Another study has confirmed Russell James’s finding that people are more motivated to make legacy gifts by stories that feature living donors. The online survey completed by 2,518 US adults, found that those who had read stories about living – as opposed to deceased – legators expressed an even greater interest in leaving a legacy….
Since 2006 the IRA Charitable Rollover has allowed generous, older Americans to donate millions of dollars from their Individual Retirement Accounts directly to America’s charities – and the populations they serve – during a time when traditional charitable contributions were on the decline or remained flat. The IRA Rollover has generated an enormous amount of…
Russell Norman Howes, age 66, of Wisconsin, died on August 31, 2016. Russ was preceded in death by his parents and brother Robert. He is survived by his wife, Sue Howes, his brother, Randy (Colleen) Howes, sisters-in-law Janet Howes and Marilyn Kelley, nephews Dustin, Brandon (Erin), Jason (Shannon), Cory (Anna), grand-niece Madeline and grand-nephew Henry.
It seems like a year since I wrote my last blog about “What We’ve Learned from Our Members”, but in reality it’s only been a few months. I guess it’s because from then until now, our rebrand has progressed at a rapid speed.
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Member Success Specialist
Melissa Burlock joined CGP in February 2025 as the Member Success Specialist. Melissa is responsible for the strengthening and expanding of the membership experience. She supports CGP’s individual members and affiliated councils through building opportunities for connection, collaboration, and peer learning, as well as by developing resources and offerings to address members’ unique needs and organizational objectives. She creates and facilitates opportunities for proactive member engagement and ensures that council leaders are aware of CGP services, benefits, and annual requirements.
Melissa is a nonprofit research writer and author. She comes to CGP from previous roles in advancement and donor stewardship, first at a private university and then at an encyclopedic art museum. With a background in public history and publishing, her career experiences have included copyediting and trade editorial assistant roles.
Julie Captain’s 28-year career in healthcare philanthropy started as a gap-year job that grew into a passion for strategically matchmaking generous individuals with the needs of the organization she serves. As Associate Vice President of Advancement at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Julie leads the day-to day operations of a small, high-performing team focused on fundraising for the hospital’s annual needs, including its research, charity care and Quality of Life programs, as well as the organization’s $100 million “Accelerate Ability” campaign.
Prior to her time at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, she invested nearly 19 years at Northwestern Medicine in a variety of roles, including Director of Planned Giving at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Director of Development and Planned Giving at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, where she co-led their $150 million Our Legacy. Our Future. campaign. She also previously spent time at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (then the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) in the early years of the organization’s “Advance Human Ability” campaign. Julie also served as Senior Regional Development Director for Conservation International, a nonprofit that creates healthy, sustainable communities around the world. She rejoined Shirley Ryan Ability Lab’s Advancement team in 2018.
Julie’s professional forte is in creative gift planning and has been heavily involved with the Chicago Council on Planned Giving. She joined the Board of Directors in 2007 and has participated on numerous committees, including serving as President from 2011–2013. During her tenure, she is most proud of starting the CCPG Scholars Program with her board colleagues, in the hopes that CCPG can enrich the lives and careers of others like it did for her. In 2023, she received the organization’s prestigious Russell V. Kohr Award in recognition of her professional accomplishments and mentorship to others.
Since leaving a leadership role with CCPG, she has participated in both CCPG and AFP Chicago’s respective mentorship programs.
Also active in her community, Julie was on the Evanston Community Foundation Board of Directors from 2010–2013 and completed Leadership Evanston in 2011. She currently serves as Moderator of First Congregational Church of Evanston UCC and plays an active role in its justice/advocacy board.
Julie is also philanthropically passionate about her local public radio station, WBEZ, The Trevor Project and Lambda Legal. She and her children live in Chicago, IL
Matthew Clark, J.D. AEP® is the Executive Director of Planned Giving at the West Virginia University Foundation (WVUF), where he oversees all aspects of estate and gift planning for the WVU system. He has 20 years of experience in the field and has secured over $162 million in planned gifts across the university.
Before joining WVUF in 2016, Matthew was a vice president at PNC Institutional Investments, where he administered perpetual charitable trusts and advised institutions on planned giving strategies. He is a board member and President of the Pittsburgh Planned Giving Council, and an active member of two other estate planning councils in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Matthew holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, and a BBA in Economics from Mississippi State University. He is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and an Accredited Estate Planner®.
Matthew enjoys traveling with his family, curling with the Pittsburgh Curling Club, and volunteering in his community. He can be reached at mclark@wvuf.org or 304-284-4033. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkbhm/.
Liana Garcia has been the Director of Gift Planning at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven for more than four years. Previous to that she was a Senior Philanthropic Officer for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. She is a bilingual/bicultural (First generation Cuban American) management professional with more than thirty-five years of organizational growth, professional staff management and hands-on program development experience. She has been recognized in the non-profit and dietetic industries for her work and presentations involving the issue of diversity in the workplace. Liana received her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Dietetics from The University of Connecticut. In addition to her M.S. in Health Care Management from New York Medical College, she has a PMP (Project Management Professional certification) through the Project Management Institute and is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) from the American College.
Liana attributes her success in part to her focus on listening. She finds it, “important to listen to donors first and foremost and then be authentic in my efforts to be a knowledgeable resource for their philanthropic planning.”
Lynn M. Gaumer, J.D., is the senior gift planning consultant for The Stelter Company and past chair of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Leadership Institute. Lynn has over twenty-five years of experience helping individuals with their estate and charitable planning. She has been with Stelter for over twelve years, assisting clients with technical questions related to planned giving and ensuring the content Stelter creates for our nonprofit partners’ marketing communications is legally accurate. Lynn presents a handful of complimentary technical and donor facing webinars each year for Stelter and is a frequent speaker on a variety of planned giving topics for nonprofits nationwide. She is the author of Stelter’s Experts Insights—a client publication that highlights trends and research in planned giving and two articles in Planned Giving Today.
Scott Hartman offers over 20 years of nonprofit, development, and planned giving experience. A native of Latrobe, PA, Scott joined The Catholic Foundation (TCF) in 2002 as the Director of Donor Administration. For the next 11 years, he grew and developed along with the impact of the Foundation. He played an intricate role in moving the Foundation to its current location at the historic landmark of the original Wendy’s restaurant. In 2013, Scott left his position as Senior Vice President to work at St. Francis DeSales High School where he led the Advancement function and oversaw the first stage of a multi-year modernization project. Under Scott’s guidance, the front of the school was remodeled, a new service road and parking area were installed, and land was acquired for future expansion. In 2017, Scott returned to TCF where he currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. Under his guidance, TCF has grown to more than $260M in assets and is ranked the third-largest Catholic Foundation in the country. Scott’s leadership and unique approach to promoting Donor Advised Funds has led to a 50% growth of new funds created in the last five years.
Scott earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ohio Dominican University and his Master of Business Administration from Ashland University. As a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Scott specializes in planned giving and charitable gift planning.
In addition to his professional achievements, Scott demonstrates an unwavering commitment to community service and philanthropy. He has generously volunteered his time and expertise in diverse capacities, including coaching basketball for middle schoolers and mentoring soccer teams at the high school level. Scott’s leadership extends beyond the sports arena; he has served as the president of his local school advisory board, leveraging his strategic acumen to advance initiatives.
Furthermore, Scott has actively organized impactful fundraising events, such as 5K races benefiting local nonprofits, and has participated in renowned charitable endeavors like Pelotonia, a cycling event dedicated to funding cancer research, and various JDRF bike rides aimed at supporting type 1 diabetes research.
Scott currently serves as the Chair of the Board of The Catholic Museum of Art and History in Columbus, where his visionary leadership continues to enrich the cultural landscape of the community.
Scott is the proud husband to his wife of 22 years, Laura, and a proud father of their three children, Jackson, Lily, and William.
Tiffany House is a tax, estate, and charitable strategist. She works as a consultant and operates two companies. Tax & Estate Strategy works with clients and their families to help guide them and their advisors through intricate situations, including transitioning a business, planning philanthropy, values-based estate planning, and tax concerns. The Gift Planning Institute works with nonprofit organizations to enhance their donor interactions and gift planning programs.
Tiffany is a national speaker, and a very active member of the community. She is the Past President of Planned Giving Round Table of Arizona (PGRTAZ), Board President of Check for a Lump! and has enjoyed many other board service roles. She is an active member Rotary Club of Scottsdale and the Arizona State University (ASU) President’s Club. She has participated in the Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) and is actively engaged in personal development with Landmark. She mentors with the Arizona Community Foundation’s Endowment Building Initiative (AEBI) and is a graduate of Scottsdale Leadership Class 31.
Tiffany studied Environmental Science at the University of Arizona where she accepted a NASA Grant Internship working on documentation of Global Climate Change. After college, she owned and operated Koocanusa Resort & Marina in Libby, Montana. Then she joined the family business of wealth planning, MasterTech Financial, where she worked with ultra-high net worth clients and helped them with their complicated business, financial, and estate planning needs. She left financial advisory after 20 years to be a
fiduciary consultant and founded the Gift Planning Institute, helping nonprofits with complicated asset gifts, and Tax & Estate Strategy, where she works with families with complex circumstances.
Tiffany enjoys living on her urban farm with her daughters and husband. Training horses is her passion. She is dedicated to the classical pursuits of dressage with her main focus on Spanish Riding. Tiffany enjoys sharing her life with a wide variety of animals such as ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, bunnies, reptiles and horses in Scottsdale AZ.
Her designations include Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, CAP®, Certified Exit Planning Advisor, CEPA, Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning, FCEP.
Andrea Jenkins is the Associate Director of Gift Planning at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently, Andrea was appointed as the Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor at Winston-Salem State University in May of 2023 where she served until June of 2024. Prior to this role, she served as the Director and Senior Director of Development for Major and Planned Gifts at Winston-Salem State University. Over the past decade, Andrea focused on gift planning where she established a thriving legacy society program, inducting over 200 new members to the Heritage Society since 2015.
During Andrea’s tenure at Winston-Salem State University, she provided leadership over several programs including the Annual Fund, Major and Planned Giving, Donor Relations and Advancement Services. She has experience benchmarking gifts of insurance, increasing blended gifts, and closing gifts of real estate and tangible personal property.
In 2017, Andrea was instrumental in WSSU becoming a NC Gift Planning LLC partner with the UNC System. From 2017-2020, Andrea closed 5 charitable gifts of real estate in Edenton, NC. The donors were featured in the 2023 UNC Investment fund annual report. In 2020, she established the Gift of Property committee to provide oversight for potential gifts of real estate and tangible personal property. In her current role at UNC Chapel Hill, Andrea booked her largest deferred gift commitment, single gift of $10 million dollars for Covenant scholarships. Prior to this role, Andrea served as a Major Gifts Officer for Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
In 2023, Andrea earned the designation of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, CAP®, a Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from High Point University 2009 and a Bachelor of Arts from The University of North Carolina Greensboro 2004.
Andrea is a former President of the North Carolina Council of Charitable Gift Planners and member since 2015. She’s served as a two-time chair of the Major and Planned Gifts Committee for the UNC System’s Advancement Symposium. Currently, she serves as co-chair for the University’s Development Inclusion Committee at Carolina. For the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, she has served on the Nominating Committee. Currently, she serves on the 2025 CGP DEI committee.
Tamisha Keith, J.D., CAP® is an experienced development professional with over ten years of experience in program management, fundraising, community engagement, and strategic planning in the non-profit sector. As the Associate Director of Gift Planning, she works closely with alumni and friends of Duke University to explore planned giving in creative and tax efficient ways to support Duke. Prior to working for Duke University, Tamisha served as the Director of Gift Planning at North Carolina A&T State University where she was responsible for building and managing a comprehensive planned giving program for long-term revenue growth, raising over $2 million for the University in major and planned gifts in less than a year. Tamisha is also responsible for developing a robust stewardship plan for legacy donors while educating Major Gift Officers on planned giving vehicles to increase their donor engagement and dollars raised. Prior to working for North Carolina A&T State University, she served as the Donor Relations Officer for The Winston-Salem Foundation, a community foundation with more than $600 million dollars in assets. Tamisha managed a portfolio of 1250 Foundation donors for cultivation and stewardship and maintained knowledge of trends and legislation that impacted philanthropy.
In February 2019, Tamisha wrote “Planned Giving in the African American Community,” which was published in the INS Group Playbook and later published in Planned Giving Today in May of 2023. Tamisha specializes in gift planning, strategic planning, and nonprofit management for developing nonprofit organizations, including higher education. She has a focus on helping nonprofits with effective marketing strategies, stewardship plans, and donor relations. Tamisha is involved with various professional associations and serves as Past President of the Board of Directors for The North Carolina Council of Charitable Gift Planners and on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. She also serves on various committees such as The Winston-Salem Transit Authority Trans-Aid Appeals Committee and the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Professional Advisory Committee. Tamisha previously served on the boards of HandsOn Northwest North Carolina and The Enrichment Center Board of Directors.
Tamisha earned her law degree from Indiana University School of Law, and she is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where she majored in Political Science. She also has received the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation.
Robert King joined the Children’s Minnesota Foundation on August 28th, 2023.
Before entering a career in philanthropy, Robert was a senior trust officer for two financial institutions, leading trust and estate administration efforts and overseeing investment and personal financial planning programs. He began his non-profit career as a charitable gift planner for a nationally-recognized liberal arts college in the Midwest before serving as the lead charitable gift planner and senior director of development for the University of Houston during its successful $1 billion capital campaign. More recently, Robert served as the national director of gift planning for a top-rated humanitarian and poverty relief organization and as the lead fundraiser for the department of internal medicine at the University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine. Robert brings 30 years of legal and financial planning experience to his work in helping donors create meaningful impact through their charitable giving.
He is a member of the Leadership Institute of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (NACGP) and began his three-year term as a director of CGP in January 2024.
Chris McGurn is currently a Senior Vice President with PNC’s Institutional Investment Group in Baltimore, Maryland. He is responsible for the management and marketing of PNC’s Planned Giving Services Department. In addition, he also serves as the primary relationship officer for local and national planned giving programs.
McGurn currently serves on the board of the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council (CPGC) where he holds the office of Treasurer. From 2006 to 2012 he served as a board member for the National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) in DC, also serving as Treasurer. Prior to his service to NCGPC, he served on the CPGC board where he held the office of Program Chairman, Treasurer and President (2001).
Prior to rejoining Mercantile Bank & Trust in 2003, (Mercantile Planned Giving Services from 1992 to 2000), he served as the Director of Gift Planning at Catholic Charities of Baltimore for three years. While at Catholic Charities, McGurn was responsible for securing a significant number of gift annuities and memberships in the planned gift recognition society.
Since 2004 McGurn has presented to organizations such as ACGA, the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council, the Delmarva Planned Giving Council, the National Capital Gift Planning Council AHP Mid-Atlantic regional conference and the Emerging Philanthropy Conference. Presentation titles included; ‘Blueprint for a successful Gift Annuity program’; ‘How to set up a Gift Annuity program-A recipe for success’; ‘CGA’s-Balancing risk and reward’; ‘A look at Trusteeship issues in planned giving’.
McGurn holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Management, Finance and Marketing from Towson University.
With a deep appreciation of the American charitable giving landscape, JiHae Munro has honed her skills since 2007 at leading, complex healthcare, higher education, and advocacy institutions. As Senior Director of Gift Planning, Principal Gifts at the University of Southern California, she engages and assists alumni, faculty and other partners with making a meaningful impact and helps colleagues with preparing for confident, nuanced donor conversations involving gift planning. In addition to working with supporters in California, she is responsible for helping drive philanthropic and gift planning activity on the East Coast. Prior to this, JiHae managed the comprehensive gift planning program at Barnard College as its first-ever Senior Director, Planned Giving and assisted donors and advised regional development teams of Planned Parenthood Federation of America as Regional Director of Gift Planning. JiHae has a breadth of development knowledge, including principal giving, planned and blended giving strategies, campaign management, volunteer development, marketing, stewardship and planned gift administration.
From 2021-2025, JiHae served on the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York’s executive committee. As 2023-2025 DEIB Chair, she strengthened board culture, strategic planning and leadership development practices and as conference co-chair, spearheaded the planning of Planned Giving Day NY in 2023 and 2024. JiHae earned her MBA with a specialization in human resources management and leadership development from Temple University and her BA in political science from Amherst College. A Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy and Certified Fundraising Executive, she has completed the Plus Delta Discipline of Frontline Fundraising Program (DFF). JiHae is a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and Georgia Planned Giving Council and is committed to ongoing learning and leadership in the field.
Linden “Lindy” Nash serves as Partner in the Bequest Management practice of the firm. Her practice focuses on representing national charities and non-profit organizations in fulfilling the wishes of their charitable donors while maximizing gifts and minimizing any administrative burden. She supervises a skilled team of attorneys and paralegals who advocate for nonprofit institutions as beneficiaries of matured bequests.
Through her work with the CCK Bequest Management team, Lindy is adept at handling emerging and ongoing disputes between competing heirs or other beneficiaries. She ensures that each bequest distribution is handled efficiently while fulfilling the charities duty of good stewardship and accelerating bequest revenue.
Michael Pohlmann is the Founder and Principal of Discerning Path, a consultancy dedicated to partnering with donors and nonprofits to create philanthropic strategies that align with their core values and missions. Drawing on his extensive experience in gift planning and fundraising, he facilitates meaningful conversations and contributions that drive change and foster a legacy of generosity. With over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Michael has led programs raising over $275 million in current and planned gifts for prominent organizations such as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Environmental Defense Fund.
Michael’s career includes senior roles at IBM, E*TRADE, and multiple technology startups, where he developed management, sales, and strategic planning expertise. His transition to the nonprofit world was driven by a passion for making a meaningful impact. Michael is a graduate of New York University and a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP).
He and his wife reside in Bellevue, WA, and enjoy hiking with their four-month-old Mini Australian Shepherd, Max.
Akadius Berry is the Chief Marketing Officer at TIAA Kaspick, where he leads the marketing, analytics, and client communications teams. He joined the organization in 2023 after serving as Head of Global Demand Marketing at General Electric Digital. Over his career, Akadius has held key marketing roles at prominent companies, including Charter Communications, Corning Inc., Time Warner Cable, Toshiba, IBM, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and FedEx. He earned his MBA from Tennessee State University and a BBA from Howard University. Beyond his professional achievements, Akadius has been deeply involved in community service, serving as board chair and trustee for various nonprofits and organizations. Notably, he was a commissioner for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission and is currently a member of the 2025 CGP Conference Committee.
Sharon has spent most of her career in the Planned Giving field and is passionate about building meaningful donor relationships and championing Planned Giving within larger development operations. She is the Senior Director of Planned Giving at International Rescue Committee, overseeing the growth of donor advised funds revenue, planned giving donor marketing and stewardship, professional advisor engagement and estate administration.
Sharon began her development work in higher education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Western Maryland College. She spent many years at the American Heart Association where she led principal, planned and major gifts efforts for NYC and Eastern US and was responsible for raising revenue for the organization’s first social impact fund. While leader of Charitable Estate Planning in the Tri-State area, Sharon facilitated new national marketing approaches including one of the largest professional advisor conferences in the country and was a leader of the AHA’s National Planned Giving Marketing Committee.
Sharon currently serves on the Board of the Philanthropic Planning Group of New York and previously served on the Board of the Charitable Gift Planners of CT.
Director of Membership and Marketing
Jessica Hall joined CGP in October 2022 as the new Director of Membership and Marketing. Jessica is responsible for the strategic management, marketing, and implementation of membership recruitment, programs, and services. She serves as liaison to council leaders to provide technical and governance support, articulate policy, resolve problems and build relationships to maintain existing councils and recruit the formation of new councils. She develops national marketing strategies that promote brand recognition across print and web platforms.
Jessica Hall comes to CGP from her previous role as Director, Global Marketing at World Bicycle Relief. Other careers experiences include marketing and digital engagement for Indiana University School of Medicine, program management at Salesforce, digital marketing for United Way of Central Indiana, and community marketing for Dick’s Sporting Goods.
President & CEO
As president and CEO of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, Michael strives to create an environment where CGP’s 8,000 members can come together to educate, learn, network and advocate for the distinguished profession of charitable gift planning. Working closely with the CGP board, Michael helps develop and champion the organization’s strategic vision, ensuring that CGP’s budget, staff and priorities are aligned with its mission to serve charitable gift planners and bring to life the art and science of charitable gift planning. It’s Michael’s job to navigate change, foster innovation and bring people together to build a healthy and successful organization.
Before joining CGP, Michael served as the executive director of the Percussive Arts Society. For 11 years, he led this international music service organization that serves 7,500+ members, 50 U.S. chapters and 28 international chapters. Among many successful initiatives, he led the organization through development of a new facility for the Rhythm! Discovery Center, a museum and educational space that USA Today named one of the top places in the United States for hands-on music making.
Michael holds B.M. and M.M. degrees from Arizona State University and began his professional life as a musician before transitioning into arts and nonprofit administration. He has worked with St. Martin’s Hospitality Center for the homeless, Celebrate Youth and the New Mexico Jazz Workshop.
Michael currently serves as vice-president for the Charitable IRA Initiative, is a member of the board of directors for the Percussive Arts Society and serves on the steering committee for Music Crossroads, a strategic initiative focused on advancing quality of life in Indianapolis through the performing arts.
Meetings Manager
Mary Kate Myers brings over 30 years of meeting and event management experience to her role overseeing CGP’s in-person events. From CGP Conference to annual board meetings, Mary Kate’s strategic planning and logistics expertise ensures the successful execution of CGP’s educational and networking initiatives. Her meticulous attention to detail creates valuable networking and engagement opportunities for the CGP community.
Mary Kate holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, volunteering in the community and spending time with her family.
Director of Programs
Elisabeth Rhodes joined CGP in 2025 as the new Director of Programs. Elisabeth brings over ten years of experience in design, evaluation, and program management. She specializes in supporting mission-driven organizations to develop program operations and build impact. Elisabeth has worked across disciplines, including child welfare, conservation, and K-12 education.
Elisabeth holds a BA in Biology and Sociology from DePauw University and a MS Biology from North Dakota State University. Her training in interdisciplinary research has led to a career in building research and evaluation programs across state agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Content & Communications Manager
As Content and Communications Manager at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, Andrea Skirvin crafts enagaging digital media to connect and inform the philanthropic community. Joining the CGP Team in 2023, Andrea orchestrates digital campaigns, blog posts and other communications to foster meaningful dialogue among charitable gift planning professionals.
Bringing valuable expertise from her previous experience at ACES: The Society for Editing, Andrea is passionate about creating opportunities for gift planning professionals to network, engage with relevant content and participate in meaningful conversations. She holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Communication and Spanish from Marian University.
Andrea is based in Indianapolis with her fiancé, Brody, and two cats. When she’s not dreaming up a new marketing campaign, you’ll find her with a paintbrush in hand, emersed in a good book or experimenting in the kitchen.
Administrative Support Specialist
Donna Ward is the Administrative Support Specialist for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. In this role, Donna assists management in daily operations of CGP and provides additional support to the president and other staff. She also gives general membership support by email and telephone to our members. Donna assists in the development of reports, tracking effort and progress of special projects, managing fundraising records, assisting in the development of office guidelines and procedures. She serves as a liaison with the Board of Directors, Leadership Institute, Committees and Task Forces.
Donna joined CGP in January of 2017 with an experienced background in administration. She has previously served as an executive assistant/office manager at Harrison College, where she assisted the Regional Vice President of Nursing. Donna performed accounts payables and general administrative duties while also assisting students in understanding course requirements.
Donna is excited to bring her office management and administration expertise to help the CGP national office in it’s continued work in charitable gift planning.
Membership Data Manager
With 14 years of tenure at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, Carey has mastered the art of providing a helping hand to CGP members and potential members across the United States. Carey also assists CGP’s affiliated local councils with frontline services and reporting. It’s her job to ensure positive member experiences.
Members appreciate Carey’s quick responses to questions and concerns, and her focus on building strong relationships. She plays an important role in developing and implementing membership policies and procedures, and assists with preparing for important member events, including board and leadership meetings and the annual CGP Conference.
Carey, who received a B.A. in English at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana, says she’s proud to have spent most of her career serving the CGP membership.
Chair
Nicola Lawrence has dedicated her career to non-profit leadership, amassing over 25 years of experience serving organizations across four continents. Her work spans a range of philanthropic efforts, from billion-dollar campaigns to daily fundraising for large healthcare institutions and grassroots social impact startups.
Nicola holds undergraduate degrees in Business and Finance from Wigan and Leigh College and International Non-Profit Management from the University of Leicester. She also earned a postgraduate diploma in Missional Leadership from York St. John University, an MSc in Non-Profit Leadership and Innovation, and an MSc in Financial Planning from the American College of Financial Services. Additionally, she holds CFRE, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, and Accredited Estate Planner credentials.
Nicola specializes in revitalizing underperforming development shops and unlocking revenue through integrated gift planning. Beyond gift planning, she has led several non-profits in operations and senior leadership. By designing effective policies and guiding organizations through risk mitigation, adherence to legislation, and strategic planning, she helps them achieve their missions. Her commitment to ethical practices and impactful philanthropy has earned respect throughout the sector.
In addition to her role on the board of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, she serves as VP of Arizona Charitable Gift Planners. This year, she chairs the National Standards and Metrics Committee and teaches at the AHP Madison Institute. As a conference speaker, Nicola shares insights nationwide, promoting integrated approaches to charitable gift planning. She is also proud to have served as a foster and adoptive parent.
Chair-elect
Stacy B. Sulman, J.D., is the Chief Legal Officer and Managing Director, Planned Giving for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, where she has worked for more than 15 years. In that capacity, Stacy oversees planned giving and estate settlements, gift compliance and structuring, and general legal affairs. Stacy previously served as Associate Director and General Counsel for the Jewish Community Foundation of MetroWest, New Jersey.
Stacy teaches Planned Giving at New York University’s George H. Heyman, Jr., Program for Philanthropy and Fundraising. Stacy has also taught at the University of Arizona College of Law. Stacy is a Past President of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York and has also served on the boards of Goucher College Hillel and Daughters of Israel, a skilled nursing facility in New Jersey.
Stacy received her JD from the University of Arizona College of Law, and her bachelor’s degree from Bryn Mawr College. She also spent a graduate year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as a Raoul Wallenberg Scholar.
Treasurer
Through smart and strategic gift and estate planning, Simon works with donors (and their advisors) to help them explore and make outright, blended and deferred gifts in support of their personal values and financial goals and the charitable causes they care about.
As a member of the Conservancy’s Gift Planning team, Simon provides support in structuring lifetime, blended and deferred gift arrangements for conservation-minded individuals and families, including: gifts of non-cash and complex assets (stock, real estate, personal property, business interests, retirement plans, life insurance); gifts that pay fixed or variable income to one or more beneficiaries (annuities, remainder trusts); gifts that preserve wealth for future generations (lead trusts); and gifts that generate significant tax advantages (retained life estates, donor advised funds).
Simon is in his 17th year working at The Nature Conservancy and is in his fifth year in his current role. Previously, Simon directed a Conservancy-wide program that helped to engage hundreds of trustees to participate in
Gift Planning opportunities during the organization’s $8 Billion Our World campaign. Prior to that, he led fundraising efforts for the Conservancy’s Nevada Chapter. He has also held positions managing and developing the Conservancy’s marketing and communications for Gift Planning, and for three years also worked as a consultant for a number of national non-profits.
Simon graduated with a B.A. in American Studies from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom. He is based in Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his wife, Danielle, daughter, Stella, and cat, Anderson. Simon is the immediate Past President of the Planned Giving Round Table of Northern Nevada— a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to advancing and promoting charitable gift planning. In his spare time, Simon enjoys hiking, paddle-boarding, photography, snorkeling and diving, and travel in general.
Secretary
Tiffanie Purvis joined the Greater Washington Community Foundation in January 2023 as its General Counsel and Senior Philanthropic Advisor. In this role, she handles general legal matters for The Community Foundation and works with professional advisors and donors to craft and achieve philanthropic solutions and strategies. She educates professionals on charitable giving with a specialization in gift-planning strategies. She manages The Community Foundation’s Legacy Giving and Nonprofit Endowment Programs. She oversees The Community Foundation’s Professional Advisors Council and Estate Planning Journal Club.
Before joining The Community Foundation, Tiffanie held positions as Planned Giving Officer for the Southern Poverty Law Center, Assistant Director of Gift Planning, and Director of Gift Planning at the University of Maryland, College Park. As a front-line fundraiser with several years of experience, Tiffanie has raised millions for her perspective organizations by leveraging blended gift strategies and working collaboratively with advisors and donors.
In 2017, Tiffanie won the inaugural Rising Star Award in charitable gift planning from the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, where she is also a member and serves on the Government Relations Committee. She is a National Capital Gift Planning Council (NCGPC) member serving the Greater Washington, D.C. region. She serves on the NCGPC Board as Ethics Committee Chair and program committee member.
Prior to her career in fundraising, Tiffanie was a solo practitioner in the field of Estate Planning and Landlord-Tenant law in Georgia. She is licensed in Georgia and Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University and her Law Degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, where she graduated with honors from both institutions. In May 2023, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Maryland College Park with a Master’s Degree in Public Management with a specialization in Nonprofit Management and Leadership.
Tiffanie is a Maryland resident and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She enjoys traveling to new and interesting places with her family and friends in her free time. Let her know if you know of a new adventure she should experience.
Conference Chair
Meredith Camp is a philanthropic services senior regional trust manager and senior vice president with Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management. She leads a team of experienced philanthropic advisors in the Central and Western Divisions in helping to grow and retain philanthropic business, while focusing on business economics and risk reduction.
Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services helps charitable individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations work toward their unique goals by providing specialized advisory services. Services to clients may include gift and tax planning, multi-generational planning, estate planning, and the creation and management of donor advised funds, private foundations, charitable trusts, and other charitable planning strategies. She also works extensively with nonprofit organizations, where she advises in the areas of gift planning, endowment management, and board governance.
Meredith has extensive experience in financial services, having held various relationship management and business development roles over her more than two-decade career with boutique investment advisory firms. She previously served as a senior philanthropic specialist in the Texas/Oklahoma/Arkansas market for six years. She also has experience working in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Ms. Camp worked at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, where she was the Director of Legacy & Leadership Gifts.
Meredith earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and International Business from Baylor University. She holds the Certified Financial Planner™ designation and has been awarded the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation. She is a past President and Board member of the Dallas Council of Charitable Gift Planners. She is active in multi-generational philanthropy training through 21/64 and has recently been awarded the Investment Foundations certificate by the CFA Institute.
Meredith is also active in her community. She serves on the Board of Directors of Interfaith Family Services where she is a past Executive Board member and Governance Chair. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of TACA (The Arts Council Alliance) in Dallas where she is a past Executive Committee member and past Development Chair. Meredith enjoys spending time with her family and enjoys traveling, the performing arts and attending live sporting events.
Conference Chair-elect
Hannah Yaritz’s professional fundraising experience spans from working with individual donors to extensive capital campaigns across all sectors. From campaign planning and management, to implementing feasibility and planning studies, Hannah has a broad range of experience with CCS. Her feasibility study engagements include extensive strategic conversations, peer benchmarking, prospect qualification and campaign approaches. Hannah has directed campaigns, with goals upwards of $100 million, through strategic planning and execution with an emphasis on board development, major and planned gifts, and building sustainable cultures of philanthropy.
Hannah is a key leader within the firm’s gift planning work, advising on client gift planning strategy, providing training opportunities, and elevating mission-based giving through current and deferred gifts. Serving on the executive board of the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable, Hannah shares her knowledge of gift planning across the Mountain West and with other gift planning associations in the United States.
Hannah’s passion for philanthropy stems from her Alma Mater, Marquette University. She believes it is her duty to be a woman for others and to serve the greater community. Originally from Minnesota, Hannah resides in Denver, Colorado where she spends time outside of work creating a wildflower garden at her home, taking her pup on hikes, and sipping tea on her patio with her cat.
During a 25-year career in New York and Michigan as a technology professional and executive focused on large systems implementation services for customers around the world, as well as building a project management practice, George also nurtured his passion for giving back to the community. Encouragement to engage beyond the workplace with organizations focused on disadvantaged communities, civic engagement, animal welfare, rights of and support for diverse populations, and children’s health, Westerman realized his passion for making the world better and longed for an opportunity to engage more deeply.
Following his first profession, George was encouraged by professional colleagues and nonprofit leaders to consider a second career in the nonprofit sector. George built on his volunteer service that included successfully leading a capital and endowment campaign for a community-based organization. He built his knowledge by attaining the Certification of Fund Raising Management offered by the Fund Raising School of the Lilly Family Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, his alma mater, and secured a position with the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation (now The Children’s Foundation) in 2014 as a development professional.
Working in the major gifts and planned giving area, George built a planned giving program nearly from scratch and leveraged the expertise and mentoring from new colleagues in the Planned Giving Roundtable for Southeast Michigan as well as expert professionals in the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (previously Partnership for Philanthropic Planning).
Westerman continues to be inspired by those who have built the profession he now enjoys and sees a day when he will serve donors not solely by proposing structures for impactful gifts, but helping them learn creative ways to achieve their philanthropic goals and build a legacy that goes beyond the nonprofit causes they care about, but also is woven into their family DNA.
