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Presenter Bios
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Alicia Canady Adamson
Senior Director, Affinity Programs & Events, United Way of MA Bay
Alicia is committed to helping prepare the next generation of leaders with a strong passion to help women and girls. Because of this passion, Alicia founded The Young Black Women’s Society Inc. (YBWS) in 2005. This membership based nonprofit provides personal and professional development, community engagement, leadership training and mentoring to the next generation of women and girls of color in Boston. She is also the Founder of the Next Generation Women of Color Summit.
Alicia is a proud graduate of Simmons College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Divinity at Gordon Conwell Seminary. Alicia resides in Boston with her loving husband and two sons.
Anne Bowie
Public Service Manager, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Anne Bowie is currently the Public Service Manager at the law firm of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. Anne joined the firm in 2005 after many years at The Home for Little Wanderers, working on behalf of foster and adoptive children in the Commonwealth. As a social worker, Anne manages the firm’s longstanding commitment to public service – pro bono legal services, charitable giving, board service and volunteerism through the firm’s philanthropy model. In WilmerHale’s focused philanthropy model, resources and time are focused on a smaller group of organizations, with an eye toward long-term relationships and capacity building. The model includes multi-year financial support, pro bono legal representation, volunteer service and in-kind donations agreed upon by the firm and the participating organizations. Anne manages the charitable giving program and the pro bono and philanthropic relationships with the firm’s partner organizations firm-wide (Boston, Dayton, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto and Washington DC offices).
Anne currently the Co-Chair of the Corporate Volunteer Council of Greater Boston and works with her fellow corporate members to promote volunteerism within firms, corporations and small businesses in the area. She also sits on the Boston Pro Bono Roundtable, working with her legal pro bono colleagues. Anne proudly serves on the nonprofit boards of AFC Mentoring and of The Center for Collaborative Education.
Anne has participated in the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship certificate programs and been recognized for her service by Citizen Schools (2010) and The Home of Little Wanderers (Employee of the Year, 2005).
Anne is a graduate of Colby College and of Washington University’s George Warren Brown’s School of Social Work. She lives in Dorchester.
Amy Bronson
Director, Recruitment and Professional Training, Boston University
Amy Bronson is Executive Director of Advancement Resources and Strategic Talent Management at Boston University, where she is engaged in building and sustaining an outstanding team of advancement professionals who are undertaking an enormous challenge: the first comprehensive campaign in the history of the University. Amy oversees the talent management program for a staff of 200 including seventeen schools and colleges at the University. Encompassing recruitment, retention, staff development and training, finance and administration, Amy partners with colleagues across the University to ensure the advancement team is ready to meet the campaign challenge. Under the leadership of Sr. Vice President Scott Nichols, who hired Amy in her first development role at Harvard in 1994, Amy has partnered with a dynamic leadership team to recruit over 175 staff and advance over 75 promotions to date.
Prior to joining BU in September 2010, Amy led the strategic staffing initiative for the Light the World Campaign at Boston College, managing the recruitment effort and everything from onboarding to succession planning for over 100 new staff for the Office of University Advancement. Before joining BC in 2005, Amy was at Harvard Law School where her many roles included managing special events; curriculum planning and program administration for executive legal education and as a fundraiser and administrator at Baker House Alumni Center. Her prior experience includes working for Tiffany & Co. in Chicago and Houston and teaching in Athens, Greece. With over 15 years of advancement experience, Amy has served in leadership roles and chaired and presented at numerous conferences and is excited to be at the forefront of talent management in the not for profit sector. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Amy resides in Milton, MA where she is an active volunteer in her community, including serving on the Parent Leadership Committee of Boston College High School.
Timothy B. Brown
Managing Director, Capital Giving (Asia-Pacific), Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University
In 2009 Tim returned to Harvard where he represents the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) as Managing Director for regional major gifts in the Asia-Pacific. In the second year of the five year Harvard Campaign for the Arts and Sciences, while focusing on Hong Kong, Tim is responsible for nurturing relationships among Harvard communities in the region from Seoul to Singapore. In FY’14, the first public year of the Campaign for Harvard, the Asia-Pacific region yielded $14.2 million in new pledges and gifts representing an increase of approximately $9.3 million from the previous year.
After earning a master’s degree in International Relations at The American University (1982) in Washington and a doctorate in higher education/public policy at Harvard (1991) Tim’s career has included work in the international admissions and academic exchange space and overseas fundraising at diverse institutions including the University of Hartford, University of Maryland, College Park, the Johns Hopkins University (Hopkins-Nanjing Center) and the American University of Beirut in Lebanon where he lived for two years with his family from 2000-2002.
With the continuing growth in Harvard’s Asia-Pacific alumni base, Tim is charged with establishing a regional volunteer structure to complement existing volunteer campaign architecture in North America. The aim is not only to support the current campaign, but to establish a solid platform for future fundraising activity.
Jane Carroll
Vice President of Development, Mount Auburn Cemetery
Jane M. Carroll, Vice President of Development Mount Auburn Cemetery. Jane joined Mount Auburn in 2010. She has over 25 years of fundraising experience, involving wide-ranging initiatives in a variety of organizations, including experience in four capital campaigns. She has experience with general development programs in academia and non-profit organizations.
Jane began her development career at Governor’s Academy, directing the national program of a $17 million capital campaign. At Boston College as Director of Major gifts, she was part of the team for a historic $125 million campaign. From 1996 – 2002, as Vice President of Development at the YMCA of Greater Boston she was responsible for capital, annual, and corporate and foundation giving. At the YMCA, she launched and completed an $11,000,000 capital campaign, to build and renovate Y’s in the city of Boston. Grants to this Campaign included a $700,000 Kresge challenge grant. Following the Y, Jane was at the Vermont Humanities Council, where she planned and implemented a successful capital campaign to purchase and renovate a building to establish a permanent home for the Council. As part of this campaign, VHC received a $200,000 NEH Challenge Grant. Returning to the Boston area, Jane was with Lesley University for two years before coming to Mount Auburn.
Jane received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel and an MBA from Simmons School of Management.
Robin Cohen
Assistant Director of Annual Giving, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
Robin Cohen has been the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston since 2011. While overseeing the organization’s annual giving program, Robin is the staff liaison for both the Friends Council, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s young professionals group, and the Artemis Circle, BGCB’s newly formed women’s leadership council. During Robin’s tenure, the Friends Council has nearly doubled their annual revenue goals and engaged a dynamic group of more than 125 young professionals who represent the organization’s next generation of leadership, in philanthropy and volunteerism. Prior to joining BGCB,, Robin served as Community Relations Officer at Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters where she co-founded the organization’s first young professionals’ leadership group, The Big Little Connection (now known as YoPro). Robin earned a Bachelor’s degree in Government and International Relations and Master’s in Public Administration from Clark University. She also serves on the Board of Ambassadors at AFC Mentoring and volunteers in the community with children and adults with disabilities.
Melissa Cording
Manager of Individual Giving and Stewardship, Pine Street Inn
Melissa Cording is the Manager of Individual Giving & Stewardship at Pine Street Inn, New England’s largest resource for homeless men and women, where she heads up their monthly giving program, the Innkeepers Club.
Briana Curran
VP Charitable Giving, Corporate Affairs, Bank of NY Mellon
Previously, Briana oversaw community relations for Staples, Inc. During her eight years with the company, she managed Staples' global community relations activities and communications strategy, directing their private charitable foundation, strategic non-profit partnerships, external and internal communications, employee engagement and cause marketing initiatives.Prior to joining Staples, Briana was an account representative with Lois Paul & Partners, where she managed public relations programs for technology and business-to-business clients.
Mark DaPonte
Co-Owner and Creative Director, Mirage Design
Mark DaPonte is the co-owner and Creative Director at Mirage Design. Since 1995, Mark and his wife/business partner Lynette Allaire have helped non-profits, educational institutions and corporate clients to get the most from the tools they use to connect with the world, be it event materials, corporate identity or printed collateral.
As Mirage Design’s Creative Director, Mark specializes in building a holistic design process around the creative needs and the financial resources of his clients. He and Lynette do not limit their designs to serving the needs of just one event or program. Instead, they think of everything Mirage creates as leading to an event, whether it is passing a business card to a client, opening an annual report, reading signage at a historic site or reviewing a brochure. In the end, they believe every piece they create should engage, inform and create the positive response that emboldens their client’s brand.
Mirage Design's current clients include The Old North Church, Tufts Medical Center, Swarovski Crystal, The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA.
Mark and Lynette live in Rhode Island. When they are not creating they can be found hiking and exploring the woods and oceanfront of New England with their two boys Luke and Alex, running obstacle course races, or geeking out to the newest super hero movie. Mark can be reached at mdaponte@mirage-design or found on twitter @designmirage.
Senior Director of Development and Communications, Victory Programs
Marc Davino joined Victory Programs in 2012, following a merger with the Boston Living Center where he served as Director of Development and Communications since 2008. Prior to that, Marc was at AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts and the Iocacca Foundation, getting his feet wet in the field, after 17 years in higher education. At Victory Programs, Marc oversees the 7 person team responsible for private fundraising ($1.25 M in FY14) and agency communications. Marc has an MBA from Northeastern University and a BS from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Director of Annual Giving, Dean College
Rochell Dennehy joined Dean College’s Office of Institutional Advancement as Director of Annual Giving in spring of 2012. With over 12 years of higher education fundraising experience, focused on strategy and marketing, Rochell is committed to promoting her institution’s individualized student lead mission with calm professionalism. She over sees the all giving through the mail, over the phone and online. She is also responsible for Dean’s faculty and staff giving program, which a 98% participation rate, and the new student giving program, Grads Give.
Rochell began her career learning the behind-the-scenes of fundraising, as a phonathon caller, while working on her bachelors at Boston University. After graduating, she went on to be the Telefund Program Manager, and then Assistant Director, where she managed the same office in which she called from as a freshman. Rochell continued to work for BU’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations for four years. With her keen eye for design and strong analytical mind, Rochell took on the role of Associate Director of The Northeastern Fund at Northeastern University. At Northeastern, in addition to managing their Telefund efforts, she oversaw both the direct mail and web solicitation programs. For direct mail, she designed eye-catching, cost effective, and high-response direct mail packages that led to record numbers with increases of 10% in donors and 5% in dollars, in her final year prior to leaving for Dean College.
Maureen Donnelly
Senior Director of Development, Donor Relations, Massachusetts General Hospital
Maureen joined the Massachusetts General Hospital Development Office in June 2014, following the completion of their $1.72B ($1.5B goal) Campaign, with a mandate to re-evaluate the hospital’s central existing stewardship/donor relations activities, help set standards and best practices across the units, and design a principal/major gift donor stewardship program. Currently, she and her team manage gift/pledge/fund agreements, senior leadership acknowledgements and customized correspondence, fund establishment and annual reporting, namings opportunities and donor recognition. Prior to Mass General, Maureen spent 18 years in higher education where she led the centrally based stewardship/donor relations teams at Boston University and MIT and held a number of development and alumni relations positions at Emmanuel College. Early in her professional career, she was a clinical social worker in psychiatric and medical healthcare settings.
Lyndia Downie
President and Executive Director, Pine Street Inn
Lyndia Downie has been Pine Street Inn’s President & Executive Director since 2000. As a result of her leadership and vision, Pine Street is now the largest developer of affordable housing for formerly homeless men and women in the region. She has increased Pine Street’s affordable housing development by 60 percent during her tenure. Her collaboration with other key agencies, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Boston has resulted in a 24 percent decrease in the number of homeless individuals living on the streets and in shelters in Boston in the past decade. Within the past several years, her efforts have led to a strategic decision to decrease Pine Street’s shelter beds by 20 percent and convert resources to permanent supportive housing. This was the first time that shelter beds were closed in Boston due to decreased demand as a result of placing greater numbers of people in housing.
She first joined the organization after reading the obituary of Paul Sullivan, Pine Street’s founder and long-time director. Inspired by his life story, she felt compelled to work at Pine Street, and was hired as an administrative assistant in 1984. Lyndia has held positions at nearly every level of the organization, from heading the operations of the Men’s Inn shelter, to overseeing public affairs and development, to serving as vice president for programs. As a result, she has the most thorough base of knowledge of anyone in the organization and still knows the circumstances of many guests and tenants firsthand.
With a $45 million budget and services provided at 36 sites, Pine Street is New England’s largest resource for homeless and formerly homeless adults. The organization serves 1,600 individuals each day and more than 9,500 annually, providing services that span street outreach, emergency shelter, job training and placement, and a growing program of permanent supportive housing.
With her keen understanding of the complex causes of homelessness and proven methods to combat it, Lyndia is a frequently requested speaker and she has co-taught a course in ending homelessness at the Harvard Kennedy School. She has been tapped to serve on a number of committees and boards, including the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers and the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership. She was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to participate on the Massachusetts Commission to End Homelessness; and was appointed by Mayor Thomas Menino to the City of Boston’s Regional Network Leadership Council. She was also named a Barr Fellow through the Barr Foundation’s program to honor nonprofit leaders in the region.
Lyndia and Pine Street Inn are current recipients of Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders award, which recognizes innovation, excellence and leadership among nonprofits across the country. She was recipient of the 2011 Henry L. Shattuck City Champion Award from the Boston Municipal Research Bureau; and was named the “Most Innovative Person in the Massachusetts Non-Profit Sector” by the Boston Globe in 2011. A 2010 recipient of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award and the 2010 New England Women’s Leadership Award, she was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Mt. Ida College. Lyndia graduated from the Program for Developing Managers of Simmons College's Graduate School of Management and the University of Vermont. She and her husband have two daughters.
Kenneth R. Feinberg
Managing Partner, Feinberg Rozen, LLP; Chairman, John F. Kennedy Library Foundation; and Administrator of The One Fund Boston
Kenneth R. Feinberg is an attorney who specializes in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Founder of the law firm Feinberg Rozen, Mr. Feinberg graduated from the University of Massachusetts/Amherst cum laude and received a law degree with honors from New York University School of Law. He was appointed Special Master of the Federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund by Attorney General John Ashcroft and worked in that capacity pro bono for 33 months. Mr. Feinberg recently served as the government-appointed administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund. Most recently, the Governor of Massachusetts and the Mayor of Boston appointed Mr. Feinberg Administrator of One Fund Boston to compensate the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Mr. Feinberg has been appointed Adjunct Professor of Law at some of the nation’s leading law schools including Harvard, Columbia, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of the President John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in Boston.
Grace K. Fey, CFA
President, Grace Fey Advisors, LLC
Sylvia Ferrell- Jones
President and CEO, YWCA Boston
Sylvia Ferrell-Jones joined YWCA Boston in January 2007, after 25 years in the fields of real estate investment management and non-profit governance and executive leadership.
For twenty years Ferrell-Jones has focused on management of real estate-based assets, serving as a director at AEW Capital Management, headquartered in Boston, and as a principal investment officer with the State of Connecticut Trust Funds, with portfolios ranging up to $2 billion.
Subsequently, Sylvia served as Regional Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, where she provided governance, management and fundraising consultations to a $26 million portfolio of not-for-profit affiliates.
In her 7 years as CEO of YWCA Boston, Sylvia has led the organization through financial, operational management and program transformations.
Ferrell-Jones earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her juris doctor from Yale Law School. She has held leadership roles with numerous community and professional organizations, including local, regional and national real estate industry groups; the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ; United Church Funds, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America; Andover Newton Theological School, the Commonwealth Compact, and the Wellesley Centers for Women.
Arlene Fortunato
Chief Development Officer, The Kraft Center for Community Health
Alexandra Fuchs
Executive Vice Presdient, Development, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
Before moving to Boston in 2002, Alexandra held a number of consumer product marketing positions at Unilever in New York City and Geneva, Switzerland, including Director of Global Marketing for cosmetic brands and Brand Manager for several home and personal care products. She received a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and an M.A. from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Alexandra serves on the Board of Overseers of the BSO and is a cellist in the Rivers Symphony Orchestra.
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Michele Gagne
Sr. Dir. of Development, Informational Management and Interactive Solutions, Massachusetts General Hospital
David Giagrando
Director of Corporate Partnerships, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Amanda Grazioli
Director of Content Marketing, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Amanda Grazioli is Director of Content Marketing at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA, where she uses social media, narratives, video and other tools to tell compelling stories that engage alumni, donors, prospective students and families, and other audiences. Amanda previously managed alumni affairs and annual giving at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and has also worked as a theater facilitator and director. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College and holds two Master's degrees, in Arts Administration and Applied Drama & Theater for the Young, from Eastern Michigan University.
Josie Greene
Director, Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation
Josie Greene is a Director of the Josephine and Louise Crane Foundation and has a particular interest in supporting organizations that help create equity for children and families in historically excluded communities. The former assistant director of counseling at Mount Ida College in Newton, Josie serves on the board of overseers at Boston Children's Hospital, the advisory committee for Boston University's Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, is a member of the McLean Hospital National Council and a volunteer at the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute in Dorchester, which supports families impacted by violence. A graduate of American University, in Washington, D.C., she received her master's degree in counseling psychology from Lesley University in Cambridge. Josie lives in Newton, with her husband Glenn and two teenage children.
Brent Grinna
Founder & CEO, Evertrue
Brent Grinna is the Founder & CEO of EverTrue, the word’s leading social donor management platform. Brent was inspired to found EverTrue after serving as an alumni volunteer for his alma mater, Brown University. At Brown, he served as Captain of the Varsity Football Team and was a leader of the Senior Class Gift Campaign. Brent spent four years at William Blair & Company and Madison Dearborn Partners. Prior to founding EverTrue, Brent received his MBA with honors from Harvard Business School. EverTrue is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and is backed by Bain Capital Ventures.
Kate Guedj
Vice Presdient for Development and Donor Services, The Boston Foundation
Kate Guedj joined the Foundation as Director of Philanthropic Services in 2000. In 2005 she was made Vice President for Philanthropic and Donor Services and in 2013, her role was expanded to Vice President for Development and Donor Services. In this capacity, she oversees the Foundation's development efforts and works with the Foundation’s donors to help them achieve their charitable and philanthropic goals. She manages philanthropic support activities for donors and fund advisors, and for the Foundation’s special funds and initiatives relating to donor grantmaking.
Clare Gunther
Director of Development, YMCA of Greater Lawrence
At the YWCA of Greater Lawrence Ms. Gunther is responsible for grant writing, donor stewardship and community relations. She previously worked at the Essex County Community Foundation as Assistant Manager for Grants & Services. Before relocated to Eastern Massachusetts with her family in 2011, Clare created and oversaw the grants department of Heritage Christian Services, a Rochester, NY based nonprofit serving more than 1,500 people with developmental disabilities. Clare began her career as a journalist, working as a beat reporter, then as a freelancer. Her articles have appeared in publications including The New York Times, Redbook, Child, Parenting, the Boston Globe magazine and Commonwealth. Clare serves as the lead YWCA staff member on a project with another nonprofit, Jericho Road Lawrence, to develop and implement a program to increase Latino presence on nonprofit boards in Lawrence, a city which, at 74%, has the largest Latino population in Massachusetts. This program, which Clare helped to design, is entering its third year and is also being replicated in the city of Lowell to increase board participation among the city's substantial southeast Asian population. Clare is also volunteers with the Merrimack Valley Sandbox Accelerator Program, which early stage entrepreneurs in the Merrimack Valley, and serves on the Board of Directors of Operation Delta Dog, a nonprofit with a mission to rescue homeless dogs and train them to work as service dogs for veterans who are suffering from traumatic brain disorder or post-traumatic stress. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where she earned her BA in English Literature.
Joan Hadly
Senior Vice President, Advancement, Museum of Science, Boston
Over a 30-year fundraising career, Joan has led several institutions in building a sustainable culture of philanthropy. Currently, Senior Vice President for Advancement at the Museum of Science, she has partnered with CEO Ioannis Miaoulis and board leadership in a strategic revamping of the Museum's fundraising and in launching its 1st-ever comprehensive capital campaign of $250 million. Recruited to Boston from the UC Davis School of Medicine and Medical Center, where she oversaw all of medical sciences fundraising and alumni affairs, Joan served as Chief Development Officer of Brigham and Women's Hospital from 1996-2004, successfully engaging and expanding a circle of deeply committed supporters. During her tenure, the institution launched its first capital campaign, Great Medicine in the Making, surpassing its $200 million goal. Joan has a BA in English from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is a graduate of the CORO Foundation’s Public Affairs Leadership Program. She served on the Board of Directors of Mercy Ships International and is active at Trinity Church in Copley Square. She is a past member of the Board of Directors of AFP, Massachusetts Chapter.
Martha Hanlon
Director of Staff Development, Partners HealthCare Development
Ann-Marie Harrington
President & Founder & Embolden
Ann-Marie has built Embolden into one of the leading digital communication groups in New England. Ann-Marie brings to all projects her expertise in new and emerging Internet technology, highly personalized service, sound business development strategy and a deep understanding of issues and needs clients have regarding their digital communications strategies.
Ann-Marie was the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2009 RI Small Business Person of the Year. She sits on the boards of Meeting Street, Youth Pride, and the RI Commodores’ Board of Governors. She also serves on the Rhode Island Foundation’s Innovation Fellowship Selection Panel, which annually awards grants to Rhode Islanders with bold ideas for improving life in Rhode Island.
In 2008, YWCA Northern Rhode Island honored Ann-Marie with a Women of Achievement Award, given to business leaders and advocates who work for the economic empowerment of women. That same year, Embolden received the State of Rhode Island Minority Business Enterprise of the Year Award. The “Providence Business News” named Ann-Marie a Woman to Watch in the technical services industry in 2010. In 2011, it named Embolden one of the state’s best places to work.
Ann-Marie earned both a degree in business administration from Bryant University and a Master of Social Work degree from Rhode Island College.
Ann-Marie regularly does speaking engagements around the country on online communication strategy and tracking the effectiveness and outcomes of online marketing efforts.
Nathalie Highland
Deputy Director of Development, Union of Concerned Scientists
Kristin Hill
Director, Fund for Tufts Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Kristin Hill came to Tufts University in 2013 as the Director of the Fund for Tufts Medicine with nearly 10 years of experience in development, focusing on direct marketing strategy and analytics. At Tufts she oversees all aspects of the annual fund, including strategy development and execution of direct marketing efforts (mail, online, telefund), leadership giving, and personal and leadership gift solicitations. She also works with Alumni Relations to manage the Tufts Medical Alumni Association, student fundraising efforts, and the reunion class giving program. So far at Tufts, Kristin (with the help of her colleagues and staff) facilitated a couple of big wins in fiscal year 2014: nearly 10% increase in leadership donors, significant increases in online giving (300% increase in revenue through e-solicitations, online giving overall up 193% in revenue and 73% in the number of gifts), and launched the first-ever graduating class giving program which led to 20% of the class making their first gift.
Tanya Holton
Senior Director of Development, The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare
Her passion is building relationships with individuals who can help ensure the vibrancy and future of the Schwartz Center as well as supporting her team members to achieve their personal and professional best.
Ilisa Hurowitz
Principal, West Cambridge Consulting
Ilisa Hurowitz has nearly 30 years of experience as a development professional, consultant and gift planning specialist. An independent consultant and founder/principal of West Cambridge Consulting, Ilisa is also affiliated with Marts & Lundy, a national fundraising consulting firm where she had been a senior consultant and planned giving practice group leader for 10 years. Campaign consulting experiences with a range of institutions and campaigns of diverse size and scope have included Boston College, Boston University and Boston University School of Law, Hebrew Union College, John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, Children’s Hospital Boston, ACCION, Preservation Society of Newport County, Northwestern University, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Ilisa recently served as Boston Ballet’s chief development officer, leading the organization’s development program through its 50th anniversary season. Prior to joining Marts & Lundy, Ilisa was endowment development vice president with Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. She also served as associate director, major gifts for Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and as director of planned giving at Wellesley College.
Ilisa is a current member of the Planned Giving Taskforce at Boston Children’s Hospital. Ilisa is a former member of Belmont Day School’s Development Committee, past president of Women in Development of Greater Boston, past president of the Planned Giving Group of New England, a former member of the Board of Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theater, and a past president of the Cornell Club of Boston.
Patricia D. Keenan
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Facing History and Ourselves
Facing History and Ourselves is an institution training teachers and creating educational curriculum used in 180 countries around the world. She has 30 years experience raising funds from individuals for a variety of causes with a common theme of addressing educational and health disparities. Previous employers include Brown University, WGBH, City Year, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and YWCA Boston. Patti lives in Sharon with her husband and the youngest of their three children. She is an alumna of the College of the Holy Cross.
Suzanne Kenney
Executive Director, Project Place
Suzanne Kenney has for the last nineteen years been the Executive Director of Project Place, a non-profit organization providing employment, education and housing opportunities for homeless individuals. Under her leadership, Suzanne developed job training programs into self-sustaining social enterprises and relocated the organization to a newly-constructed six story facility in order to expand opportunities for homeless clients. The building project led to 14 units of permanent housing units and expanded commercial and physical space for the operations of social enterprises. The development included financing through securing tax credits, public funding and managing a capital campaign to raise $11 million for successful completion of the project. Prior to her experience at Project Place, Suzanne worked in various human service agencies and in different capacities including fiscal/contract management and direct services. She has an undergraduate psychology degree from Fairfield University and a Masters in Public Administration from Suffolk University, School of Management. She has been appointed to a number of boards including citizen advisory boards for the Department of Social Services and Office for Children, served seven years as an Advisory Board Member for Center for Children with Special Needs, two years on the local neighborhood board South End Business Alliance, and on a national board for strengthening non-profit management. Suzanne is an alumna of Eureka Communities-Boston Fellowship program, an organization committed to the development of leadership among non-profit executives. She currently serves on several boards including the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, an advocacy organization dedicated to the abolition of homelessness; Charlesbank Homes and Franklin Square House, both private foundation boards supporting the housing of low-income and homeless individuals; and has been selected as a member of the Affirmative Investments Wainwright Governing Board for New Market Tax Credits. Suzanne received a discretionary monetary award and recognition for Creative Leadership in Entrepreneurship and with the funds has initiated a micro-lending program for Project Place alumni. In December 2007, Suzanne was recognized in the Boston Courant as South End Woman of the Year. Suzanne has served on Mayor Menino’s Homeless Planning Committee and in March of 2010 was sworn in to serve as a member of the Living Wage Advisory Committee. In 2011, Suzanne received the Wainwright Social Justice Award for her work at Project Place.
Principal, DEK Associates
Danielle Klainberg is Principal, DEK Associates and provides consultant services to the nonprofit sector. Danielle focuses on entrepreneurial philanthropy and customizes her services for the Greater Boston area philanthropic community. Previously Danielle worked with Amnesty International, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and WGBH Educational Foundation (PBS), and attended Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.
Josh Kraft
Nicholas President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
Kristine Laping
Senior Vice President of Development, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Ms. Laping is the senior vice president of development at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She joined BIDMC in February 2003, with the charge of building a comprehensive fund raising program, and since that time, annual fund raising revenues have grown 550%. She came to BIDMC from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, where she served as vice president for development. Ms. Laping has served as dean for development at the Harvard School of Public Health, director of annual giving at Brandeis University, and director of development at Deaconess-Nashoba Hospital. She is the past president of Women in Development of Greater Boston and served on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Ms. Laping graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a bachelor of business administration in marketing.
Pam Lassiter
Principal, Lassiter Consulting
Pam Lassiter connects people with meaningful work. Author of The New Job Security, a Wall Street Journal award winning book, she is principal of Lassiter Consulting, a firm that provides career transition programs and coaching to companies and individuals worldwide. As a consultant in career management for over thirty years, Lassiter works with senior level professionals who are developing satisfying work in their current organization or are considering a career transition.
Lassiter teaches “Career Leadership” at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education and coaches senior professionals in her private, global practice. She is a coach for Harvard Business School Executive Education and has taught in “Charting Your Course,” a re-entry program, since its inception. Her clients include Fortune 100 companies as well as non-profits including MIT, Princeton, and University of California Berkeley-Haas. Through leading ExecuNet in New England, Lassiter has helped thousands of professionals to improve their career management, networking and negotiation skills.
Lassiter is a Trustee and Chair of the Overseers at the Museum of Science in Boston and serves on their Executive Campaign Committee as well as earlier assignments on their Annual Giving and Capital Campaign Committees. She has served on the Stewardship Committees of major non-profits and works with her clients and the Corporate Board Committee of the Boston Club to coach professionals to obtain seats on non-profit and public boards.
Lassiter earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas in English/Spanish and her Master's degree from Boston University in psychological counseling with specific graduate coursework in career development and business management.
Tim Leahy
VP of Development and Communications, Community Servings
In his role as VP of Development and Communications, Tim oversees all fundraising events, including Pie in the Sky and LifeSavor, and directs the effort to secure corporate and foundation grants as well as individual donors. He is also responsible for the agency’s online presence, print communications and press.
Tim brings over 20 years of fundraising and communications experience, along with a food service background, to the job. He worked for 16 years in the food service industry, from ice cream parlors to fine dining, and for six years in sales and marketing, with the world's largest Macintosh computer show, MacWorld Expo. After years of working in the private sector, Tim chose to dedicate his efforts to nonprofit development. Before coming to Community Servings in 1999, Tim served for two years as the Director of Development for the Boston Salvation Army and for three years at the United Way of Dutchess County, NY. Tim has long been a passionate supporter of HIV/AIDS and hunger-relief causes, volunteering for a number of organizations and serving as a board member at the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod.
He received a BA in English and Economics from UMASS Boston.
Director of Leadership Giving, Pine Street Inn
Meggan Levene
Co-Founder and CEO, GVNGTogether
Meggan Levene is co-founder and CEO of GVNGTogether, a nonprofit sparking next generation philanthropy through experiential education and collective grant making. Prior to founding GVNGTogether, Meggan was Senior Manager of Business Development, Care Force, for City Year's National Headquarters where she built innovative integrated partnerships between the private and voluntary sectors. Previously, Meggan worked in the Community Relations Department of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts where she represented the company at charitable events and managed the corporate volunteer program. Originally from Rochester, New York, Meggan is a graduate of Boston University where she studied International Relations and Cultural Anthropology. Meggan serves on CJP’s Commission for Caring & Social Justice and is an alumna of CJP's PresenTense Boston Fellowship and the ROI Summit in Israel.
Lois Lindauer
Founder and CEO, Lois L. Lindauer Searches, (LLLS)
Chuck Longfield
Chief Scientist, Blackbaud and Founder, Target Software and Target Analysis Group
Hilary Marshall
Senior Director, Leadership Gifts, Boston Children's Hospital Trust
Jennifer McGrath
Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations, Boston University
Noreen McMahon
Senior Director of Programs, The Highland Street Foundation
Since joining HSF, McMahon has worked to enhance the foundation’s philanthropic programming. Working with the Executive Director and the Trustees of HSF, several new programs have been created including a 10-week summer enrichment program for children on the Boston Common and an initiative to support veterans and military families. The foundation’s signature program, Free Fun Fridays, which offers free admission to Massachusetts-based museums, has become a summer tradition for many families, who would not otherwise have the resources to visit these cultural treasures. This summer, 150,000 people participated, attending 67 different venues across the Commonwealth.
Most recently, McMahon served as Vice President and Director of Public Affairs at Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. In her role, she managed the bank’s charitable giving, sponsorships, community relations, government affairs, internal communications and special events. She was also a member of the bank’s leadership team and served as an advisor to the bank president.
Prior to joining Citizens in 2001, McMahon was an aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. McMahon serves on the board of directors of Partners for Youth with Disabilities and on the Steering Committee of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s New Frontier Network. She is an alumnus of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston Future Leaders program. McMahon is a graduate of Syracuse University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and the University of Limerick, Ireland, where she received her Master of Arts in International Studies. She resides in Braintree, Massachusetts with her husband and two children.
Executive Director, Advancement Information Systems and Project Research, Boston College
Jim Montague
Executive Director, Strategic Talent Management for Resource Development, MIT
Terry Mulryan-Toomey
Founder and President, Future Affairs Productions
For over three decades Terry’s successful Boston/Providence-based business has been one of the leading scenic, prop and decorating companies in New England. She provides custom-theme environments, assisting clients with a solution to their design inquiries. It is her passion to ensure that once the event is designed and all the logistics of planning are in place, the clients are able to relax, watch and enjoy the creation of their event as it comes to life. Her endless willingness to work with her clients through each creative opportunity is brightly reflected in the final production of every event. Terry’s attention to detail is the key to garnering international awards and nominations: the most recent of which is the coveted Special Event Gala Award. She prides herself on her hardworking team and their ability to turn an old idea into a new and phenomenal experience. Terry’s clients include Fidelity Investments, Ameriprise Financial, Dunkin Brands, NEPC, Mass League, Herbalife, Tufts, Joslin Diabetes Center and PHISH.
Senior Vice President, Boston University
Nichols is married to Muriel I. Nichols, an attorney, and has two sons, Spencer and Todd.
Mike Nelson
Senior Digital Associate, Weber Shandwick
Mike Nelson’s extensive content marketing experience involves helping brands create unique digital experiences across their owned properties. Mike currently works across an array of industries with Weber Shandwick for his clients’ social media and web projects. His expertise encompasses a variety of digital communication tools, from social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to digital advertising to SEO, having spent two years as a full-time SEO analyst prior to joining Weber Shandwick.
Liz Page
Principal, Liz Page Associates
Stacey Palmer
Editor, The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Susan S. Paresky
Senior Vice President for Development, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Ms. Paresky came to Dana-Farber from the Harvard School of Public Health, where she was Associate Dean for Development and executed the School’s fundraising program as part of Harvard University’s $2 billion capital campaign. She has also held senior positions at Brandeis University and Wheaton College. Ms. Paresky is a past president of Women in Development, a 900-member organization of fundraising professionals in New England.
Ms. Paresky received her bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College where she served as a Trustee for many years. She also received her MBA from Simmons School of Management where she currently serves as Chair of the Business Advisory Council. She has been a board member of various nonprofit organizations and industry associations including Wheaton College, CASE New England; the Association of Fundraising Professionals; and the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers.
Ms. Paresky has won several awards and been cited for excellence in the fundraising profession by many organizations including Women in Development, CASE, Harvard Business School, Simmons School of Management, Wheaton College, and the Walnut Hill School. She has consulted to many non-profit organizations nationally and has mentored several members of her profession. She has been inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society for collegiate schools of business for her leadership and knowledge and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Wheaton College in 2011. In 2013, she was recognized by Boston Magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in philanthropy in Boston.
A development professional since 1984, Sue currently serves as Dean for Resource Development at Harvard Medical School (HMS), working closely with the School’s Board of Fellows, the Dean, and members of the faculty, to raise funds for world-class medical research and education at HMS through The World is Waiting: The Campaign for Harvard Medicine, an effort to raise $750 million.
Sue served as Associate Vice President for Development at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 2001-2008 during the $1 billion Mission Possible Campaign, and was responsible for the management of the Major/Principal Gifts, Annual Giving, Gift Planning, and Palm Beach Regional fundraising programs, and the Development Operations group. From 1991-2001, Sue served in several development capacities at the Harvard School of Public Health including as Director of Major Gifts, Senior Development Officer, and Major Gifts Officer responsible for raising funds for School priority areas including Environmental Health and Children’s Health.
Before this, Sue was the Director of Annual Giving at Dartmouth Medical School (1989-1991), responsible for the Dartmouth Medical School Alumni Fund and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Annual Fund. Sue began her development career as the Director of Development of The Cambridge School of Weston (1984-1988). She received a B.S. in Finance from Babson College and holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Noam Reuveni
Associate Director of Development, Interactive Solutions, Massachusetts General Hospital
Coming soon!
Brenda Speight Ricard, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President, Advancement Operations and Planning, Boston College
"In her current role as Associate Vice President, Advancement Operations and Planning, Brenda oversees Administrative Services, Advancement Information Systems, Gift & Record Systems, Prospect Research, Recruitment & Training, and Stewardship & Donor Engagement. Brenda has been a member of the Boston College community for 25 years. Before coming to Advancement in 2005, she worked as an internal management consultant for the university’s executive vice president for seven years, specifically focused on the design and implementation of strategic initiatives through business process reengineering and organizational development. Prior to that, she served as the administrative officer for the Division of Student Affairs, overseeing all aspects of budget, personnel, and information technology. She has taught classes in management, human resource management, and organizational development as an adjunct professor at Emmanuel College. Brenda holds a B.S. in marketing from the University of Connecticut’s School of Business Administration and an M.A. and Ph.D., both in higher education administration, from Boston College. "
Emma Roberts
Owner, Capers Catering
Author and Owner, Emma Roberts graduated with honors from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, and started Capers Catering in 1991. Roberts holds a BA in English Literature from Denison University.
Capers Catering has won Best of Boston from Boston Magazine in 2007 and 2013. The Knot Magazine awarded Capers Best Wedding Caterer in 2011, 2012, 2013 and articles on their work has appeared in More Magazine, The Improper Bostonian, The Boston Business Journal, Boston Magazine, and more.
Roberts has enjoyed establishing long term relationships with clients over the past 23 years. She has emphasized innovation at Capers Catering and focuses on unique spins on classic dishes, event design and presentation.
Karen Santilli
Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Crossroads Rhode Island
Karen Santilli joined Crossroads Rhode Island in February 2008 and currently serves as the Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer. The mission of Crossroads Rhode Island is to help homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable homes. She led the organization through a strategic change process to implement a new service delivery model focused on rapid rehousing and housing first. Under Karen’s leadership, the Marketing & Development team implements a multi-channel marketing and fundraising program which raised $2.9 million in 2013 – up from $1.9 million in 2008.
Prior to joining Crossroads, Karen enjoyed a 20+ year career at Plan USA where she served as Team Managing Director of Sponsorship and managed a budget of $1 million to raise and retain $24 million in revenue. She led a team of 40 individuals involved in sponsor/donor engagement and development. She left Plan to shift her skills from helping the children and families in developing countries around the world to helping our very own neighbors impacted by homelessness.
Karen was named the 2011 Fundraising Professional of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Rhode Island Chapter, she’s a ZETA II graduate of Leadership Rhode Island, and received Rhode Island College’s 2003 Alumni Honor Roll Award for Marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Masters of Art in Teaching from Rhode Island College.
David Scofield
Technical Coordinator, Shoreline AV
The Shoreline service model stands that each customer deserves a dedicated project lead, from design to the end result. David is the Technical Coordinator for Shoreline AV, and manages many of these key accounts. He leads a wonderful team of technicians that work tirelessly through all phases of production to ensure a flawless and memorable event. With over six years in the Audio Visual industry, and an education from SAE Institute, David has facilitated the success of countless fundraising and educational functions.
Rebecca Scott
Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations, School of Medicine, Tufts University
Rebecca is the senior director of development and alumni relations at Tufts University School of Medicine, where she oversees fundraising for annual giving, major gifts, and planned gifts for the School of Medicine. The department also supports the Tufts Medical Alumni Association (a vibrant network of medical school alumni), and holds annual reunions and regional programming for alumni throughout the United States. Rebecca brings to this position more than 18 years of experience in fundraising with an expertise in gift planning, including serving as director of gift planning for Tufts University from 2005 to 2012 and prior to that, as the associate director of gift planning at the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. She was also vice president for programming for the Planned Giving Group of New England. A graduate of McGill University, Rebecca was the general manager of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal. Rebecca completed a residency in new media design at the Canadian Film Centre and is a co-founder of the interactive marketing company, Trapeze Media.
Carolyn Shaughnessy
Senior Manager, Social Impact Investment Community, Root Cause
As senior manager for Root Cause’s Social Innovation Forum, Carolyn is engaging business leaders, philanthropists, and funders from Greater Boston to join with the Social Innovation Forum team as we strengthen local non profits by strategically helping to build their capacity, visibility and networks. Carolyn is a board member for the Camellia Network, an organization that utilizes social networking to connect youth “aging out” of foster care with a community of resources and opportunities. She is the founder of A Step Up, a group that encourages women and their families to become involved with innovative nonprofits having an impact in their local community. Prior to Carolyn’s work with with local non profits, she worked in higher education supporting students with learning disabilities by developing and implementing programs to enhance academic and social success and maximize retention. She holds a BA in psychology from Boston College and and M.Ed. from Boston University.
Kathy Sheehan
Executive Director, Perkins Trust
Kathy Sheehan joined Perkins in October 2009 as Executive Director of the Perkins Trust, and led the Perkins team to the completion of its first-ever comprehensive campaign, raising funds to support Perkins campus, community, and international programs. She previously worked at Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston as Chief Advancement Officer. Kathy led BGCB’s development effort for their groundbreaking $108 million Comprehensive Campaign that concluded in June 2008. At Harvard, she developed a national network for non-alumni support for the Divinity School’s Women’s Studies in Religion Program. At Wellesley College, Kathy was a Senior Development Officer and served as Director of the College’s Business Leadership Council. Kathy serves on the board for the Massachusetts Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and on the Vestry of Trinity Church in the city of Boston. Kathy is a graduate of Smith College and earned a Master of Divinity at Boston University.
Dana Smith
Chair of the Board, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston
Dana Smith is the Chair of the Board at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and the former Chair of the Board of Trustees of Facing History and Ourselves and serves as Trustee for two active family foundations, including the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation. Her past professional experience includes work at the Boston Housing Authority where she was the Deputy Director of Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston where she was Director of Operations, and the City of Boston where she was a youth outreach and street worker. She also serves as a Director on the Board of Social Finance and the Dean’s Leadership Council at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was a former Trustee at The Park School. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dana moved to the east coast to attend Tufts University and graduated in 1988 magna cum laude. After graduation, she received a fellowship to teach in SOWETO, South Africa. Dana returned to Boston and completed her Master’s in Education at Harvard University Graduate School of Education with a concentration in Children and Adolescents at Risk.
Vice President, Tufts Medical Center Trust
In 2008, Catherine Squires joined Tufts Medical Center in Boston as Vice President for Development. A world-class academic medical center, Tufts provides outstanding patient care to both adults and children, teaching generations of future physicians the most advanced medical science and breaking new ground with ongoing, innovative research. With its Floating Hospital for Children, Tufts Medical Center serves as the principal teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. The Tufts Medical Center Trust raises philanthropic funds across the broad continuum of services, from community-based programs to translational research.
Before relocating to Boston, Catherine served the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago as Chief Advancement Officer, where she led a dynamic and strategic organization responsible for marketing, communications and securing the philanthropic support necessary to sustain Chicago’s disaster response, preparedness and lifesaving programs. Additionally, Catherine served as Chicago’s fundraising lead for the national Red Cross organization, building, supporting and sustaining key strategic partnerships with the region’s prominent corporate, foundation and individual donors who generously responded to needs on a national and international basis.
Previously, Catherine was Vice President of Development for Advocate Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Advocate Health Care - a not-for-profit, faith-based health care system in the Chicago region, and one of the largest and most prominent integrated health care systems in the country. In this capacity, she was responsible for developing and managing the development programs at three of Advocate’s teaching hospitals, culminating in the top development position at Lutheran General in Park Ridge, the system’s flagship.
Catherine maintains a dedicated commitment to service and ethical practice, sharing her experience and passion for professional ethics, board and volunteer development, mentoring and strategic planning as a board member and volunteer consultant. Her ethics interests extend to the biomedical realm, and she currently serves Tufts Medical Center as a member of the Ethics Committee. As a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Health Care Philanthropy (AHP), and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), she is a frequent speaker at workshops and conferences, and has served as faculty for AFP International’s First Course in Fundraising, AFPMA’s Basics Course, and has taught Legal and Ethical Aspects of Fundraising at the collegiate level. Catherine previously served as a member of AFP’s Research Council, part of the association’s Professional Advancement Division, which takes the leadership role for AFP internationally in identifying research priorities for the organization, and by recognizing, promoting, funding and publishing research on the philanthropic sector and philanthropic fundraising. She serves as Immediate Past President of the AFP Massachusetts Chapter, and was elected to the AFP International Board of Directors in January, 2012, currently serving as a member-at-large.
A graduate of the Northern Illinois University School of Music, Catherine also holds a master’s degree from Northwestern University in musicology as well as the professional credential, Certified Fund Raising Executive.
Kelley Stewart
Vice President, Client Solutions, Pursuant-Ketchum
As a leader in nonprofit fundraising, Kelley Stewart has a strong commitment to helping philanthropic organizations work smarter, not harder at fundraising. With more than a decade of strategic planning, marketing and fundraising experience, Kelley’s emphasis is in healthcare, multi-affiliate health and human series organizations, and peer-to-peer fundraising. Her strength is to come alongside nonprofit organizations regardless of their size or tenure, and help them achieve their long term vision and goals.
On behalf of Pursuant, Kelley currently works alongside organizations including JDRF, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Lupus Foundation of American. Prior to joining Pursuant Ketchum in March of 2011, Kelley spent eight years with The American Cancer Society (ACS) and two years with the Avon Foundation for Women.
Kelley has a bachelor degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and works form Pursuant’s office in New York City, where she lives with her husband and 2 daughters.
Lynn Susman
President and Cheif Development Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital Trust
Lynn Susman is President and Chief Development Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital Trust. An accomplished development executive, she has 30 years of experience leading and building philanthropic programs, and has held several positions advancing care and research at Boston Children’s. As Trust President, Lynn oversees a comprehensive fundraising program, partnering with a team of 125 staff and a 40-member Trust Board made up of business and community leaders. Boston Children’s is one of the nation’s top hospital philanthropies, having increased support from $30M in 2000 to nearly $150M in 2013. Prior to joining Children’s, Lynn served as Development Director at New England Conservatory, and held several positions in fundraising for the arts. She is a frequent speaker and program leader within the Woodmark Group and is a member of The Boston Club and the Massachusetts Women’s Forum.
Jim Thompson
Vice President of Development, Massachusetts General Hospital
Jim Thompson is the Vice President for Development at the Massachusetts General Hospital, an organization he has served for over 28 years. During his tenure at the MGH, Jim has been involved in four successful capital campaigns. Under Jim’s leadership, the MGH has built one of the most successful grateful patient fund raising models in academic medicine. He has advanced donor outreach efforts well beyond the grateful patient base for Research, Global Health, and the Home Base program that supports veterans and their families. Jim has overseen the growth of the MGH Development staff from 49 individuals in 2010 to 125 in 2013, and has executed Mass General’s most successful fundraising Campaign to date, the Campaign for the Third Century of MGH Medicine which has fundraised over $1.72B by the Campaign’s conclusion in December 2013.
Jim has worked in the field of Development for 38 years. He has made a commitment in mentoring and advancing the careers of development professionals. Prior to the MGH, Jim was the Director of Development at the Roxbury Latin School from 1979-1986. From 1976 to 1979 he served as Development Officer for Bentley College. He received a B.S. degree in Communications from Ithaca College, and also earned a M.S. in Education from Elmira College. He completed a four year term in 2012 as a director of Villanova University’s Parent Executive Committee where he led several key major gift solicitations on behalf of the University. He is a former member of the Finance Council for St. Elizabeth’s Parish in Acton and also served as past Chairman of the Church’s Development Committee. He served as Chairman of the Parent Fund for the Class of 2003 at the College of the Holy Cross. Jim is a former member of the Corporation of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, and he is a former trustee of the Minuteman Association of Retarded Citizens in Concord.
Suzanne Tompkins
Vice President of Development, Zoo New England
Suzanne Tompkins is Vice President of Development for Zoo New England. Her responsibilities include building and managing the Office of Development’s operating funds and restricted revenue streams; implementing the Zoo’s inaugural leadership donor program; implementing fundraising strategy for corporate and foundation revenue; interfacing with and cultivating the Board of Directors; and directing fundraising strategy for the Capital Campaign.
At WBUR, Suzanne managed the Office of Development, with oversight of the 750 person group of major donors. She also helped to build WBUR’s Board of Overseers; grew fundraising revenue 100% during her tenure; and launched WBUR’s first dedicated planned giving program. Suzanne received her formal development training at Boston University’s Center for Professional Education and has served as a Director of AFP MA Chapter Board for the past five years.
Jennifer TumSuden
Director of Annual Giving, Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Jennifer TumSuden serves as the Director of Annual Giving at Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA. She manages the operations and marketing of the Annual Fund and leverages the artistic and academic work of faculty and students to create a variety of engagement opportunities and programs. Jennifer has previously held advancement positions at Harvard University's Divinity School and Alumni Affairs and Development, and Dana Hall School. Jennifer is a magna cum laude graduate of Fairfield University and is completing a Master's degree in the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University this spring.
Bradford Wm. Voigt, CFRE
Director of Principal Gifts for the Arts, Harvard University
Bradford Wm. Voigt, CFRE has 30 years of fundraising experience and has raised over $400 million in his career. Currently he oversees capital and major gifts as well as planned giving, membership, annual giving, and events for the Harvard Art Museums. Additionally, Brad is directing a $250 million capital campaign to transform the Art Museums physical facilities and create a visual arts laboratory and teaching facility.
Prior to joining the Harvard Art Museums, he served as Director of Development at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Mass. He completed a $194 million campaign, funding the expansion of the museum. In addition, Brad served for eight years as Assistant Dean for Development at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He has also played key roles in development programs at Beth Israel Hospital, Mass Audubon Society, Boston Ballet, North Shore Music Theatre and Rhode Island School of Design. A frequent lecturer and author of numerous articles on fundraising, Brad served as President of the Mass Chapter as well as on the National Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Erica Waasdorp
President, A Direct Solution
Erica Waasdorp is President of A Direct Solution. Erica lives and breathes direct response and fundraising and can be considered a Philanthropyholic. Building partnerships and trying to find the best solution for members and donors and thus clients' needs are what Erica does best. Her multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural experience are of added value to those clients interested in raising money internationally and her experience in monthly giving has given her an edge for those clients who are ready to embark on this way of giving.
Erica Waasdorp started A Direct Solution in December of 2003 with more than twenty years of experience in direct marketing, from both sides of the desk, on the client side and the agency side. She has since worked with numerous non-profit clients on and off-Cape. She has helped several organizations with their annual fund campaigns, monthly giving, grant writing, events and PR.
Erica contributes to various industry publications, both in the US and abroad, and she has spoken at numerous nonprofit conferences, ranging from fundamentals of fundraising, to international fundraising, to monthly giving. She is also the US Ambassador for the International Fundraising Congress (IFC), held in the Netherlands in October (www.resource-alliance.org).
Erica Waasdorp published one of the very few books in the industry on monthly giving, called Monthly Giving. The Sleeping Giant. For more information, see www.adirectsolution.com or find the book as paperback or e-book on amazon.com and other e-book sites. She is currently working on her second book, due to be published with Emerson & Church early 2015.
Rachel Walt
Group Manager, Weber Shandwick
Rachel has broad expertise in managing and executing public relations campaigns for nationally-recognized retail, lifestyle and healthcare brands as well as local nonprofits. She helps organizations connect to their key audiences through content and storytelling. Rachel’s specialties include media relations strategy, message and content development, and event planning and execution.
David A. Woodruff , CFRE
Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Resource Development, MIT
David is currently Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Resource Development at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has served in this capacity since June 2012. There he oversees operations of a development staff of 225 persons and a budget of $30 million. He is preparing the Institute for its next multi-billion dollar comprehensive campaign.
David first worked at MIT between 1984 and 2002. His assignments included corporate fundraising and individual giving. He led the major gifts team in MIT's successful $2 billion campaign in 1997-2004. He also represented the Institute throughout the Asia-Pacific region and drove MIT's international fundraising strategy.
Before to returning to MIT, David held the post of Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for Development at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) from 2008-2012 where he guided the conception and execution of the hospital's successful $1.5 billion campaign.
Between 2002 and 2008, David was Dean of Resource Development at Harvard School of Public Health and headed up initial planning for the School's portion of a university campaign. David and his team launched several international trips for donors to witness public health in action in the
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