Data Science Now Panel

Barron Cato is Associate Director of Advancement Data Science at the University of Washington. His 20+ years in non-profit development work has focused on fundraising, prospect research, and analytics. Barron has served on the Northwest Development Officers Association Board (NDOA), the Apra Data Analytics Symposium Committee and as chair of the Apra Awards Committee. He currently serves on the Apra International Board and is board liaison to Apra's Data Science Committee. Barron has presented on prospect research and analytics at NDOA, UW fundraising certificate courses, Apra-NW, Apra Data Analytics Symposium, Apra OverDrive, and contributed to Apra Connections. Barron received the Apra Margret Furhy Award in 2014. 

Cara Giacomini is the new Chief Research & Data Officer for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. In this role, she leads CASE’s AMAtlas initiative—a primary resource and service provider for data, benchmarking, analytics and original research to the educational advancement community worldwide, launched by CASE in 2018. Before starting at CASE this August, Cara spent 20 years at the University of Washington, most recently as the Director of Advancement Analytics. In University Advancement, she was instrumental in building a strong data culture where she improved donor outcomes at all levels and pioneered efforts to build infrastructure and expertise in digital analytics. She received her PhD in English and Textual Studies from the University of Washington in 2003.

Lawrence Carroll Henze is the Analytics Architect, Senior Principal Consultant for Blackbaud Target Analytics. During his career at Blackbaud, he has worked with nonprofits, colleges, and universities in both consultative sales and consulting roles to encourage and facilitate the use of predictive analytics and related tools to promote fundraising success. 

Before joining Blackbaud, Lawrence founded Core Data Services, a groundbreaking analytics approach to fundraising, in 1998. (Blackbaud purchased Core Data in 2001, creating Blackbaud Analytics). Lawrence’s experience as a development officer at Carroll University (WI), the University of Wisconsin Foundation (Madison), and the University of Dayton provided the understanding and motivation to use statistics to challenge fundraising axioms and create data-driven solutions.

Lawrence’s particular skill set is based on the use of organizational and third-party data to support strategy development and decision-making which creates a silo-free advancement operation.

Finally, Lawrence has appeared at major and regional fundraising conferences – such as CASE, AHP, AFP, APRA, CGP – in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Emma L. Hinke is a director of data science with BWF specializing in analytics and implementation. She provides prospect development consulting, research and analytics training, and counsel in performance metrics and portfolio optimization. Prior to joining BWF, Emma was the lead data scientist in prospect development for Johns Hopkins University, where she worked with development leadership and fundraising units to create analytical solutions that add strategic value to fundraising operations.

Emma is a recognized leader in prospect development and analytics, and highly regarded as a thought leader through her service to the Apra community as a past program chair, speaker, and president of the Maryland chapter. She received her bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Rochester Institute of Technology.