Advancement Advisors Group

Speakers will include: The Advancement Advisors Team: Maureen Mahoney Hill, CFRE, Summer Dean, CFRE, Deb Desjardins, CFRE and Pat Quinn Winter, CFRE, bios can be found here: https://advancementadvisorsgroup.com/about-us/. 

Sharing their case studies will be: 
Rachel Neiderberger, Deputy Director, Pittsburgh Glass Center, https://www.pittsburghglasscenter.org/staff/rachel-niederberger/
Michelle Cleary, Director of Major and Planned Gifts, The Woodlands, https://mywoodlands.org/about/staff/
Jabriya Hester, Development Manager, Literacy Pittsburgh, https://www.linkedin.com/in/jabriyahester/
Nikki Feagin, Grants and communication manager, The Citizen Science Lab
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-feagin-60779811/
Erin Pierce, Library Director, C.C. Mellor Memorial Library, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-pierce-551ba932/
Alex Neal, Trustee, C.C. Mellor Memorial Library, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderneal1/

Tori Anselene, Director of Development,Health Sciences Schools, West Virginia University Foundation 

Tori Anselene serves as Director of Development for the Health Sciences Schools at West Virginia University Foundation, bringing a strong background in higher education and healthcare philanthropy. Since entering higher-ed fundraising in 2021, she spent three years on the institutional giving team, serving alumni and donors across the entire WVU system, including academics, athletics, and healthcare affiliates. She now focuses her work within the Health Sciences Schools, supporting the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, and School of Public Health. Prior to joining higher education, Tori led statewide development initiatives, campaigns, and events for American Cancer Society in West Virginia.

Throughout her career, Tori has consistently met and exceeded annual fundraising goals while mentoring new development officers and supporting portfolio strategy and discovery efforts. She is passionate about collaborative leadership, donor engagement, and strengthening fundraising operations across teams. In 2026, she will present at the Big 12 Development Conference, sharing insights from her experience in advancement and development leadership.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-harper21/

Andrew Barnes, CFRE - Executive Director of Development, Schools & Units, WVU Foundation

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abarnes3/

Kristi Brown. Kristi Brown Coaching & Consulting. MBA, MS management and clinical leadership. Florida

Kristi Brown, MBA, MS, is an award‑winning healthcare operations leader, leadership coach, and facilitator with more than a decade of experience guiding diverse, mission‑driven teams through organizational change, quality improvement, and inclusive culture building. She currently serves in healthcare leadership while also running her consulting firm, Kristi Brown Coaching & Consulting, where she supports organizations through leadership development, strategic planning, data analysis, and systems and workflow design.

Kristi has coached more than 200 professionals — including two Allied Health Excellence Award recipients and a Latina deputy director who successfully led her division through a complex merger. Her own recognition as an award‑winning leader reflects her ability to build high‑performing teams, strengthen communication, and lead with emotional intelligence and equity at the center.
Her facilitation style blends psychological safety, reflective practice, and practical strategy, creating spaces where participants feel seen, supported, and empowered to lead authentically. Kristi has facilitated workshops, retreats, and leadership development sessions for groups ranging from 20 to 120 participants across healthcare, nonprofit, and public health settings. Her sessions are known for being interactive, energizing, and immediately actionable.

Dr. Jimyse L. Brown, Executive Director, Moonshot Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Jimyse L. Brown is the Executive Director of Moonshot Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she leads innovative initiatives focused on space exploration, workforce development, STEAM engagement, and community impact. She is the first African-American Executive Director of a space museum in Pennsylvania and the first African-American director globally of a museum focused on career readiness for the 21st-century space industry.

Dr. Brown also serves as the Principal Investigator for Moonshot Museum’s nearly $800,000 NASA-funded Cosmic Careers initiative, which expands access to STEM learning and workforce development opportunities for students and communities. Her professional background includes leadership in community engagement, youth development, education, partnership development, and program innovation.

As a presenter, Dr. Brown has spoken at conferences, community events, educational institutions, leadership programs, and industry-related engagements focused on workforce development, education, leadership, innovation, and community engagement.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimysebrown/

Jordan Chaney, Director, Development & Gift Planning, Founder of Surround Think, Creator of the Development Dojo 

Jordan Chaney is Director of Gift Planning & Development at Carnegie Mellon University, where their FY2026 performance reflects a working belief that the modern gift officer's hardest problem is not strategy or talent — it is composure under administrative load. Over 15 years in higher education advancement, Jordan has come to see the gap between what officers are trained to do and the conditions they are asked to do it in as the defining challenge of the profession.

Jordan is also the founder of Surround Think, a Pittsburgh-based enterprise AI platform incubated at Carnegie Mellon's Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship through the Project Olympus program. The platform functions as a flight simulator for human judgment, using adversarial voice simulation and multi-agent reasoning to train composure in relationship-driven professions. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-chaney-surroundthink/?skipRedirect=true

Laura Everhart, Director of Development, School of Computing and Information, 
University of Pittsburgh

Laura is an experienced development professional with a track record of raising over $28M, She specializes in high-impact individual giving. She leverages predictive analytics and AI-driven donor insights to deepen stewardship and identify untapped gift capacity, ensuring that every engagement is data-informed and donor-centric. Currently leading development for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information (SCI), Laura partners with the Dean to drive major gift strategy, annual funds, and planned giving. Laura has presented at the EDF conference twice now - June 2024 and June 2026. She has also presented internally at CMU and Pitt.

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-everhart-84b34816/ 

Mary Frances Dean, Esquire, Dean Nonprofit Consulting Services 

Mary Frances is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Her law practice focuses on estate planning, administration and charitable giving. In 2000, she served as Director of Gift Planning at The Pittsburgh Foundation and later as Senior Assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Gifts in Advancement at a local university responsible for securing major and planned gifts, developing the planned giving program, donor engagement and stewardship, marketing and special events. In 2017 she completed the Professional Coaching Program at Duquesne University School of Business and is a certified professional coach with an ACC designation from the International Coaching Federation. She is the principal of Dean Nonprofit Consulting Services and Dean Executive Coaching. She is active in the Allegheny County Bar Association and International Coaching Federation of Pittsburgh.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-frances-dean-60647a7a/

Taryn Deaton, Executive Principal, Thread Strategies, Washington DC

Taryn Deaton is an experienced development and communications professional who is passionate about helping organizations convert their mission from an idea into ongoing action. With more than 20 years of development and leadership experience across the non-profit and higher-education sectors, Taryn is skilled at supporting organizations as they articulate a vision and then build out a plan for its accomplishment. Taryn is a seasoned veteran when it comes to building the systems and processes necessary to ensure that a non-profit’s operations are equipped to advance the organization’s strategic goals. Her leadership style is anchored in collaboration, as she is also a consummate relationship and partnership builder.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/taryn-deaton/

Maranda Dykstra,
Managing Director of Integrated Fundraising and Engagement at Conservation International

Maranda is a Senior fundraising leader with 12+ years of experience driving integrated, multi-channel donor growth across annual, midlevel, and planned giving programs. She is passionate about building high-performing teams, shaping transformative donor experiences, and leveraging data-driven strategies to deliver sustainable revenue.

Building a career in the conservation space because the planet deserves a good fundraiser. Committed to advancing Conservation International's mission through innovative campaigns and donor engagement strategies that inspire giving and create lasting impact.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marandadykstra/

Gina Fisher, Sr. Major Gift Officer, UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation

Gina Fisher serves as a Sr. Major Gift Officer at UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation. In this role, Gina works with hospital partners, trustees, and various stakeholders to build relationships with the many donors that enable UPMC Children’s Hospital’s staff, patients, and families to thrive. Gina joined the Foundation’s Development team in October 2018, and spent six years as a Major Gift Officer focused on Corporate and Foundation donors. Prior to joining the Foundation, Gina held several development roles at Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, including Advancement Director for Carnegie Science Center. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginafisher412/

Andrea Glickman, JD, Senior Consultant, Procopia LLC

Andrea Glickman, JD, is a Senior Consultant at Procopia who has spent the past 20+ years in the nonprofit sector. With a commitment to community and capacity-building, Andrea has supported numerous nonprofit organizations of various sizes in developing fundraising roadmaps and strategies, conducting feasibility studies, and launching comprehensive fundraising campaigns. Before entering the consultant space, she spent time on both sides of the table, serving as Executive Director of a NCJW, Pittsburgh, as well as inaugural Executive Director of the Shear Family Foundation. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-glickman-8954ab6/

Tajana Graham, Senior Vice President at MissionWired
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tajanagraham/

Cecilia Hughes, Director of Gift Planning, Seton Hill University

Cecilia has served as the Director of Gift Planning at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA since October 2022. She has implemented a comprehensive gift planning marketing and stewardship program, manages the cultivation and solicitation of a portfolio of select prospects and is an integral part of the capital campaign. 

She started her career as a certified paralegal working in the field of estate planning and administration for over 10 years. For more than 20 years she has worked in higher education development and advancement, active in all areas including major and planned giving fundraising, gift planning and administration, stewardship, event planning, and planned giving marketing. She is also a coach certified at the ACC level through the International Coaching Federation and maintains an active coaching practice. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilia-hughes-26548327/

Cindy Leonard, CEO & Principal Consultant, Cindy Leonard Consulting LLC

Cindy Leonard has dedicated more than two decades to strengthening the nonprofit sector through strategic planning, technology leadership, and communications work. Before founding Cindy Leonard Consulting LLC, Cindy spent nearly 13 years at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University, leading the consulting and technology programs and becoming a trusted resource across the Pittsburgh region.

Cindy brings a rare combination of strategic thinking, technical expertise, and real-world nonprofit experience. Past roles include executive director, IT director, marketing leader, and board member – along with extensive work as a consultant, facilitator, and trainer. Cindy is known for helping nonprofit organizations cut through complexity and make practical, effective decisions.

A proud three-time graduate of Seton Hill University, Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master of Education in Instructional Design.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyleonard/

Tim Liebrecht, Associate Director of Development, WVU Foundation

Tim Liebrecht serves as Associate Director of Development for Health Sciences at the WVU Foundation, where he works with major donors, faculty leaders, physicians, and alumni to support strategic initiatives across WVU's Health Sciences.

Before joining the WVU Foundation, Tim served in development leadership roles with the Fairmont State Foundation and previously worked in community and business development through leadership positions with Main Street Fairmont and private-sector organizations.
Throughout his career, Tim has focused on relationship-driven development, strategic growth, community engagement, and building momentum within developing organizations and portfolios. His work combines practical major gift strategy with principles drawn from business development and organizational leadership.
This would be Tim’s first formal development conference presentation, though he has regularly lead discussions and presentations related to development strategy, prospect engagement, and organizational development within professional and community settings.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timliebrecht/

Gabi Lloyd, Director of Strategic Advancement, Goodwill of Southwestern PA

Gabi Lloyd has dedicated nearly 20 years to advancing the mission of Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, helping connect generous donors, community partners, and volunteers to significant investment opportunities in local communities. Her work is driven by her belief that when people take care of one another, communities become stronger, more inclusive, and full of possibility.

Gabi's connection to Goodwill is deeply personal. After graduating from a Goodwill program in 2007, Gabi stumbled into development, where she found her passion. Over the years, she embraced every opportunity to learn, grow, and serve, ultimately becoming Director of Strategic Advancement. Having experienced Goodwill's impact firsthand, she understands the difference that support, opportunity, and encouragement can make in someone's life.

For seven years, she led the planning of Goodwill's annual golf outing, a unique event once held simultaneously at two courses, while also directing the organization's signature awards ceremony and luncheon. Through thoughtful connection and storytelling, she helped transform Goodwill’s annual events and dozens of others into meaningful revenue-generating experiences that bring people together around a shared purpose.

Gabi is passionate about building authentic relationships and is committed to ethical fundraising practices; she has been a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) for more than a decade. She believes curiosity and openness are essential for growth and deeper connection, as evidenced by her favorite quote by Bill Nye the Science Guy, "Everyone you will ever meet knows something that you don't."

Outside of work, Gabi is the proud matriarch of a blended family of eight children and a granddaughter. She enjoys spending time with her family, caring for her pets and plants, and rewatching Schitt's Creek.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriella-lloyd-786685b5/

Rebecca L. Lucore, Founder and President, RLucore Consulting 

With nearly three decades of experience at the intersection of business and community, Rebecca Lucore helps organizations rethink how they engage, communicate, and partner for impact. Her corporate career spans strategic communications, CSR, philanthropy, talent management, and sustainability, including leadership roles in founding the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management and later the Covestro Center for Community Engagement which lead to decades of work advancing connections between the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Today, as founder of RLucore Consulting, she works with nonprofits and companies to strengthen storytelling, advance thought leadership, and build more strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships.

Facilitation
A seasoned spokesperson and speaker, Rebecca has represented organizations on national and global stages, including the Fast Company Innovation Festival, GreenBiz, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative America, UN Global Compact, and Education Nation. She has facilitated in-person and online courses at the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management and is an adjunct professor at Duquesne University’s Palumbo-Donahue School of Business. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-lucore-rlconsulting/

Jessica R. Mitchell, Principal, Jessica R. Mitchell Development Consultingserving Southwestern PA and the San Francisco Bay Area

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mitchell-736111b/

Matt Moon, Donor Relations Manager, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-moon-6491b239/

Alexander Neal, MPA, CFRE - Senior Director of Development and Marketing, Allies for Health + Wellbeing

Alexander Neal, MPA, CFRE is the Senior Director of Development and Marketing at Allies for Health + Wellbeing. Connecting donor intent to institutional priorities, Alex has previously held roles as the Director of Philanthropy at Winchester Thurston School and Planned Giving Officer at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC. 

Over the last 10 years, Alex has raised more than $25M for initiatives across the nonprofit sector. In the community, Alex currently serves as Chair of the Board of Contemporary Craft and as a Trustee of the C.C. Mellor Memorial Library. In addition to his Certified Fund Raising Executive credential, Alex holds a Master of Public Administration degree in Public and Nonprofit Management from the University of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Allegheny College.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderneal1/?skipRedirect=true

Jack Owen, Attorney, Sherrard, German & Kelly, PC

https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenjack/

Kelly Pare, MPA, CNP; Philanthropy Stewardship Coordinator at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank 

Kelly Pare is the Philanthropy Stewardship Coordinator at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, where she leads efforts to strengthen supporter relationships through thoughtful communications, events, and engagement strategies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, specializing in Public and Nonprofit Management. Kelly is passionate about advancing the field and focuses on low-touch, high-impact stewardship approaches that empower fundraising professionals
at all levels to build stronger, more meaningful donor relationships.

www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-pare

Luis Ramirez
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lcaramirez/

Meg Roberts, MSW, CFRE, Senior Director, Development, The ALS Association

Meg has spent over 25 years working with donors to realize their philanthropic goals. She currently serves as Senior Director of Development at the ALS Association, leading the major gifts team across the country. A specialist in individual giving, she has worked in a variety of major gifts, gift planning, and annual fund roles, including 15 years developing strategy and teams. Meg is a Past-President of the National Capital Gift Planning Council and is a Certified Fundraising Executive.

Her experience in planned giving marketing merges the best practices of direct response with in-depth knowledge of what motivates planned gift donors – skills she honed over 6 years as Vice President of Impact Communications, where she consulted on planned giving marketing strategy with more than a dozen organizations nationwide. In addition to her work at Impact Communications and the ALS Association, Meg has raised major and planned gifts at AARP Foundation and The George Washington University.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/meg-roberts-cfre/

Lauren Seiler, CFRE - Executive Director of Development, Schools & Units, WVU Foundation

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmseiler/

Hannah Sherer, Managing Director Procopia LLC

Hannah Sherer is Managing Director of Grantwriting and Fund Development at Procopia. She is a Pittsburgh native who has worked with the city's nonprofit community for over 15 years. With a strong background in grant writing, she holds the Grant Professional Certified (GPC) credential, an NCCA-accredited certification that validates expertise in the grants profession through education, experience, professional development, and examination. Prior to working as a consultant, Hannah held roles as the Grants Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, Program Director of a small afterschool program in Sharpsburg, and an AmeriCorps member. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-sherer-1ab38211/

Kathy Swayze, CFRE, President & Creative Director of Impact Communications, Washington DC 

Kathy has worked in the direct marketing and fundraising fields for more than 35 years. She has had outstanding success at helping organizations improve their fundraising results by telling their unique stories. She has advised on messaging and written copy for more than 300 organizations during Impact’s nearly 20 years in business. She is recognized for her leadership in bringing direct marketing best practices to the planned giving arena with outstanding results for clients, including the ACLU, Alzheimer’s Association, AARP Foundation, EMILY's List, No Kid Hungry, and many others. 

Kathy was honored as the Washington, DC region’s 2012 Outstanding Fundraising Professional at National Capital Philanthropy Day. She received the 2024 Industry All-Star Award from the Direct Marketing Association of Washington. 

A 1985 graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Kathy is a lifelong learner. Her passions include hiking, writing, reading, and WNBA basketball.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-swayze-cfre-a579024/

Hal Trejo, Grant Writer, Children’s Home of Pittsburgh

Hal Trejo (they, them, theirs), is a grant writer at The Children's Home of Pittsburgh. Hal is a graduate of New College of Florida, where they focused on anthropology and completed their senior thesis on the history of gender and sexuality diversity in Florida. They are committed to the liberation of all people who face oppression through mutual aid, activism, and arm-in-arm collaboration. They are an activist who has attended and organized numerous marches, vigils, and actions calling out Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-science fundamentalism, Nazism, fascism, farmworker rights abuses, infringement on native land, and imperialism. They hate melted cheese almost as much as push-ups, and in their free time, Hal enjoys reading YA and JF novels, traveling, and watching Star Trek.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hal-trejo-a62612110/

Greg Wilson  CAP, CFRE, MS in Nonprofit Management Director of Client Success, Planned Giving Marketing 

Greg Wilson, MS, CAP®, CFRE, is the Director of Client Success at Planned Giving Marketing and founder of Stick Figure Fundraising, LLC, a Pennsylvania-based fundraising consultancy serving small and mid-sized nonprofits across the mid-Atlantic region. With more than 25 years of frontline experience in capital campaigns, major gifts, and planned giving, Greg works with organizations to grow their planned giving and asset based giving fundraising, through donor friendly marketing, coaching and training, or direct fundraising support.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wilson-ms-cap%C2%AE-cfre-3108504/