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.

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.
 

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 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.

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 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.