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Conference Leadership

Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership
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Meet Your Leadership

Birgit Smith Burton

Birgit Smith Burton

Founder and Executive Director, African American Development Officers Network

Birgit is the Founder and Executive Director of AADO, the African American Development Officers Network, which she launched at Georgia Tech in 1998 to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for African American fundraisers. She is a well-regarded speaker on the topics of fundraising and diversity and has authored articles on diversity in the fundraising profession, co-authored the book, The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America, and contributed to the book Five Minutes for Fundraising, A Collection of Expert Advice. Birgit is honored to tell her personal story in the book Collecting Courage, which shares the lived experiences of Black women and men working in the nonprofit and charitable space (published fall 2020). During her 25-year career at Georgia Tech, Birgit was selected to participate in the first cohort of Leading Women @ Tech and chosen as one of the 2020 Faces of Inclusive Excellence, which recognized faculty, staff, and students committed to gender diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

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 received the Opportunity and Inclusion Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education which recognized her leadership in fostering inclusion and diversity within the fundraising profession.  In 2020 the R.I.S.E. Fund was established in Birgit’s honor with a mission to advance women of color in fundraising by providing Resources, Inspiration, Support, and Education.

Birgit chairs the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund, serves on the advisory board for Hosea Helps, chairs the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, and advises the Aspen Leadership Group. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Birgit earned a bachelor's degree in media communications from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York and serves on its board of Trustees.

Rob Henry

Rob Henry

Crystal Apple Winner
Vice President, People, Culture & Talent, Council for Advancement and Support of Education

Rob Henry is Vice President, People, Culture & Talent at CASE where he is responsible for creating an overall global strategy for achieving CASE's vision and mission related to talent management and for guiding conference programming, diversity/inclusion initiatives, research, and the CASE Library.

Formerly an active CASE volunteer speaker and adviser, Rob joined the CASE staff in 2006 as head of emerging constituencies, later adding the responsibility for online educational programs. He previously held advancement management positions at Yale University, the University of Connecticut Foundation and Michigan State University.

Rob is a graduate of Murray State University and has a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University. In 2006, he received the prestigious CASE Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. 

Conference Co-Chairs

Joe Long

Joe Long

Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement, American International College

Henry “Joe” Long Jr. is the associate vice president for Institutional Advancement at American International College, in Springfield, MA. As associate vice president, Joe oversees all development operations including major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, grants, and advancement services and constituent records.

With more than twenty years of experience in fundraising, team building, and securing major and planned gifts, he came to AIC from UMass Amherst, where he served as the executive director of development for libraries. At UMass Amherst, he partnered with a dedicated staff to enhance philanthropic support for all three library locations and strengthen donor stewardship and communication.

Prior to UMass, Joe worked at Springfield College for more than a decade with success in major giving, athletics development, and parent giving. Additionally, he has held numerous advancement leadership roles at Plymouth State University, including alumni director and interim director of advancement.

Joe served as a member of the board of directors for the Council of Advancement and Support of Education, District I, from 2009–2016, and currently serves on the African American Development Officers (AADO) network and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership Conference committee.
 

Juanita Sheppard

Juanita Sheppard

Vice President, Foundation Partnerships, United Way of Greater Atlanta

As Vice President, Foundation Partnerships at United Way of Greater Atlanta, Juanita Sheppard strategically serves as the central source for cultivating and engaging foundation and government partners to increase United Way’s ability to tackle complex community issues and drive sustainable positive change. The South African concept of Ubuntu– “I am because you are” guides her journey. She is a member of the Forbes Nonprofit Council, serves on the Board of Directors for AFP Greater Atlanta Chapter, Neighborhood Nexus, and Midtown Atlanta Rotary. Juanita also served as Past President of AFP Greater Atlanta Chapter (2019). Juanita’s love for community grew from her previous work at The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and The Temple, Atlanta’s oldest synagogue. She is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb’s Class of 2022. Juanita earned her B.A. from Beulah Heights University and M.Div. from the Morehouse School of Religion at the Interdenominational Theological Center. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at United Theological Seminary. Juanita earned her CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) certification in June 2020. Juanita enjoys life and travel with her husband, Carl, and her two adult daughters Sasha and Brittany.

Alicia Smith

Alicia Smith

Senior Director, REALITY, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies

Alicia serves as Senior Director with Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, where she leads the REALITY team. REALITY is a week-long leadership journey in Israel that gathers highly influential thinkers and trailblazers.

Alicia most recently served as AIPAC’s Southeast Regional Outreach Director, expanding the base of AIPAC’s pro-Israel activists beyond the Jewish community in the Southeast. Through her work at AIPAC, Alicia became a passionate advocate for leadership development and the way a peer-oriented journey through Israel transforms lives. Alicia gained more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy and management, working with nonprofits and universities throughout the Southeast. She is a native of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Alicia holds a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from George Mason University. She is a 2009 graduate of Leadership South Carolina and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Georgia. Alicia enjoys reading, yoga and traveling and credits her very first trip to Israel for solidifying her passion for leadership.

Dale L. Wright

Dale L. Wright

Crystal Apple Winner
Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement Designate; Interim Senior Vice President of the University of Illinois Foundation Designate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Dale Wright is the Interim Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Interim Senior Vice President of the University of Illinois Foundation Designate, developing, overseeing, and managing a comprehensive development and advancement program for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Illinois).

With 25+ years of extensive experience and a proven record success in constituent and alumni engagement, program development and execution, strategic planning, management, building and coaching high-performing teams, and securing and stewarding major and principal gifts, across three (3) $1B+ multi-year comprehensive campaigns. During his tenure at Illinois, he has held additional leadership roles as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Associate Dean for Advancement for The Grainger College of Engineering.

Wright is actively involved with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), serving as a faculty member and speaker at conferences, co-chaired two major CASE events and contributing to the advancement field as a member of the CASE Commission on Philanthropy and a CASE Laureate, as well as past District leader (V & VI). His excellence as a teacher and mentor was recognized with CASE’s Crystal Apple Award for teaching. He is also the recipient of the Frank L. Ashmore Distinguished Service Award (2025 for the U.S. and Canada). Additionally, he is a member of organizations such as the African American Development Officers Network and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, including as a past member of the board.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Wright is committed to community service, serving on the board of the United Way of Champaign County, and the American Legion Boys State of Missouri (Missouri Boys State) Board of Directors. In recognition of his service to Missouri Boys State and the field of education, he received the Mel Carnahan Public Service Award in Education in 2023 from the Carnahan Policy Institute. He holds degrees from the University of Missouri (Mizzou). 

Conference Track Chairs

Shenise Foote
Philanthropy Track Chair

Shenise Foote

Development Director, Horizons Upward Bound at Cranbook

Shenise Foote holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Michigan. After leading the fundraising efforts for The Longest Day initiative for the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter for more than 3.5 years, she has joined Horizons Upward Bound at Cranbrook as the Development Director. As an alumni of the program she is thrilled to lead their fundraising and advancement efforts.

Shenise sits on the board for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Detroit Chapter (AFP GDC) and serves as Vice President for the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Committee (immediate past chairperson). She is a board member for Camp Casey, a local non-profit that serves children and their families living with cancer and other rare blood disorders. She helps to develop and implement their fundraising strategy. She has recently joined the board for Southwest Solutions, a Detroit-based nonprofit designed to enhance the quality of life, success and self-sufficiency of individuals and families in Detroit. She is a member of African American Development Officers Network (AADO) and serves as Track Chair for Philanthropy for the AADO/CASE (Council for Advancement & Support of Education) Conference on Diverse Philanthropy and Leadership.

Shenise’s passions involve education, social justice, advocacy, and youth. Her passion for youth/young adults has led her to mentee a college student from her alma mater with their Leadership OU program. She has also become a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Her advocacy for older adults caught the attention of her District Commissioner and she appointed Foote to serve on Oakland County’s Senior Advisory Council. Shenise served a two-year term (2019 & 2020) before stepping down to pursue other advocacy efforts. She’s a graduate of Leadership Oakland, a premier leadership program in metro Detroit. She is a recipient of National Philanthropy Day’s Distinguished Volunteer Award (2020) for her work with Horizons Upward Bound. She is also a recipient of AFP GDC President’s Award (2021) for her work with the IDEA committee. She is also a National Association of Charitable Gift Planners scholarship recipient through AADO.

Shenise finds great reward as a fundraiser. She finds the work meaningful and enjoyable. “I took a leap of faith by switching careers after 10 years, but it was the best decision I could have made. I help transform lives, make an impact, contribute my current strengths, and grow as a professional.”

Jesus Rangel
Leadership Track Chair

Jesus Rangel

Jesus Rangel has been part of the Oregon State University Foundation since 2018 and is the current Assistant Director of Development for Scholarships and University Initiatives, working closely with university leadership, to increase philanthropic support for student scholarships and programs. As a first-generation student he is an advocate for philanthropy in higher education in order to advance education worldwide and transform lives.

Jesus earned his B.A. from Texas State University and is actively pursuing his MBA in organizational leadership from Oregon State University. He is a longtime member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, participating in the CASE Internship program, part of the inaugural graduate trainee program and actively serves as a volunteer for the district 8 opportunity and inclusion committee. Jesus also serves on his alma maters alumni board as a director at large and is a faculty advisor for Sigma Chi Fraternity at Oregon State.

When Jesus isn’t further investing himself in the world of advancement, he enjoys working with students interested in attending college and talking with current students on the importance of networking. He also enjoys the occasional travel trips with friends.  

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    Learn about the common set of standards, guidelines, and definitions for reporting the results of educational philanthropy activities at schools, colleges, and universities across the globe.  

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    COE

    CASE’s annual Circle of Excellence Awards showcase outstanding work in advancement. Meet our exceptional award winners.

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