A veteran of public higher education fundraising, Dondi Cupp serves as senior vice president of development at the OHSU Foundation where he is responsible for leading comprehensive fundraising activities and strategic philanthropic initiatives that support OHSU’s multi-faceted mission and advance a broad range of education, research, and clinical activities.    

Before joining OHSU, Cupp served as associate vice president at the University of Michigan, where he played a leadership role in the Victors for Michigan campaign, the first campaign at a public university to raise $5 billion.  At Michigan he led the national major gifts team and supervised constituency fundraising programs including annual giving, foundation relations, parent and family giving, student life, and the Business Engagement Center.  He also led the operations teams including finance and administration and talent management.  

Cupp came to Michigan from the University of Washington, where he led the office of corporate and foundation relations and advancement teams in the health sciences. He joined the University of Washington in 1999 as director of development for the sciences. While at the Washington, Cupp founded the Advancement Leadership Class, a comprehensive leadership development program for advancement staff. In 2012, he was nominated by his peers for the UW's David B. Thorud Leadership Award. In 2006, he received the Marilyn Batt Dunn Endowed Award for Excellence in University Advancement.

Earlier in his career, Cupp served as associate director of the Western Washington University Foundation and as director of the annual fund at his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma.   Dondi holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations.  He is a fellow of the Advancement Leadership Academy and a CASE Laureate.

Matt White: Matt White joined Utah State University in 2018 as the Vice President of Advancement and President of the USU Foundation. He is the chief fundraiser for the university, providing leadership and strategic direction for the university’s philanthropic endeavors. He leads the USU Foundation and provides direction to the USU Alumni Board, ensuring gratifying engagement experiences for USU’s stakeholders. He has worked in the fundraising field for over 17 years serving in various leadership roles. Matt received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Evansville, his master’s and Ph.D. from Saint Louis University in Higher Education and Administration and Public Policy.

If it isn't in the database, it didn't happen! Proud USU alumna Rachel Richards joined the crusade for clean data in 2010 when she started in Advancement at USU. She is a fourth-generation Aggie who received both her bachelor's and master's from USU. A longtime member of CASE and Apra, she served as the President of Apra Utah from 2017-2019. She has presented at many conferences and is always happy to talk about the exciting work she and her amazing team of Development Officer Analysts are doing. 

Jessica is a senior director of product Marketing at Windfall. Jessica has a decade worth of experience working with customers in the data and analytics space. Prior to Windfall, Jessica has worked at leading technology companies like Drawbridge, RadiumOne and Merit. Jessica graduated with a degree in economics and music from Columbia University and has an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Byu is a data science product manager at Windfall. Byu works directly with Windfall’s data science team to help support 100+ predictive models built on Windfall’s advanced machine learning infrastructure. Prior to Windfall, Byu worked with Data Science teams at Google and was a senior data scientist at Oracle Data Cloud. Byu graduated with undergraduate and graduate degrees in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics & statistics from The Johns Hopkins University.

Courtney has been working in fundraising for the majority of her career and currently serves as the Philanthropic Due Diligence Analyst II at MIT. She initially joined MIT in 2015 as a Sr. Research Analyst, first working primarily with the School of Engineering and later focusing on principal giving. She took a brief hiatus in 2019 to travel the country and rock climb, but returned in early 2020 as MIT’s second hire on their Philanthropic Due Diligence team. Prior to MIT, Courtney worked in various development roles and in prospect research at the Appalachian Mountain Club. In her spare time, you can find her climbing in the Rockies or trying to keep up with her Australian Cattle dog, Stanley, in the foothills of the Front Range. 

• Rishika Kondaveeti is a data scientist with more than five years of work experience in data analytics and quality assurance with alumni and constituent data. She develops custom data algorithms to match and aggregate data and analyzes data to generate trend and pattern analysis for prospect identification. Rishika is focused on solving data quality problems, effectively presenting actionable data insights to help advancement teams with alumni and donor relations. She holds an MS in Management Information Systems from the University of Illinois-Springfield, where she developed a passion for data analytics. She was awarded the highest recognition by the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma.

• Theresa Voigt has over 15 years’ experience as a project manager for events and engagement strategies that identify and cultivate non-profit and donor relationships. Recently, Theresa has focused on technology, data, and operational solutions for alumni relations and development teams looking to measure the quality of relationships, engagement opportunities, and their associated data points. After gaining firsthand experiences as the frontline officer, the project manager, and the vendor client manager, Theresa is dedicated to helping more organizations gain access to quality automated enrichment and analytics. Theresa has a bachelor’s degree from Beloit College and is an Annual Fellow of the Development Leadership Consortium.

• Wade Longmire joined SSB five years ago after working for the Athletic Department at the University of Texas and the Ticket Office at the Tennessee Titans. Wade has experienced firsthand how data can be leveraged to drive engagement with constituents and achieve business outcomes. He currently oversees all of SSB’s Higher Education Business Development and partners with universities to identify institutional goals and to align those goals with data strategy.

• Dr. Caitlin Scarano is a writer and researcher based in northwest Washington. She was able to earn her undergraduate degree at James Madison University through a donor-funded scholarship program that provided financial assistance and a multi-level academic support network. Since that time, Caitlin has been passionate about student affairs and philanthropy and the connections between them. Caitlin holds a PhD in English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MA in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, where she worked in residence life and coordinated service-learning trips. She also holds an MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Katherine joined Blackbaud in 2007 and since has tenured her role in helping clients across all non-profit sectors better understand their constituent data and donor trends. She actively engages with client teams to provide guidance on data-informed strategic fundraising efforts, revenue growth and promoting long-term file health through her action-oriented facilitation. Her customer engagements include those using enterprise data intelligence packages. 

Before assuming this role, Katherine served as the national director of major gift planning at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society home office, as a regional director of gift planning at the American Heart Association, as director of major and planned gifts at Colorado Public Radio, and was the annual fund director at Southwestern University School of Law. She raised over $200 million mission-related dollars during her 25-year career.

She also served as an affiliate faculty member at Regis University for their Masters in Global Nonprofit Management degree program for 11 years. Before entering the not-for-profit field, Katherine practiced law in Arizona, managed a state-wide high school law-related education program and coordinated the National High School Mock Trial Competition. 

Katherine is a past president of the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable and is an active volunteer and advisor to a variety of organizations in her community and beyond. She is a frequent speaker at BBCON, NACGP, APRA, AFP, and other industry conferences.

Katherine holds an Independent Studies degree from the University of Northern Colorado and received her Doctor of Jurisprudence at Drake University’s School of Law.

Giuliana Bighi is an Assistant Director of Prospect Research at New York University, where she leads prospect research for the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and the university's Provost Initiatives. She also leads and manages the team's suite of prospect research trainings for development staff. Prior to NYU, Giuliana held prospect research positions at The New School and City Harvest. She is a member of Apra's Online Content Committee, and previously served as treasurer of Apra of Greater New York, where she also co-chaired ProspectCon 2019, the chapter's annual conference.

Sarah Balogh is an Assistant Director of Alumni Programs at NYU. She previously served as a Senior Research Analyst on NYU's Strategic Planning and Analytics team and chaired the Ethics and Due Diligence committee. Sarah holds an MPA in policy analysis and program evaluation from Baruch College and a BA in political science from Bridgewater State University. From 2018-2020, Sarah served as the Director of Programming and Communications for Apra of Greater New York, where her events were synonymous with high/low charcuterie plates and strengthening collaborations between prospect research and the advancement field at large. In her spare time, you can find her inhaling as many dumplings as humanly possible.

Megan has been working with UC San Diego Advancement since 2015 where she has worked with campaign operations, Corporate & Foundation Relations, and is now involved in both Prospect Research and Prospect Management. She currently serves as Chair of the Apra Ethics & Compliance Committee, and has presented at several conferences including Apra Prospect Development, AFP ICON, and CARA. Before coming to San Diego, she worked in El Salvador and Washington, D.C. where she worked in violence prevention and Latin American social justice nonprofits. Megan has a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University, and an MA in Latin American Studies from UC San Diego. 

Mary Kiolbasa is the director of the Research Projects team in the Development and Alumni Relations department at Vanderbilt University. This team identifies potential donors to Vanderbilt University, primarily determining the donor capacity of undergraduate parents. Mary manages other special projects and is a subject matter expert in public records research. 

Mary began her career with Vanderbilt in June 2015 as a research specialist. Previously, she was a research analyst in the executive intelligence division at HireRight (formerly Kroll Background America), an international background screening company where she performed in-depth investigations and case management. She held a private investigator license with the Tennessee Private Investigator and Polygraph Commission from 2012 to 2015.

Mary received a B.A. in creative writing and classics from Knox College and an MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Erynn Sarno has more than a decade of experience in prospect development. As the Senior Director of Prospect Research at Mount Sinai Health System, Erynn and her team are responsible for building the pipeline for the health system’s $2 billion campaign. This is Erynn’s second campaign with Mount Sinai; she had been part of its first campaign which exceeded its initial goal by more than $500M. Erynn loves campaigns, and was part of the planning and silent phases of Northwell Health’s $1B campaign. She has also worked with international science and technology non-profits in China and the Netherlands, where she wrote grants, edited manuscripts, and researched potential donors.

Laura is a Prospect Research Manager at UNICEF UK and was the Data Protection Officer for the Researchers in Fundraising Committee from April 2016 to November 2019. She has spoken at several RiF and Apra events and is a member of Apra’s Ethics & Compliance Committee. 

Joe Gonzales is Associate Director of Foundations Systems and Operations at Earthjustice where his passion for the environment and social justice are finely balanced. His tenure in the non-profit sector spans institutions of higher education, university medical centers, and mission driven organizations in a variety of roles with fundraising teams. While he currently lives and works in the Midwest, Joe is a native Texan who prefers to spend his summers up north and winters down south

Chandra Montgomery is a veteranfundraising strategist and certified diversity, equity, and inclusion educatorand speaker. Her background in philanthropy spans academic medicine, highereducation, public media, and social services. She is an Apra volunteer leaderand an alumna of CASE’s Minority Advancement Institute. Chandra currentlyserves as chair of Apra’s Advocacy Committee and is a founding member of theorganization’s inaugural DEI Committee. She is also founding co-chair of theAdvancement DEI Task Force at the University of Southern California where sheis the director of pipeline and prospect development for Health Sciences. Priorto USC, she led prospect development teams at National Public Radio andVirginia Commonwealth University. Chandra holds a BA from Hampton Universityand is pursuing a master’s degree at USC’s Gould School of Law. 

Dr. Rodger Devine is the Assistant Vice President for Advancement Operations at Pomona College. As a senior member of the Advancement team, Rodger provides strategic leadership for the college’s development infrastructure, leads annual giving and stewardship strategy, and utilizes data and analytics to drive fundraising success. Rodger also works in close collaboration with the CIO and ITS leadership on advancement technology vision, systems, and resource management.
Rodger previously served as the Associate Dean of External Affairs for Strategy and Innovation at USC Dornsife College of Letters Arts and Sciences, where he built and led a comprehensive advancement operations and data analytics program. Prior to USC, he was Director of Information, Analytics and Annual Giving at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, following expanding leadership roles in information technology at University of Michigan.
Rodger earned his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Japanese, University of Michigan; Master of Science in Information, Analysis and Retrieval, University of Michigan; and Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership, University of Southern California. In his spare time, Rodger speaks at various conferences, teaches workshops, and volunteers on projects that benefit non-profit organizations and diverse communities of professional practice.

Kate Aitken is the Senior Director for Talent Management and Strategy and member of the Executive Team in Georgetown University’s Office of Advancement. At Georgetown, her team’s mission is to drive and inspire talent to be the best they can be, and create a safe, inclusive, work environment with a mission-oriented, high performing team.  This includes serving as the chief strategist and trusted thought partner to all in the Office of Advancement in the deployment of talent management strategies.

Previous to joining Georgetown in October 2017, Kate served as a Director, Career Management at EAB where she was the lead HR business partner to the marketing and account management teams for talent acquisition, retention, engagement, organizational planning, performance management and career development.

Earlier in her career, Kate held positions in a non-profit sports association and international consumer goods company where she created and supported programs for enhanced customer engagement.  

Kate holds a B.A. in Psychology from Middlebury College.

Paul Wiklanski is the Senior Associate Director of Prospect Development at the University of Michigan and is a visionary thought-leader who encourages change management with executive teams and organizations. A problem-solver who leverages analytics, creativity, and experience to develop actionable and compelling strategic insight. A leader who delivers results and empowers the success of his team. In his current role as the Senior Associate Director of Prospect Development - University of Michigan; Paul is dedicated to increasing frontline fundraiser effectiveness by integrating information and fundraising intuition. He is focused on improving fundraiser user experience with available data; visualizing that data and transforming it into actionable insights and amplifying donor-centric practices. He is the former president of APRA - Michigan and currently a member of the APRA Advocacy Committee. Paul has previously held positions in Marketing and Annual Giving with the university. Prior to joining Michigan Paul worked in the corporate sector with an emphasis on international markets.

Janna Lee (she/her) is the Director of Philanthropy Operations at The Trust for Public Land, a national organization that creates parks and protects land for people. She and her colleagues oversee the philanthropy CRM, handle gift administration, and provide prospect research, portfolio management, and analytics services to 70 philanthropy staff across the country. Previously, Janna worked at Johns Hopkins Institutions in Baltimore as the Director of Relationship Management and Customer Support. Janna is a volunteer with Apra International, has served as president of Apra Maryland, and currently sits on the board of Apra Minnesota.

Lori Hood Lawson is the Vice President of Advancement Insights for UC Innovation, a CRM Solutions & Services company with extensive expertise in Salesforce implementations and building managed products on Salesforce for Higher Education organizations. Lori is also the Co-Founder of WorkingPhilanthropy.com LLC. Lori is a member of aasp, where she has served on the Prospect Development Best Practices Committee, and Apra, where she has served with the Florida chapter as a board member and as president. Lori volunteers with Apra through serving on the Ethics and Compliance Committee. She has served on the Body of Knowledge Committee and is a former chair and co-chair for the Ethics and Compliance Committee and Online Curriculum Committee. She holds a master's degree from The Florida State University School of Information and a bachelor's degree from Emory University.

Gareth Griffin is the Senior Director of Prospect Development at MIT, where he leads the institute's prospect research, prospect management, philanthropic due diligence, and prospect data integrity programs. Prior to heading back east, he was the Senior Director of Prospect Management & Analytics at Santa Clara University and Assistant Director of Prospect Management at UC Berkeley. Before heading west to California, he served as a Prospect Research Analyst at Clemson University. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Apra Foundation and was previously the Chair of Apra’s Ethics & Compliance Committee.

Liz is an expert development operations; with a focus on automation, workflows and prospect management. She has spent her entire career working in the not-for-profit sector with arts organizations, healthcare foundations, and higher education institutions. She has instructed at both Western University on the topic of technology in the not-for-profit sector and at Georgian College on prospect research. She has shared her knowledge and expertise on prospect research, database management, ethics in prospect development, and using social media for prospect research at numerous Canadian and international conferences including AFP Congress, Apra, Apra Canada, and AHP Canada. She is the co-editor and contributor to the book "Prospect Research in Canada: An Essential Guide for Researchers and Fundraisers". Liz is a Trustee of the Apra Foundation Board of Trustees.

As the Interim Director of Prospect Strategy & Research at the University of Florida I lead a very innovative team with seventy plus years of cumulative experience.  This year I successfully led a six-month remote work pilot with my team and together we achieved 124% of our goals.  Our pilot was a strong driver toward the UF Foundation's move to a hybrid working environment. 

My experience has taken me in many directions and all of my previous positions have been very rewarding.  I have worked in Higher Education, Healthcare, Corporate Law, Real Estate and the Communications Industries.  Over the years I have gained experience in Prospect Research, Relationship Management, Sales and Marketing, Contract Negotiations, Product Management, Customer Relations, Staff Planning and Management, Training and Development, Fundraising and Promotional Events, Strategic Planning and Financial Analysis.  Every day I learn something new and my journey is just beginning.

Beth Inman currently serves as the Director of Schools Researchat The George Washington University. In this role, she serves as the businessowner and lead for Development and Alumni Relations’ proactive and reactiveresearch services – setting the vision for these areas, guiding the researchprogram toward best-in-class services, and proactively identifying and seekingcreative solutions to complex challenges. As a member of the Research and RelationshipManagement’s leadership cohort, she works closely with the relationshipmanagement side of the team while directly managing three prospect researchstaff to support and enhance the team’s work.  

Most recently, Beth was the director of advancement research& analysis at Colby College in Waterville, ME. Prior to joining Colby, Bethheld similar roles at JDRF, the University of South Carolina, and The CitadelFoundation. Before her prospect development career, Beth was the associatecurator of American and decorative art at the Columbia Museum of Art inColumbia, SC. An active member of the prospect development community, she hasserved on the Ethics & Compliance committee and chaired the Awardscommittee for Apra International, and was the president of Apra Carolinas from2015-2018. She is the recipient of the 2017 Apra Carolinas DistinguishedService Award and the 2019 Apra International Distinguished Service Award. Bethis currently the co-chair of the communications committee on the board of NEDRA(New England Development Research Association).

Beth is a native of Charlotte, NC and holds a bachelor’s degreein art history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and amaster’s degree in art history from the University of South Carolina. She ismom to an 18-year-old daughter and is passionate about literacy, the arts, andwomen’s rights causes.

Sabrina Stradtner is the Director of Research and Prospect Management at Valparaiso University. In this role she manages Valpo’s prospect research and management program as well as the constituent records maintenance team. She has held this position since October 2015. She joined Valpo’s Advancement staff in 2012 as a Research Analyst.  She previously worked as a genealogist at the Valparaiso Public Library. Sabrina holds a B.A. in History with a minor in Humanities from Valparaiso University and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University Indianapolis. She currently serves as the membership chair for Apra Indiana.

Vibhas Ratanjee is a senior practice expert based in Gallup's Irvine, California office. He specializes in organizational development, culture change and executive-level engagement strategies, including strengths-based leadership and succession management. Vibhas is also an executive coach and leadership consultant to senior executives and CEOs. He works extensively in the healthcare, retail and financial services sectors.

A major focus of Vibhas’s work involves using large group change management techniques in organizational development, business processes, brand and customer engagement, employee engagement, and vision, mission and values consulting for private and government organizations. Vibhas also developed Gallup’s collaborative visioning approach to large-scale change management.

Dustin joined the WealthEngine sales team in 2015 and rapidly became a key player, receiving several “MVP” awards for exemplary

customer service. Most recently he was named WE’s “Salesperson of the Year.” He has worked in a sales and account management capacity for a wide variety of organizations, from small startups to publicly-traded companies such as IBM, Sage, and Vocus. Most recently, Dustin served as Sr. Director of Sales with public relations & marketing software powerhouse, Cision. He is a graduate of Florida Atlantic University and in his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two dogs, boating, skiing and motorcycle racing.

Eric serves as the Director of Nonprofit Client Engagement, overseeing the professional services department and focuses on successful usage, service delivery and strategic growth for WealthEngine’s nonprofit clients. A WealthEngine team member since 2010, Eric, along with our engagement managers, provide fundraising intelligence through data driven consulting, analytics and predictive modeling. His leadership, in implementing evidenced-based solutions, equips organizations to identify and prioritize the right people for the right purpose.

A native Southern Californian, Eric has been on the east coast (Washington DC and now upstate New York) for much of his career. While earning a BA in Sports Journalism from USC, he garnered All-American honors as a pole vaulter for the Trojans’ track team. Later, Eric went on to earn a MA degree from UCLA.  

David Garcia serves as Director of Business Development at Wealth-X, working closely to support key clients in the not-for-profit sector, including top advocacy groups, healthcare organizations, and universities. The focus of his current role is to help Prospect Research and Development teams achieve their goals and objectives by leveraging the relevant suite of services that Wealth-X offers.

David has a background in Research, Project Management, and Relationship Management, and prior to Wealth-X he worked for firms including Smith Barney, Guideline Research, Deloitte, and Capgemini.

Kelli North is a Senior Development Research Analyst at the University of Michigan, where she assists multiple academic units as well as the Alumni Association and the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion with prospect research, prospecting, and fundraising strategy. Her current areas of focus are diversity, equity, and inclusion and NextGen fundraising. She tries to bring her social justice education and experience as a first-generation college student to her work. She is the Advocacy Lead on the board of the APRA Michigan Chapter as well as a member of the FORUM Planning Committee and former Chair of the Research Committee for the Great Lakes Prospect Development FORUM. She is also a member of the planning committee for the APRA Great Lakes Conference.

She has presented at several conferences including APRA-International, APRA-Michigan, and the Great Lakes Prospect Development ForUM. She has also presented webinars for CASE, APRA-Pennsylvania, APRA-Ohio, and APRA-Michigan.

Cara Bradshaw is a communications and fundraising professional who has worked on communications and fundraising teams at international humanitarian organizations, in higher education, and in the media to promote social justice and community engagement. Cara studied Political Science and Spanish at Drew University in Madison, NJ and International Affairs and Media at The New School in Manhattan.

She currently serves as Chief Impact Officer at Family Promise, a national non-profit that provides community-based solutions to empower working families. With a dedicated team at Family Promise, Cara works to elevate the Family Promise brand, engage stakeholders through powerful storytelling, and deliver long-lasting social change through meaningful philanthropy. Cara’s curiosity about good leadership and organizational development inspires her work. An outdoor enthusiast, Cara lives in Brevard, NC with her family and enjoys mountain biking and hiking with her dog, Blu.

Nedra serves as Executive Director of Research & Prospect Management for the University of Georgia’s Development and Alumni Relations division since November 2018. Before that, she served as Senior Director of Development Research and Prospect Management for Georgia State University’s Development and Alumni Affairs division. During her tenure at GSU, she provided leadership in critical areas of prospect development. She partnered with senior advancement leadership to support a $300 million campaign, including developing prospect pools, managing the prospect management system, and conducting fundraising performance analysis.

Nedra is a fundraising and development professional with more than 25 years of experience in philanthropic fundraising and non-profit management, including all aspects of prospect development (prospect management, prospect research, information engagement, and data mining/analytics).  

Previously, she served as Manager of Prospect Research at Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where she worked for more than 14 years. In addition, Nedra has been an active member and volunteer of Apra and served as President of the local Apra-Georgia Chapter.

Sharon Parkinson (pronouns: she/her/hers) is Senior Associate Director of Prospect Development and Research at Vassar College, which stands on Wappingers, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Delaware Indigenous peoples’ homelands. She collaborates with the Associate Vice President for Individual Giving and the fundraising and engagement teams to plan and implement research projects designed to identify new donors and build a robust pipeline of potential campaign donors.

Sharon provides strategic guidance to fundraising program directors and gift officers on assessment and qualification of newly discovered prospects, portfolio management, and cultivation strategies through consultations and training sessions.  She oversees professional development and manages research projects assigned to PDR’s Research Specialist and freelance Research Analyst.

A key component of Sharon’s role is to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment for the Prospect Development and Research team and other Advancement colleagues.  She plans and facilitates team retreats and serves on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) staff development group within Advancement. Sharon is also a steering committee member of the Carolyn Grant ‘36 Endowment. This committee reviews applications and provides Vassar faculty and staff funding to integrate expressive and experiential processes into their teaching and work, including movement, drawing, meditative arts, group process and dialogue, and other creative models of instruction and expression. 

In partnership with the Office of Campus Life and Diversity, Sharon facilitated a Conversation Dinner, “Creating Contemplative Community,” and a workshop for All College Day, “Using Contemplative Practices to Navigate Life at Vassar.”  She is one of several administrators who provides resources and support to Vassar's first-generation, low-income, and undocumented students involved in the Transitions program.  Her favorite time spent with students is during Transition’s Wisdom Dinners, which provide opportunities for students and employees to bond together over their shared identities.

Sharon holds an undergraduate degree in Communication with a second major in Business Administration and advanced degrees in Organizational Communication and Sociology. She is a long-time member of the Apra New York chapter whose mantra is “Share the Knowledge.”  Sharon served as the chapter’s Social Media Sage and as a board member for several years.  She has also been a member of the Apra Greater New York chapter and facilitated a workshop, “Envisioning Change: Transforming Prospect Development Offices,” for Apra GNY’s ProspectCon. Sharon also participates in the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance and the Mid-Hudson Association of Women in Higher Education. 

April is Assistant Director of Development Research at Bowdoin College. Before joining Bowdoin in 2018 she was Senior Research Analyst for the University of California, Davis, and began her career in prospect research at Amherst College. A California native, April holds an undergraduate degree from UC Davis and an MA in English literature from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. April has served in volunteer roles for NEDRA since 2019 and was elected to the NEDRA Board in July 2021. She additionally co-chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group in Bowdoin’s office of Development and Alumni Relations. When not working April enjoys exploring Maine with her husband and two little boys.

Felice Gomez-Spencer is the Deputy Director of Development Research at Earthjustice, where she oversees the organization’s prospect development arm. Felice joined Earthjustice in 2013 after earning a master’s degree in library and information science and has over 20 years of nonprofit fundraising experience. Prior to Earthjustice, she worked in prospect development and corporate and foundation relations for the University of California, Berkeley. Felice began her career as a grant writer for community health centers in Tucson, AZ, and San Francisco, CA. She has worked for a number of arts, education and health organizations in the Bay Area, as well as for a Hispanic marketing agency. Felice holds a BA in anthropology from the University of Arizona