Birgit Smith Burton is a respected leader in the fundraising profession who has raised more than $500 million during her 33-year career. As the executive director of foundation relations at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she led her team in raising $309 million toward the Institute's most recent successful $1.8 billion capital campaign. Birgit serves on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and recently was voted as the chair-elect for 2021. She has the distinction of being the first African American woman in AFP’s 60-year history to serve in this role. Birgit is the founder of AADO, the African American Development Officers Network, which for 23 years has provided professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color.

Jorge Ancona joined the University of California, Riverside as Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Director in 2013. Ancona provides executive leadership to the UCR Alumni Association and its board of directors, overseeing the campus protocol and events management office. He is responsible for managing the Alumni Association's donation funds and developing fundraising initiatives for the alumni association and student engagement programs to involve its over 126,000 alumni worldwide.

Ancona came to UC Riverside after over a decade at the University of California, Irvine, where he increased the association's scholarship programs from $1.5 million to $4 million; grew the association's assets from $3.4 million to $8 million; and grew attendance at the welcome program from 150 participants to over 4,000. He also led the development of the $8 million Newkirk Alumni Center. Before his appointment at UC Irvine, Ancona spent eight years in alumni relations at UCLA, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics and Latin American studies.
Ancona served on the CASE Alumni Relations Commission from 2013 to 2016 and was co-chair of the CASE Senior Alumni Relations Professionals Institutes in 2015 and 2016.

He has been a CASE speaker for Latin America in 2015, 2017, and 2019 and was a faculty member for two Minority Advancement Institutes in Washington, DC. He served on the CASE Summit Advisory Committee in 2017 and as one of two co-chairs leading an advisory group to establish the CASE Center for Minority Serving Institutions Advancement. Additionally, he has been an active member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CAAE) Executive Council from 2004 to 2013 and from 2016 to the present. In 2018, Ancona was elected to serve on the CAAE Board of Directors.

Most recently, Ms. Bahl served as the Vice President of Fundraising at The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she led the institution’s fundraising team and raised more than $125,000,000 in three years. Her team consisted of 40+ fundraising and communications professionals charged with raising support for initiatives ranging from domestic issues such as criminal justice reform to global issues such as ocean conservation.

Prior to her role at Pew, Ms. Bahl served as Director of Development at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine where she raised $140,000,000 in seven years. In this role, she worked with alumni, grateful patients, parents and unaffiliated patrons, led a high-profile global Advisory Board and managed a team of fundraisers.

Shabina was in management positions in the banking and investment sector working for organizations in the U.S. and abroad such as Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in Toronto, Canada, and Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, prior to her work with nonprofits.

Shabina is a volunteer and board member for environmental causes, issues related to diversity and inclusion, and youth development. Currently she is a Board member at Richcroft Services in Maryland, a non-profit serving mentally and physically challenged people. She has a Master of Arts from The Johns Hopkins University and earned her undergraduate degree at Chatham University, where she served on the Leadership Council of the University’s Alumnae Association.

A Kentucky native, Andre Dowell is originally from the Blue Grass State and currently lives in Georgia. He currently serves as the Development Engagement Officer for Regional Development at The University of Georgia. His career aspirations include assisting with the development and engagement initiatives that help further the institutional mission and vision while creating a diverse experience that strives for the constant pursuit of excellence. He is a collegiate scholar who received a Bachelors’ and Master's Degree from Western Kentucky University while also engaging in a Distinguished Minority Graduate Fellowship.

He is an innovative dreamer and logical planner. He's also relationship-oriented, a networked leader, and a goal-oriented manager. Technology, social media, photography, and creative design guru. Leadership, development, and business bookworm.

Andre enjoys spending time with his family, friends, and going to church.

Also, he loves traveling, engaging in philanthropic service, and being active with his fraternity alumni chapter and alma mater alumni association.

Creative & Innovative fundraiser, Andre has a passion for higher education and strives to make institutions stronger.

Dr. Jessica Elmore, a dynamic scholar-practitioner, and expert in educational advancement and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), is dedicated to transforming and elevating the landscape of philanthropic engagement through innovative DEIB strategies. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Elmore's work bridges the gap between cultural community engagement and educational advancement, ensuring that all voices and experiences are heard and valued.

Dr. Elmore joined CASE as the Senior Director of Cross-Cultural Learnings within the CASE OIC: Opportunities and Inclusion Centerᵀᴹ. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing CASE’s first online DEIB course, "The Journey Starts with You: DEIB in Advancement," and delivering bespoke training through CASE@Campus. Jessica is responsible for developing the training and content vision for upskilling, enhancing job performance, boosting organizational culture and contributing to the overall growth of an organization's outreach and engagement with their diverse alumni, donors and stakeholders.   

Previously, the California native relocated to the Midwest and served as the point person and leader for community relationship building and engagement programming for diverse domestic and international alumni and students for the Kansas State University Alumni Association. In Dr. Elmore’s progressive role, she cultivated over $600,000 from diverse donors and organizations; established a successful diverse volunteer leaders board pipeline, executed over 300 cultural-affiliated alumni and student events, garnering national recognition and professional organization industry awards; served as co-editor for the Association’s first diversity-devoted alumni magazine issue, and was a steadfast campus connector who accumulated an immense amount of social capital resulting in successful collaborations with various campus entities including but not limited to, international programs, athletics, and campus administration.

Jessica's expertise lies in creating award-winning external programming and cultivating relationships with domestic multicultural and international alumni and students. She is an interactive trainer and communicator with a proven track record of helping individuals grasp complex concepts through engaging and approachable methods. Her ability to create environments where people feel confident to navigate new spaces and contribute meaningfully sets her apart in the field of educational advancement. Jessica excels in breaking down intricate ideas into easily digestible insights, empowering participants to not only understand but also apply their knowledge in impactful ways.

Dr. Elmore holds a doctorate in educational leadership, a master’s degree in business administration from Kansas State University, and a mass communication degree from Grambling State University. Her diverse educational background equips her with a unique perspective on the interconnection and nuances of educational advancement.

Driven by a vision of inclusive excellence and social mobility, Dr. Elmore believes in the transformative power of education to create equitable opportunities for all. Her approach is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the diverse needs of alumni and donor communities.