board member of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA), and has served as MARC 2007 Conference Chair, NEDRA 2006 Co-Conference Chair, MARC 2006 Marketing Chair and APRA 2005 Research Fundamentals Track Chair. She holds membership in APRA, the National Association for Fund Raising Professionals, Central New York Association for Fund Raising Professionals, National Committee on Planned Giving and the Planned Giving Council of Upstate New York. Youmans has presented at numerous regional and local conferences for APRA, AFP, CASE and NEDRA as well as human service nonprofit agencies such as the Alzheimer’s Association. She holds an MBA from Le Moyne College, and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and in psychology from Columbia College.
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Heather Reisz, Director of Research and Prospect Development
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Heather Reisz previously experience includes managing the prospect research program at the Museum of Science in Boston and holding researcher positions at Northeastern University and the San Francisco Jazz Festival. She began her fundraising career as a grant writer for the AIDS Memorial Quilt in San Fransisco. Reisz is a member of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) Board of Directors.
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David Robertson, Director of Operations Research
Syracuse University
David Robertson has been at Syracuse for six years. His area of expertise is data mining with a strong interest in forecasting and predictive modeling. He has presented at APRA and CASE conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. Robertson holds a bachelor’s degree and MBA from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, where he teaches as an adjunct professor. He is currently a doctorial student in the social science program at the Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. His research interest is philanthropy, looking specifically at the philanthropic activities of disenfranchised or marginalized members of society. His research will bring to light the unrecognized, undocumented and informal contributions of these individuals.
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Michelle Robertson, Associate Director of Development
Hiram College
Michelle Robertson is responsible for institutional prioritization of fundraising needs and other strategic planning initiatives in anticipation of the institution’s next campaign. She oversees annual giving, alumni relations and information services. Robertson is a co-founder of the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP) and maintains a consulting practice. She has 15 years of experience in event planning, annual giving, major giving, donor relations, alumni relations, and campaign planning at Connecticut College, Bucknell University, Dartmouth College and Hiram College.
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Melissa Sandstrom, Prospect Research Analyst
Hazelden Foundation
Melissa Sandstrom is responsible for initiating, coordinating and managing the prospect research and tracking top donors and prospects for the Hazelden Foundation, founded in 1949 to help people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. Her position has access to protected health information that is otherwise restricted in the development department under HIPAA regulations. She has worked at Hazelden for seven years. Before launching her career in prospect research, Sandstrom worked for 14 years in the medical field as a Medical Laboratory Technician.
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Anne Scheurer, Director of Development Research
Johns Hopkins University
Anne Scheurer has served in her current position since 2001. She joined the research staff at Johns Hopkins and entered the field of Prospect Research in 1993. Previously, she worked in the university library at Johns Hopkins. Scheurer has served as President and Vice President of APRA-Maryland. She has a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins and an undergraduate degree from Loyola College in Maryland.
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Alison Schwartz, Director of Information Services and Prospect Management
Carnegie Mellon University
Alison Schwartz, joined Carnegie Mellon in 1999. Within the Advancement Information Systems group, she oversees data input and extraction from the database, and directs the prospect management program, her primary area of expertise. In coordination with research, Schwartz has assisted in various data mining studies, including a project in coordination with Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business. Previously, she held data management positions at Duke University and Harvard University, where she created the first moves management systems used in her respective college units. She has a bachelor’s degree from Colby College and a master’s in educational administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Rob Scott, Executive Director of Development Services
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A former front-line fundraiser, Rob Scott found his calling in advancement services 18 years ago. For the last five years, Scott has worked at MIT, where he has led and managed systems and processes comprising the information infrastructure for resource development and institutional fundraising efforts. As a member of the senior development staff, he helps develop, communicate and evaluate institutional fundraising goals and priorities. Previously, he served as director of programming and systems, where he was responsible for fundraising database systems. Scott is a SunGard HE Product Advisory Group at-large member, serves on APRA’s Curriculum Committee and in 2006 was co-chair of the APRA international conference Prospect Identification track. He has been a facilitator, a panelist and a presenter at research conferences, user groups and meetings across the country. Scott also founded and moderates prospect-dmm, an electronic discussion list on prospect data mining and modeling. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University.
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Anna Sheehan, Director of Advancement Research
Carnegie Mellon
Anna Sheehan has been active in the field of prospect research since 1997. She has experience working at large research universities as well as major metropolitan cultural institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In addition to research, Sheehan has advanced experience in prospect identification and prospect management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history and English writing and a master’s degree in library and information science, both from the University of Pittsburgh.
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Jennifer Shimp-Bowerman, Director, Development Research and Prospect Management
Southern Methodist University
Jennifer Shimp-Bowerman leads the university’s efforts to establish a prospect management system and build a sound base of knowledge about donors in preparation for a campaign. She is the co-author of a CASE Currents article about data analysis and has presented at several conferences including APRA international and chapter events, CASE district programs and the University of Texas System seminar. Shimp-Bowerman is on the board of APRA-Southwest and was the 2007 recipient of the APRA Researcher of the Year Award.
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Brock Silvey, Associate Director, Prospect Management
Northwestern University
Brock Silvey joined Northwestern University in 2004 and has held in his current role since 2005. He shares responsibility for overseeing the operations of both the research and prospect management staffs, managing department workflow, building team strategies, and designing and implementing prospect management policies. Silvey is a member of the planning committee for the APRA-Illinois and served as programming chair from 2005 to 2007. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Northern Illinois University.
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Courtney Sims, Manager, Prospect Research
Aurora Health Care
For the past two years, Courtney Sims has been working to establishing a research and prospect management program. This is the third time in her career that she has built a research shop from the ground up. She began her career in donor relations at Austin College shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in history. She has since continued her education through APRA conferences and with graduate courses in information management at the University of North Texas. Sims has been a member of APRA since 2000 and also holds membership in the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).
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Kristin Skarie, Founder and Managing Director
Teamworks of Rochester, New York
Kristin Skarie, has refined her team-building and leadership techniques through 22 years of extensive development work with college, corporate and community organizations. Her background includes team training and leadership development in higher education, health care and retail as well as student development in the U.S., UK, Malaysia and South Africa. In the past 10 years, Skarie and her team of facilitators have worked with hundreds of university, health care and corporate organizations to take their success to a higher level. She is a contributing author to the book, Lessons from the Road: Inspirational Insights from Leading Speakers in Education and writes regularly for Student & Youth Traveler Magazine. She received her bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin and her master’s in higher education administration from Indiana University.
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Phoebe Slanetz, Director of Prospect Development
New England Aquarium
Before accepting her current position in 2005, Phoebe Slanetz was the Director of Development Research at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where she was responsible for the management and planning of the development research program from 1999 to 2005. She was part of the BSO 2000 Campaign, which raised more than $150 million for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Orchestra and Tanglewood, the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Previously, Slanetz worked as a development researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education during the $2.6 billion University Campaign. She is a past member of the APRA Board of Directors and is a current member of Women in Development of Greater Boston’s Board of Directors. Slanetz has been a speaker APRA, the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA) and Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) conferences.
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Jennifer L. Soderholm, Associate Vice President of Development
Minnesota Medical Foundation
Jennifer Soderholm has enjoyed more than 15 years in the development profession at the University of Minnesota. She began her career working in obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health focusing in part on events and volunteer management. From there she worked in the Diabetes Institute serving her last 12 months as the Associate Director of Development. In 1998 she became the Director of Development for the Department of Ophthalmology serving in this capacity for more than four years. At that time, the Minnesota Medical Foundation asked her to lead the development efforts as Director of Development for the Department of Medicine and Stem Cell Institute. Currently, as one of five Associate Vice Presidents of Development, Soderholm leads two teams raising funds on behalf of Children’s Health, which includes the Department of Pediatrics and University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital, Fairview, and the Department of Medicine and Lillehei Heart Institute. She has presented a number of times for APRA-Minnesota and CASE; she holds a bachelor’s degree in speech-communications and is pursuing a master’s of liberal studies degree from the University of Minnesota.
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Alison Sommers-Sayre, Director of Development Research
Princeton University
Alison Sommers-Sayre oversees prospect identification and qualification as well as analytics and strategic intelligence in support of the University's $1.75 billion campaign. Before joining Princeton in 2004, Sommers-Sayre spent more than 12 years in corporate and consulting environments working in the areas of market research and strategic planning. She worked on the launch of The Wall Street Journal Online while head of consumer research for The Wall Street Journal. She served as Research Director for the Organic Living division of the magazine and book publisher Rodale, where she helped launch Organic Style magazine. In consulting roles, she has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, nonprofits, educational institutions and a U.S. president in the areas of strategic positioning and brand management, product development market analysis and public opinion polling. Sommers-Sayre is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
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David Sterling, Director of Advancement Operations
Western New England College
Before joining WNEC in 2003, David M. Sterling served as Director of Research at the University of South Florida for seven years. Previously, he held management positions in the development offices of The George Washington University and Dartmouth College. Sterling has presented at APRA, APRA-Florida and NEDRA meetings, and has edited and written for APRA’s Connections. He is a member of the NEDRA’s Board of Directors, serving as the organization’s Treasurer. He also was a founding member of APRA-Florida and served as the chapter’s second President. He graduated from the University of Maine and the University of Rochester.
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Katherine Swank, JD, Consultant
Target Analytics, A Blackbaud Company
With more than 20 years of legal and nonprofit management experience, Katherine Swank has raised approximately $215 million for national healthcare and public broadcasting organizations as well as an independent law school. Before joining Blackbaud in 2007, Swank was the national director of gift planning at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, where she provided fundraising consulting services to the society’s chapter leadership and development staff for six years. She is an affiliate faculty member of Regis University’s master of nonprofit management degree program in Denver, teaching classroom and online courses on wealth and philanthropy. She holds an independent studies degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a law degree from the Drake University School of Law in Des Moines, Iowa.
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Suzanne Szalay, Assistant Vice President, Development Research
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
Suzanne Szalay has 16 years of experience implementing prospect research, identification and management at two major Los Angeles hospitals, and 23 years in the nonprofit arena. She joined the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles team in 2000 supporting the $500 million comprehensive Living Proof campaign and now supports a $250 million effort to raise funds for a new 317-bed hospital building. Szalay manages a department of seven who identifiy, research, track and manage patient and major donor prospects. She also works closely with the CHLA privacy officer to assure HIPAA-compliant fund-raising. She was the co-recipient of the 2006 Service Award from the California Advancement Researchers Association (CARA), where she was a founding member and former Director. Szalay has spoken about prospect research, prospect management and HIPAA at local and national fund-raising conferences, and has served as an APRA international conference track chair. She earned her master’s degree in library and information science at the University of California, Los Angeles specializing in information systems design.
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Jon Thorsen, Director of Advancement Services
The Nature Conservancy
Jon Thorsen has given presentations on many facets of the development profession at local and national conferences of APRA, ADRP, AFP, CASE and other organizations, and his articles on the advancement services profession have appeared in numerous publications. After starting his career as a librarian and instructor, Thorsen joined the development profession in 1987 and has worked for such organizations as Princeton University and the American Red Cross. A former President of APRA, he received the APRA Service Award in 1999.
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Nicole Trickler, Associate Director of Advancement Services
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Nicole Trickler has worked in the prospect research field since 1998. She was named Assistant Director of Advancement Services — a nine person department — and Coordinator of Prospect Research in 2002 before becoming an Associate Director in 2007. She oversees the entire research function.
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Joni Warner, Director of Research for Development, Research Analyst
Saint Mary's College
Joni Warner began her career in prospect research at Saint Mary’s College in 2005 after serving 10 years as an academic librarian. Her area of expertise was information literacy, library instruction and reference. She has an master’s degree in library science from Indiana University and began her career as an Instructional Services Librarian at the University of Southern Indiana in 1996. In 2000, she became the Associate Librarian and Coordinator of Library Instruction at the University of Notre Dame. In these positions, Warner was responsible for developing and leading the library instruction and information literacy programs. These positions included research, reference and teaching classes on information literacy instruction.
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Jeff Watson, Director, Prospect Research and Management
Pomona College
In prospect research since 1991, Jeff Watson has been a presenter for the APRA international conference, California Advancement Researchers Association (CARA) annual conference and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). A member of CARA since its founding, he has participated in various regional CARA roundtable sessions through the years.
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Miriam Wazeter, Director, Propsect Management and Research
Hadassah
Miriam Wazeter has recently undergone a database screening process to support a $250 million building campaign. Previously, she was Director of Prospect Research at Pace University, where she worked on their $100 million campaign and successfully supervised the screening process of Pace’s alumni database. While at the Ms. Foundation for Women, she created the prospect research department and initiated their first-ever database screening. Wazeter is a former Program Chair of APRA-Greater New York and immediate past President of that chapter. She was co-chair of programming for MARC 2007 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Greater New York City Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, where she developed and implemented their Individual Giving Program. Wazeter has presented at the APRA international conference, MARC, AFP Fundraising Day and has given research workshops at the Foundation Center. Before joining the field of prospect research, she practiced social work in her hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Amy Westgard, Director of Development Research
Indiana State University Foundation
Amy Westgard oversees the delivery of research services directly related to major gift fundraising programs and projects. Her previous work has included positions with the LaSalle Bank Private Photography Collection, the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the Chicago Artists' Coalition. She holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Indiana State University and an master’s in arts administration from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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David E. Williams, Senior Director of Gift Planning
Scripps Health Foundation
David Williams’ responsibilities include recognizing and cultivating potential gift planning prospects, preparation and presentation of gift planning proposals to prospective donors and their professional advisors, and promoting awareness of Scripps’ gift planning program through personal contacts, educational programs and publications and working with members of the financial and legal community. Before joining the Gift Planning Department at Scripps in 1995, Williams practiced law in San Diego county. His legal practice included estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, conservatorship, adoption, business law, contract law, commercial law and real estate law. Williams is a member of the state Bars of California and Colorado, a member the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Planned Giving Roundtable of San Diego and the National Committee on Planned Giving. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
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Craig C. Wruck, Senior Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations
Hazelden Foundation
Craig C. Wruck’s experience in planned giving spans more than 30 years in charitable nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He has served as Director of Gift Planning for the University of Minnesota and Vice President of Development for The Saint Paul Community Foundation. In addition, he has worked as Vice President at U.S. Trust Company, National Manager of Charitable and Nonprofit Services for U.S. Bank, and Director of Client Development for Kaspick & Co., a provider of planned giving services to charitable organizations nationwide. His career in development also includes experience at William Mitchell College of Law in Minnesota, and Claremont University Center in California. He is past President of the National Committee on Planned Giving (NCPG) and a current member of its Board of Directors. He chairs NCPG’s Government Relations Committee. In 1993 he was chair of the Sixth National Conference on Planned Giving and is a frequent speaker and writer on planned giving topics. He received a Distinguished Service Award from the National Committee on Planned Giving in 2002 and a David M. Donaldson Distinguished Service Award from the Planned Giving Group of New England in 1999. Wruck is past President of the Minnesota Planned Giving Council and was a founding member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Planned Giving Today. He holds an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Utah.
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May Yee, Senior Researcher
University of California San Francisco
May Yee has been a Development Research Analyst at the University of California, San Francisco for over eight years. She began her career in development at the California Academy of Sciences and then at UC Berkeley before joining UC San Francisco. She attended UC Berkeley and SF State University.
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Armando Zumaya, Chief Income Development Officer
American Cancer Society
Armando Zumaya has been in fundraising for 20 years. He has spent the bulk of his fundraising career as a Major Gift, Leadership Gifts and Annual Fund Officer on two $1 billion campaigns at Cornell University and the University of California, Berkeley. He began his career in 1985 as a canvasser for SANE/FREEZE in Los Angeles and Ithaca, New York, where he led door-to-door canvassers in the field for five years. He is an advocate for improving the prospect researcher/fundraiser relationship and creating a prospecting culture inside development teams. Zumaya also has worked as a Senior Consultant for Thomson Financial Wealth ID and has taught numerous development offices how to successfully follow up on electronic screenings. He recently served as the Director of Development at the San Francisco Opera for more than two years, where he directed the refurbishment of their major and planned giving efforts. He is currently the Director of External Relations at the Springboard Schools and is starting a new development team for K-12 major gifts fundraising. He lectures at AFP, APRA, CARA Compass Point and Academic Impressions. He consults part-time with a range of clients from small nonprofits to major universities, focusing on prospecting, electronic screenings, and new donor and board development.
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