Melisa sets strategies for the university’s fundraising initiatives, including annual giving, major gifts, corporate giving, foundation relations and gift planning. She also oversees Donor and Alumni Engagement and Advancement Communications. With more than 25 years of experience as a university development professional, Melisa has contributed to growth in fundraising results in every position she has held. She has vast experience in setting the strategic direction and managing the operational execution of fundraising campaigns. Melisa previously worked in advancement at Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and University of Florida.

Melisa lives in downtown Denver and enjoys all the urban setting has to offer. She also enjoys skiing and hiking in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Brian Flahaven is vice president, strategic partnerships for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the professional association for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, and development. Brian also directs CASE’s government relations activities and tracks federal and state legislative and regulatory issues of concern to CASE members; as well as overseeing CASE’s public college and university foundation programs.

Prior to joining CASE, Brian was the manager of government relations and public policy at the Council on Foundations. He also served as the first Public Policy and Philanthropy Fellow at the Council of Michigan Foundations and worked for former Illinois Lieutenant Governor Corinne Wood.

Brian received his bachelor’s degree in political science, economics and history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

In 2016, Brian earned the designation of Certified Association Executive from the American Society of Association Executives. From 2011 to 2016, Brian served as an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner representing the southeastern Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington DC.

Joanne Posner-Mayer has found many ways to be philanthropic, using her time, her money and even her credit to help organizations she loves.

Posner-Mayer’s philanthropic journey starts with a childhood rich in experience and relationship if poor in financial resources, then takes a sharp right turn when she became an entrepreneur in the fitness market and made a successful investment.  Now she travels down roads based on a mix of serendipity, curiosity and the things she cares about most.

“I found out we were ‘low income’ when I applied to go to college,” says Posner-Mayer, who grew up in Denver. Her father was a Polish immigrant who owned a hardware store and her mother was a Holocaust survivor. “But,” she remarks, “I felt spoiled because I always had ballet lessons.” After becoming a physical therapist she developed the use of what at the time was a little-known physical therapy tool – a large exercise ball. By authoring books, videos and starting her own company, Fitball™, she pioneered the use of the now ubiquitous exercise balls in physical therapy and the fitness industry.

Following a successful investment, Posner-Mayer had extra money in the bank for the first time in her life. A financial advisor recommended she put money into a donor-advised fund, and suggested Rose Community Foundation. As she researched donations to make through her fund, Posner-Mayer connected with nonprofit organizations that reflected things she loved in her own life – her past as a dancer through the Colorado Ballet, her love of art and culture through the Denver Art Museum and her Jewish roots through JEWISHcolorado. She has also established an endowed scholarship to the physical therapy program in the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine, and funded a teaching garden for elementary school students in Ramat Negev in Israel in honor of her mother’s memory.

“A benefit of getting involved is meeting wonderful and like-minded people,” she says.  As a board member of the Colorado Ballet, she understood that the organization really needed a new facility. It occurred to her that one way she could help was to use credit she had available to loan the Ballet money at her very low interest rate. The loan helped the organization secure a building while they were still raising the money they needed. Thanks in part to this transaction, the Colorado Ballet was able to purchase its own building for the first time in its history.

She was able to facilitate a similar transaction for the Rose Andom Center, an organization which works to improve the lives of domestic violence victims by providing access to services and staff of community organizations and government agencies in a single, safe location.

Another opportunity presented itself when Posner-Mayer heard Andrew Romanoff, a Denver civic leader, share his vision for opening an internationally-oriented nonprofit and workspace in the Curtis Park neighborhood. This is the neighborhood where Posner-Mayer’s father’s hardware store had been located. “That neighborhood fed my family growing up,” she says. The opportunity to help give back resonated immediately. She made a donation to the organization large enough to meet its capital campaign goal, and was able to name it the Posner Center in honor of her parents. The center now houses a number of nonprofits and nongovernmental organizations working in different ways to end poverty around the world.

Posner-Mayer has also worked alongside these organizations to provide for their long-term sustainability. She seeded endowment funds for the Colorado Ballet and the Posner Center at Rose Community Foundation, and made it possible for them to participate in Rose Community Foundation’s Endowment Building Cohorts. This program supplies participating organizations with information and infrastructure to build an endowment fund, which can then provide investment income and stability for nonprofit organizations over the long run. She is also working with the Rose Andom Center to begin their endowment over the coming year.

Randy is a Principal in the Cybersecurity Consulting team at CLA. Randy leads a team of technology and industry specialists providing IT audits and security assessments for clients in a wide range of industries and diverse operating environments and has provided independent security assessments and IT audits for Credit Unions, health care and life sciences, non-profits, and state and local government for over 25 years. He is responsible for the continuing development of the open-source, *nix, and Windows applications used in all of the security audits, and he leads the firms PCI-QSA audit practice.

Randy has been an instructor of IT and Cybersecurity Risk Management at the CUNA Management School at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado in Boulder, a variety of State Government Finance Officers Associations, and the Minnesota Government IT Symposium.  Randy is frequent speaker at national conferences and training events.

Randy has been a consultant at CLA for twenty-five years and brings a strong background in computer technology, physics and education. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified in Risk and Information System Controls (CRISC) professional, a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), a PCI-Qualified Security Assessor (PCI-QSA), and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP).  He has a master’s degree in educational technology from the University of Saint Thomas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

David Bass serves as AGB’s executive director for philanthropic governance, providing thought leadership on board governance and leadership best practices that relate to philanthropy in higher education. He oversees the development of programs and resources supporting institutionally related foundation boards, institutional governing boards, and other senior staff and volunteer leaders of colleges and universities. Bass previously served as AGB’s director of foundation programs and research, authoring the AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Institution-Foundation Partnerships, Illustrative Memorandum of Understanding between a Public Institution or System and an Affiliated Foundation, and Effective Foundation Boards.

Bass also worked for 12 years at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) where he served as senior director of research, as director of CASE’s National Center for Institutionally Related Foundations and director of government relations. 

Bass taught as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College, Georgetown University, and the University of Virginia. 

Bass holds an MBA and certificate in nonprofit management from Johns Hopkins University and an MA and doctoral coursework from the University of Virginia. He received a BA from the College of William and Mary.

Ted Blackburn is a Managing Director with CCS Fundraising. With more than fifteen years of experience at CCS, Ted has planned, directed, and supervised campaigns for healthcare, educational, religious, social service, and cultural organizations for clients throughout the country. He has conducted and supervised major capital and comprehensive campaigns, feasibility and planning studies, development assessments, major gift initiatives and solicitations, and sustainable annual giving programs.

Ted has provided interim leadership for major institutions with as many as fifty development staff and has been directly responsible for managing all aspects of fundraising operations, stewardship protocols, campaign initiatives, and donor relations. He is a leader in CCS’s healthcare practice group and a long-time faculty member and facilitator for CCS Learning, the firm’s training institute. Ted has provided strategic advice and counsel to a variety of organizations.

Jenny Cooke Smith is the Senior Director of CASE Insights Solutions at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, CASE and specialises in analysing advancement trends, interpreting comparison benchmarks, and helping people understand the "stories behind the data". Prior to joining CASE, Smith spent 15 years in a variety of positions within Blackbaud’s Target Analytics, most recently leading donorCentrics™ benchmarking cohorts, providing opportunities for institutions and organisations globally to review and discuss direct marketing and annual giving trends. She joined CASE in 2019 to help members find value through using data and is most proud that through projects like CASE’s Alumni Engagement Metrics, institutions can begin to answer questions such as ‘we know engagement leads to giving, but how do we show it?’. Smith is currently co-teaching a course on CASE’s Global Reporting Standards and researching the latest trends on alumni engagement globally, enjoying opportunities to present again in-person, and working individually with CASE member institutions to develop strategies using CASE data and benchmarks.

Derek Dictson is the Vice President for Advancement at Colorado State University

Zack Edwards has worked at the Indiana University Foundation (IUF) for the last eight years and is presently the Manager of Business Analytics in the Advancement Strategy & Analytics group.  In this role, he is responsible for overseeing and leading analytical and business intelligence functions that harness data to provide valuable insights and drive better decision-making within the organization.  Prior to the IUF, he spent 8 years in data analysis roles in the Office of Enrollment Management at Indiana University.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in management and an MPA in finance and public policy from the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environment Affairs.

As Deputy Chief of Staff for the ASU Foundation, Travis oversees various central operations including operational budget management, strategic planning, and coordination for various leadership and all-staff summits. He also oversees the Foundation Initiatives team, a central project management team tasked with coordinating interdisciplinary philanthropic projects and initiatives. Travis has undergraduate degrees in business management and sustainability, a master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education, and an education doctorate in leadership and innovation, all from Arizona State University.

As Director of the ASU Foundation’s Moonshot Accelerator, Michelle designs and leads programs that support ASU teams in securing philanthropic investments of $10M or more to advance their moonshots: ambitious ideas that have the potential to transform society by tackling our greatest challenges. She also teaches and advances her applied scholarship in science and technology policy, public engagement, and public value science as an affiliate of ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Michelle studied dance and biology during her undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa, and she earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in biology and society at Arizona State University.

Kimberly Hankerson is a 29-year fundraising professional. Currently she is the Assistant Vice President for University Advancement at Florida A&M University, the #1 Public HBCU for five consecutive years. Kim spent 14½ years running annual campaigns with three United Ways. She started her career with United Way of the Big Bend in Tallahassee, Florida. She was responsible for building the campaigns in the seven counties. She raised the money and then distributed it in those communities. She then moved to Atlanta, Georgia and spent six years with the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and worked with major corporations like UPS, The Coca-Cola Company and Delta Airlines while also managing the Loaned Executive Program, which consisted of 60 individuals. Kim then moved to Gainesville, Florida to serve as the Vice President of Resource Development for the United Way of North Central Florida where she raised $4 million in her final year there, a major milestone in the United Way system. Kim then transitioned to major gift fundraising and worked for the University of Florida College of Medicine raising money for the Department of Surgery and the Florida State University College of Business where her focus was gifts of $100,000 or more.

Kim received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees from Florida A&M University.

Kim is the mother of a 10-year old daughter, Bailey.

Don is a senior consultant at the Aspen Leadership Group where he conducts executive search and consults on organizational development issues with colleges and universities from around the country. Before this role, he served as a Vice President for Advancement for 18 years. His most recent post was as the Vice President for Development at Brown University where he was instrumental in launching their historic $3B campaign. He also has served as Vice President for Advancement at Carleton, Dickinson, and Colby-Sawyer. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Annual Giving at both Georgetown University and the University of Virginia. Don has been a regular presenter at the CASE International and CASE DI and DII conferences and a published author on advancement. He most recently started a conversation on LinkedIn where called Coach's Corner where he explores advancement and leadership challenges he has come across in his consulting practice. Don has a BA from New England College, an MA from the University of Maryland, and an Ed.D from the University of Virginia.

Kimberly Haynes, CPA, is a Senior Manager with Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC in the Firm’s Atlanta office. Kimberly received her BBA in Accounting from the University of Georgia in 2010, and her Masters of Accounting (MACC) from the University of Georgia in 2011. Since joining Mauldin & Jenkins, Kimberly has specialized in providing various attestation and consulting services for the not-for-profit & education practice. In addition, Kimberly has significant experience in providing various attestation services for the entrepreneurial services practice; including healthcare and affordable housing industries. Kimberly is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA), the National and Southern Associations of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO and SACUBO).

Cheryl is the Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Fort Lewis College Foundation and has 19 years’ experience in the higher education foundation industry.  She has worked at Northern Arizona University Foundation and Arizona State University Enterprise Partners, as well as other nonprofit organizations.  Cheryl is a 27 year member of the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance and served as National Board President in 2012-2013.

Sarah is a Principal at CLA and has more than 24 years of combined experience in public accounting, higher education, and private industry. She has worked with a variety of clients including tax-exempt organizations, health care entities, colleges and universities, state and local governments, for-profit entities, nonresident alien taxpayers, and many others. Sarah currently supports CLA’s nonprofit and higher education tax practices nationwide in her role as the Western Region exempt tax practice leader as well the higher education exempt tax practice leader.

Mindy Hyde is the Senior Director of Development (Athletics) for the Alexander-Tharpe Fund at Georgia Tech. She is a top producing development executive responsible for major gift fundraising across the southeast.  She consistently exceeds her annual fundraising goals with hussle, creativity and strategic relationship development.  In 2023 she achieved $8+ Million raised and documented over 400 interactions.

Mindy began working in the A-T Fund at Georgia Tech as an intern in the summer of 1998 and was hired full-time that September. She brings over two decades of principal and major gift fundraising experience to Georgia Tech and last year eclipsed the $100 million mark for total money raised.

She oversaw tremendous growth in the athletic endowment prior to handing off those duties last year and has worked with several sports programs on their fundraising initiatives. 

Meloney Linder is an accomplished higher education administrator with broad experience in marketing, brand, and operations recognized for making positive organizational impact. Experience in marketing and communication, information technology services, academic technology and web services, and facilities. With over 30 years of experience in corporate communications, marketing and brand management for private and public entities including higher education and has a proven history of building strong teams and improving performance.

Linder currently serves as the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at the University of North Dakota.  Meloney is the proud mother of two college-aged daughters and her puppy Sophie

Prior to joining the University of North Dakota, Linder was the Associate Dean and Chief Communications Officer at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wisconsin School of Business and Vice President of Institutional Advancement at The University of Texas at Brownsville responsibilities of internal and external marketing and communication as well as philanthropy, and held many marketing positions within private sector prior to moving into higher education.

Mike has served the UND Alumni Association & Foundation for more than a decade, but he has been on the University of North Dakota campus since 1994 – first as a student, then as a football coach before joining the team.

Mike’s coaching background comes in handy in his leadership of the strategic Development & Fundraising Team. He directs major gift fundraising efforts helping the team set and reach their goals. Mike works closely with deans and other campus leaders to strategically prioritize and fulfill funding needs. 

He earned both his Bachelor of Science and his Master of Science degrees from the University of North Dakota.

During Mark Marshall’s 30+ years in fundraising, he’s worked with many of the greathospitals and academic medical centers, public and private colleges and universities, and nonprofit organizations. For him, philanthropy is ennobling and powerful in its ability “to help donors see what they can do in the world and help organizations to inspire donors to act—both are incredible ways to help make the world a better, kinder, more just place.”

As a student of philanthropy and educationaly trends, Mark is heavily focused on the data that is shaping the future of advancement and philanthropy in particular. In his role, he sees trends coming from around the non-profit sector and the implications that exist for higher education.  He is passionate about the power of advancement work to advance society.

Kathryn Mawer serves as senior vice president and advisor at FEG. As she’s dedicated solely to serving OCIO clients, her responsibilities include working with clients to develop policy, execute investment strategy, and help clients meet their goals. Her service philosophy is that collaboration with clients is paramount.

Kathryn has developed or co-developed several key initiatives at FEG, including the firm’s process for onboarding new clients, which balances an in-depth discovery process with efficient portfolio implementation, as well as the bi-annual FEG Investment Forum, the firm’s largest client event with more than 500 clients and prospective clients in attendance, and FEG’s annual Community Foundation Survey, which covers a wide range of enterprise and investment topics and has had more than 200 Community Foundations participate.

Kathryn began her career as a senior research analyst at ACNielsen BASES and joined FEG in 2006. Notably, she is also a classically trained professional harpist. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Boston University. She is a leader of FEG’s Women in Investment group and also serves on the Enterprise Risk Committee and the Community Foundation Committee. She is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Cincinnati as well as the CAIA Association and the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.). In 2021, Kathryn was included on the short list for the 2021 Consultant of the Year award presented by Women in Asset Management.

Outside of work, Kathryn is focused on family and music, and is very active. She has family dinners with her extended family of 13 people several times a week. She is also very passionate about music and continues to perform professionally for weddings, restaurants, parties, and church services. She also enjoys tennis, swimming, hiking, and is learning golf, although admits that golf may not be a core strength.

Jamie McMahon is CEO of the Educational Foundation at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, and has 20 years of experience in fundraising, higher education, and nonprofit management. He previously worked at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and as a fundraising consultant for Ketchum. He teaches fundraising at Carnegie Mellon University and holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College, an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge, and is completing a doctorate in higher education management at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jason McNeal is currently a partner with Gonser GerberLLP, North America’s first firm established to provide comprehensive development and leadership consulting for higher education institutions.  

Jason has over 25 years of experience in providing leadership and consulting services to educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.  Prior to Gonser Gerber, he served Maryville College (Tennessee) as the Vice President for Advancement and Community Relations.  During his time at Maryville, he led the planning and implementation of the “Window of Opportunity” Campaign which lead to the construction of the Clayton Center for Arts on the Maryville College campus. 

He received his Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Tennessee, where his research on higher education presidential effectiveness led to the book, “Presidencies Derailed,” published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

In addition to his consulting work in higher education, Jason regularly presents on advancement and leadership topics at conferences across North America and writes the popular, “Jason’s Blog,” for nonprofit leaders and development professionals. 

The two most valued roles that Jason plays, though, are that of husband to wife Heather and father to their two children, Shelby and Sam.

Brandon O’Leary, AVP Advancement Strategy, and Analytics, works with the IU Foundation and the IU Alumni Association to align and guide the implementation of strategic priorities. He drives strategy execution by identifying innovative opportunities, maximizing strategic vendor partnerships, evaluating emerging business intelligence tools, analyzing data, and developing business insights. The strategy and analytics team also provides concierge executive reporting, institutional reporting, and ad-hoc resources to priority advancement projects. 

Brandon joined the Foundation as an intern while earning an MBA from IU's Kelley School of Business. He has worked at the IU Foundation for more than 22 years .

Kim O’Neill is the Vice President for University Advancement and the President and CEO of The Foundation for WWU & Alumni. Since coming aboard in July 2021, Kim has led the University Advancement team in securing $45 Million in gifts and pledges, among which include the second largest cash gift and the most successful Give Day in the university’s history.

Under Kim’s leadership, the WWU Alumni Association and the Western Foundation—two previously separate non-profit entities—successfully merged and now operate together as the Foundation for WWU & Alumni, with 34 employees serving over 130,000 university alumni and friends. Kim additionally works with the 30-person Foundation for WWU & Alumni Board of Directors, whose mission is to encourage and facilitate ongoing engagement with Western alumni and stakeholders, which leads to gifts and commitments of private support for the benefit of the students, faculty, and programs of the institution.

Prior to Western, O’Neill served in a number of development roles at the University of Idaho, ultimately advancing to Associate Vice President of Development for the university. She then served as Associate Vice President of Advancement at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, before returning to her home state of Washington.

A native of Stanwood, O’Neill began her career as an agriculture teacher in Enumclaw, Stanwood, and Colton School Districts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Washington State University.

Nancy is a CPA with more than 25 years of experience a strategic financial leader who offers a wealth of experience on financial management, analysis, reporting and business operations. As Vice President of Finance & Operations, she is responsible for the oversight and management of the Organization’s finance and operations departments as well as oversees the risk management of the organization. 

She enjoys reading, swimming, and all things lake related.

As a strategic leader of the marketing & communication, stewardship & donor appreciation, and events teams, Sarah directs branding and message development for fundraising campaigns and alumni engagement. She leads a team responsible for the image of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation through events, stewardship best practices, website development, publications, video, graphic design, and social media.

With over 17 years of experience within private, public, and non-profit sectors, Prout has a proven history in building strong teams, driven by storytelling and a strong brand management that led her to the UND Alumni Association & Foundation, where she currently services as Vice President for Marketing and Communications. Since joining the team in 2018, she has enabled a re-envisioned UND Alumni Magazine, helped launch the UND Angel Fund, was influential in the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration building campaign, and was instrumental in the launch of FOREVER UND, The Campaign for the University of North Dakota that was launched publicly in October of 2023.

As a skillful leader with vast experience in marketing, communication, stewardship, community development and events, Prout strives to create effortless and inspiring interaction with donors and alumni.

Sarah leads an active lifestyle, moonlighting as a yoga instructor and running, cycling, swimming, or hiking when she can. An avid gardener, she loves the outdoors and a good campfire. She and her husband Tom, along with their three children, take pride in the renovations they have completed on their 1944 home. And when Sarah finally puts her feet up, you can find her catching a rerun of The Office.

Adam is a principal in CLA’s Broomfield, Colorado office and has more than 13 years of experience in public accounting with CLA. Adam works exclusively in the tax-exempt area serving associations and membership-based organizations, colleges and universities, research institutions, and foundations. He also has extensive experience with single audits of federal grant programs and preparation and review of IRS Form 990 and IRS Form 990-T tax-exempt returns.

Jean Marie Richardson is a native Georgian, a Georgia Tech alumna, and the Founder and CEO of iFOLIO.

Richardson holds 3 US patents for digital analytics.  Richardson serves on 5 boards including the Georgia Tech Advisory Board to the President, the Cadence Bank Atlanta Advisory Board, and as chairman of the iFOLIO Board. She is a two time global Stevie® Award recipient for Women in Business, including Best Female Entrepreneur Business Products and Best Female Entrepreneur Business Services.

After working at Oracle and Microsoft and experiencing firsthand the challenges supporting customer teams with digital presentations and marketing, Jean Marie founded iFOLIO to speed up digital transformation and make work easier.

Today under her leadership, the company powers more than 200 SaaS capabilities and 2,000,000 live sites for clients across industries. iFOLIO serves more than 5,000 clients including Northeastern University, University of Notre Dame, Georgia Tech Foundation, Clemson Foundation, Stetson, UNLV, and more. iFOLIO is a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council certified woman owned business, and SOC2 certified platform.

Richardson has been a speaker at Georgia Institute of Technology, at Georgia State University, and more than 20 national conferences including Case D3, and Case Colleges and Foundations.  She speaks about the intersection of business and analytics and technology innovation and lives in Atlanta with her husband Hap and their 2 pups Harper Lee and Beaux.

John Sammis is a Senior Vice President of Data Analytics for CCS Fundraising. He brings more than 30 years of experience with statistical analysis and predictive modeling. John has devoted more than 20 years of his career to charities, universities, hospitals, and other nonprofit institutions, helping them produce models and use the results to achieve their fundraising goals. At CCS, John leads the Data Analytics team, which helps philanthropy and fundraising professionals apply cutting-edge data analytics tools to address specific organizational objectives. John is constantly reviewing the latest statistics tools and innovations to ensure that CCS applies the best approach for each client. John has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson University and an MBA from Cornell University.

Jon Schultz is a CPA that has over eighteen years of audit experience that specializes in Education Institutions and Not-for-Profit Organizations, including Uniform Guidance Single Audits. Jon currently serves as our Firm’s industry leader of the Education practice.  He is responsible for the ongoing servicing of Educational Institution clients and is responsible for on-site supervision of professional staff and their compliance with all professional and regulatory standards.  Jon will act as the engagement partner for the audit engagement.

Since joining Mauldin & Jenkins in 2006, Jon has focused his career on serving Educational Institutions. He has predominately worked on annual financial report/financial statement audits, Uniform Guidance single audits, NCAA agreed upon procedures, various attestation engagements, and advisory consultation services. His experience at Mauldin & Jenkins also includes audits of clients within the not-for-profit sector, healthcare industry, and governmental sector.

Jon is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants (GSCPA) and regularly attends the AICPA Not-for-Profit and Governmental Conference, as well as the GSCPA Not-for-Profit and Governmental Conference. Jon is active within a variety of associations (local and national), and routinely presents as an expert in his field at various educational conferences (including GISA, GICA, NACUBO, AACUBO, GEAC, CASE District III, CASE College and University Foundations, University System of Georgia Business Workshop Conferences, and more).

Leslee Smith is the Chief Financial Officer and Associate Director for Finance for the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) and is a member of the Mississippi Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Pam Spencer brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience in a variety of senior leadership roles.  Most recently, Pam served as Vice President of Advancement Services for Florida State University, helping the University complete a successful billion-dollar campaign and building a 44-member, high performing Division at the University focusing on data-driven, donor-focused decision making.  Pam's experience in managing complex teams and overseeing the development and implementation of new structures and systems and data intelligence and technology programs helped to modernize and streamline operations for greater efficiency and sustainability.

Prior to her time at the University, Pam served as the Executive Director of Kent County Parks Foundation, where she increased fundraising over 180% to expand and improve parkland and preserve open spaces, providing the overarching strategy for fund development and organizational infrastructure, and creating membership and corporate sponsorship programs.

Pam served Hope College in two campaigns as Assistant Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and Director of Prospect Management.  In addition, she served in the social services area as Assistant Director of Development for Bethanna raising funds for child welfare and behavioral health services.

While working on her master’s degree in Nonprofit Management at Eastern University, she worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra to create the assessment plan for their Education and Community Partnerships and developed the tools to assess the effectiveness of their communications and education programs.

Pam brings extensive experience from across the nonprofit sector, serving in a variety of areas: comprehensive campaign and strategic planning, major gifts solicitations, annual fund drives, program development and implementation, event planning, proposal writing, moves management, and prospect research. 

Sarah Wessling is the VP Governance Lead at FEG Investment Advisors.

Erin Zody has worked in the Advancement Strategy & Analytics group at the Indiana University Foundation (IUF) for the last eight years. Erin is responsible for leading the day-to-day implementation of the organization’s strategic plan and overseeing IUF’s institutional reporting responsibilities. She also serves as a project manager on certain strategic advancement projects. Prior to joining the IUF in 2015, she was the Director of Finance, Planning, and Alumni Business Operations for the Indiana University Alumni Association. Erin spent the first ten years of her career in the private sector where she held roles in business valuation and forensic services consulting and financial analysis. She holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and an MBA in accounting from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.