See How the Advancement Community is Changing
New Staff
Andrea Walker
Assistant Director, Event Experiences
University Advancement
Andrea Walker joins the Event Experiences team as an assistant director, where she will serve as lead event planner and strategist for a robust portfolio of University Advancement events. After working for five years in the hospitality and restaurant industries, and completing her bachelor's degree while working full-time, Andrea found her passion for organizing events in higher education. She most recently worked at James Madison University as an event manager, where she loved working with students, alumni, and other stakeholders to make events a success.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with friends and family, cycling, exploring the outdoors, traveling, and attending concerts.
Role Changes
Bina Hopkins
Assistant Director, Event Experiences
University Advancement
Bina joined the Event Experiences team in November 2023 as a project associate, bringing a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience planning events. She was a competitive candidate in a competitive search and we are thrilled about this new opportunity for her!
Jacqui Wood
Associate Director, Event Experiences
University Advancement
Jacqui joined UVA as an assistant director in July 2023 and has proven herself a capable, committed member of the team. We are thrilled to see her thriving at UVA and excited for the opportunities this new role will give her.
Previous Staffing Matters Announcements
Role Changes
Bryant Powell
Senior Associate Director of Data Operations
University Advancement
Since Bryant joined Advancement Operations, he has developed multiple improvements in our Evertrue integration to help stabilize and add new features for our users. He has also taken responsibility for our Ellucian applications. In recent months Bryant has been part of our data warehouse project, and his new role will expand to help lead the build of this warehouse for our community. This is big project and one that will help us improve our data structures and overall data management moving into the new CRM.
Farewells
Doug Mauney
Director of Development, University Priorities
University Advancement
Doug Mauney has accepted a new position as Executive Director of Development with the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he will lead the school’s advancement efforts.
Doug joined University Advancement in 2018 as the Director of Development for Faculty Excellence, and during his time here he’s worked with the Office of the Provost and helped expand our pan-University efforts in a variety of areas across the country with the University Priorities team. Doug has been a great contributor to University Advancement, with a particular skill for identifying custom research interests from donors (resulting in multiple opportunities over the years).
Doug's last day will be Friday, April 12. We will miss Doug's professionalism and willingness to collaborate, and wish him well in his new role with Virginia Commonwealth University.
Welcome, New Staff
Melanie Blosser
Assistant Director of Strategic Alumni Engagement
UVA Health Development
Melanie Blosser joins UVA Health Development’s Donor Relations & Strategic Engagement (DRSE) team, where she will implement strategic engagement activities for the School of Nursing’s alumni constituencies, manage the activities of the School of Nursing’s volunteer alumni board, and serve as the primary liaison to the School’s faculty, staff and students. Melanie graduated from James Madison University in 2015 with a degree in sociology. During and after college, she worked with various nonprofit organizations, both nationally and internationally, that provided aftercare for children rescued from sex-trafficking. After traveling, she began working in education, and later in higher education, greatly enjoying the opportunity to champion students and work with alumni.
Melanie and her husband have two boys and a cattle farm to keep life exciting!
Kayla Seever
Gift Administrator
University Advancement
Kayla Seever joins the Advancement Services team this week as a gift administrator, where her duties will include researching, entering, and maintaining data in the database of record, and auditing the integrity of that data. She has roughly 18 years of professional administrative experience in healthcare, customer service and academic settings.
Kayla is married to her best friend and has two children, 10 chickens, a puppy and a cat. She and her husband love to hike and support their children in their activities. As a family, they love to travel and create as many memories as possible.
Welcome, New Staff
Felicia Blow
Executive Director, UVA Community Health Foundation & Director of Development, Community Hospitals
As Executive Director of the UVA Community Health Foundation & Director of Development for Community Hospitals, Dr. Felicia Blow, APR, will serve as the lead fundraiser for our community hospitals in Culpeper, Prince William, and Haymarket, and will coordinate at a high level with hospital leadership to create a strategic development operation and build a culture of philanthropy. Felicia is an award-winning leader with extensive organizational, strategic planning, leadership and management experience. Her 25+ year career includes work in manufacturing (Caterpillar, Inc.); waste management and environmental services (Southeastern Public Service Authority); telecommunications (Cox Communications); and higher education (Paul D. Camp and Tidewater Community Colleges and Hampton University). She served in an interim role with Elizabeth City State University as an Assistant Vice Chancellor for Corporate and Foundation Fundraising, and at Hampton University, she led the $150 million Dream No Small Dreams II Campaign. She serves as CEO and Co-Founder of Walker Blow Consulting, a boutique agency specializing in fundraising/development, strategic communications, and information technology services.
Felicia is the mother to three children (two surviving) and has been married to her husband, Rev. Alvin Blow, for more than 34 years. She loves reading and has a strong interest in Spanish.
Katherine "Kat" Cannon
Gift Administrator
Kat Cannon joins the Advancement Services team this week as a gift administrator, where her duties will include researching, entering, and maintaining data in the database of record, and auditing the integrity of that data. Kat recently completed her MBA at Regent University, and her most recent work experience includes event management and donor relations. She is looking forward to continuing to pursue her interest in university advancement.
Kat and her husband proudly welcomed their first baby last year. She enjoys spending time in the Outer Banks with family, a well-deserved Diet Coke break, and walking with her doodle, Sadie. She is thrilled to join UVA in this new role and excited to be part of such an esteemed institution.
Haley Cook
Advancement Associate
Haley Cook joins University Advancement Operations as an Advancement Associate. She will provide support to the Prospect Management, Research, and Analytics (PMR&A) team. Haley is originally from Roanoke, Virginia, and completed her undergraduate degree at William & Mary, studying applied statistics. She is also a fairly recent graduate of Trinity College Dublin (Ireland!), where she received a master’s degree in marketing.
In her free time, Haley really enjoys spending time with her dog, Piper, and traveling to new places.
Leigha Rae
Gift Administrator
Leigha Rae joins the Advancement Services team this week as a gift administrator, where her duties will include researching, entering, and maintaining data in the database of record, and auditing the integrity of that data. She has worked for many years in the nonprofit sector and really enjoys helping people.
In her free time, Leigha enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, watching documentaries and spending time outdoors.
Congratulations on Your Role Change
Cynthia Donley
Assistant Director of Gift Processing
Cynthia Donley has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication in overseeing UVA's corporate matching gifts administration, and has stepped into the role of Assistant Director of Gift Processing, effective March 25.
Farewell
Andy Levinsky
Senior Writer, UVA Health Development
Andy Levinsky developed compelling stories for UVA Health Development publications, PULSE and Investing in Hope. He also collaborated with the Communications team to develop collateral materials. We wish Andy the best in his future endeavors.
Welcome!
Penny Cabaniss
Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff
Penny Cabaniss joins University Advancement in the role of Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President for Advancement. In this role, Penny will serve on the senior leadership team in University Advancement and provide executive-level support to Mark Luellen.
Penny received her bachelor’s degree from the College in 1993 and then worked in the Virginia House of Delegates for twelve years, during which time she completed her MBA at the University of Richmond. Penny returned to UVA in 2005 and has since served in various roles, including her most recent appointment as Assistant Vice President for Operations and Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President for Operations and State Government Relations.
Farewells
Sean Clarkson
Sean Clarkson, Director of Development, University Library, is relocating to Chapel Hill, NC for opportunities at the University of North Carolina, where his wife recently started working as Senior Conservator for Special Collections, and where Sean has accepted a position as Executive Director of Development for Schools and Units. We are thrilled for Sean and his family as they embark on their next adventure.
Sean has been critical to strengthening the Library’s development enterprise, and has made an indelible mark on our community that will be felt for campaigns to come. In the near term, Sean’s contributions will be felt as the Library will likely achieve it’s $100M campaign goal this fiscal year! Sean’s leadership, empathy, integrity, and creativity will be missed.
Danielle King
Join us in wishing Danielle King the very best as she begins her new role at William & Mary as Senior Director of Advancement Events, where she will lead the strategic development and management of events across the university. Danielle joined the Donor Relations team in January of 2022, and has been an integral contributor as a member of the new Event Experiences team, most recently receiving high praise for her event management of the successful VA2030 events.
New Hires
Cameron Kennedy
Donor Experience Officer
Cameron Kennedy joins University Advancement this week as a Donor Experience Officer, where he will be responsible for developing personal, customized relationships with an assigned portfolio of current and former alumni donors in support of the University’s fundraising and alumni participation goals. With almost 5 years in sales and customer service, he brings a passion for building connections.
Cameron and his wife, Kianna, enjoy traveling, playing board games, and spending quality time with their energetic dog, Atlas. He is thrilled to kick off this exciting journey and contribute to the success of UVA Advancement.
Role Changes
Meg Flanagan
Assistant Director of Advancement, McIntire
Meg Flanagan started her new position as a frontline fundraiser for the McIntire School of Commerce Foundation on February 20. She was formerly a Donor Experience Officer with University Advancement.
New Hires
Hunter McConville
Assistant Director of Event Experiences
As Assistant Director of Event Experiences, Hunter McConville will serve as lead event planner and strategist for a robust portfolio of advancement events, including board meetings, receptions, tailgates, academic programs, dinners, and webinars. He was most recently the Assistant Director of Annual Giving & Young Alumni Philanthropy at Washington & Lee University. He has a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and received a master’s in English from Boston College.
Hunter was recently married and lives with his wife, Sophie, in Fishersville, Virginia. He loves reading and writing in his spare time, when his golden retriever, Finn, leaves him alone long enough.
Farewells
Linda Sherck
Associate Director of Development, Batten
After a more than 30 year career in higher education fundraising - at Duke, UNC and UVA - Linda Sherck is departing for her next adventure. She is joining the Peace Corps, heading to Senegal in March.
Marilyn Wright
Senior Associate Director, UVA Parents Fund
Please join the Parents Program in extending our sincere appreciation to Marilyn Wright on her retirement. Marilyn's journey began three decades ago as an independent contractor with the Virginia Festival of American Film and subsequently encompassed roles within University Development, Athletics, and finally, the UVA Parents Program.
Throughout her tenure, Marilyn's contributions have been notable, from coordinating events and managing operations to her strategic initiatives within the Parents Program. Her ability to cultivate meaningful relationships within UVA and with our parent donors has been particularly noteworthy, leaving a lasting impact on our community.
As Marilyn embarks on this new chapter, we extend our best wishes for a fulfilling retirement. We are grateful for her contributions and wish her well in her future endeavors.
New Hires
Olivia Hathaway
Assistant Director of Next Generation Philanthropy
University Advancement
As Assistant Director of Next Generation Philanthropy, Olivia Hathaway will engage students and recent graduates philanthropically, educate undergraduate students on philanthropy and develop a fundraising strategy for fourth years and undergraduate alumni of the last decade. Olivia is a recent graduate of UVA (summer 2023, B.S. Biochemistry, B.A. Biology), and her previous work experiences include hydroponics, manufacturing, assistant teaching, and plant biology lab work. Her previous fundraising experience in fundraising largely volunteer - personal fundraising, fundraising with UVA clubs, and now fundraising as the treasurer for a non-profit.
In her free time, Olivia likes to paint, draw, embroider, garden, and take photos. At home, her activities are at all times supervised by her cat Pepper, who is equal parts menace and angel. She is very much looking forward to her new role at UVA, and can't wait to get started promoting our culture of philanthropy.
Caitilin Mohr
Director of Corporate Relations, Health System
As Director of Corporate Relations, Health System, Caitlin (Cait) Mohr will be responsible for building industry connections across every area of the health system: research, teaching, innovation, operations, and more. Her background includes more than a decade of experience building relationships that align academic institutional needs with external funding opportunities. She recently served as Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving and Director of Grants at Piedmont Virginia Community College, growing a diverse portfolio of funders supporting the advanced technologies and healthcare, student affairs, workforce development, and capital projects.
Cait and her husband moved to Charlottesville in 2007 from Albany, New York, and they have three daughters (a singleton and twins) and a Scottish Terrier. She loves hot weather and traveling.
Navin Ramoutar
Associate Director of Development, Batten
As Associate Director of Developmen, Navin Ramoutar will be responsible for managing a portfolio of donor prospects and developing a comprehensive solicitation and stewardship strategy related to the priorities of the Batten School. Navin is a results-driven professional with a robust background in marketing and fundraising. With notable tenures at Vanderbilt University and Heineken, Navin has honed his skills in building meaningful partnerships, and contributing to the overall success of diverse projects.
On weekends, you can find Navin coaching youth soccer, and enjoying moments with friends and family.
Role Changes
Megan Murphy-Keller
Senior Associate Director, Development
UVA Alumni Association
Megan Murphy-Keller has led the Alumni Association Annual Fund for years and is our go-to for all things tech-related in Advancement. This new role adds pipeline development, moves management, and staff supervision to her portfolio of responsibilities.
Farewells
Lindsey Paynter
Senior Associate Director, Direct Marketing
Congratulations to Lindsey Paynter on her new role as the Director of Annual Giving in the Office of Advancement & Alumni Relations at St. Anne's-Belfield School! Lindsey’s last day at UVA is Friday, February 9.
Lindsey has been with the University Annual Giving team for 6 years. In that time, she has played an instrumental role in establishing current project management processes, supervised a team of 4 project managers, became a subject matter expert in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (and trained others to become experts), onboarded 15 Direct Marketing partners, and has helped review and execute over a thousand appeals.
Thank you, Lindsey, for all that you have done for University Annual Giving, the Office of Engagement, and the University of Virginia.
New Hires
Andrew Sadler
Director of Annual Giving
Virginia Athletic Foundation
Andrew Sadler joins the VAF afterspending the past five-plus years with the University of Georgia Athletic Association (UGAAA) and The Georgia Bulldog Club (TGBC). He joined TGBC in September 2019 and served in various roles as an Intern, graduate assistant, assistant director of development for annual giving, and associate director of development. Andrew solicited financial support for Georgia student-athletes through aiding all annual giving efforts. He coordinated the fundraising efforts for the Georgia Baseball Fund (GBF), Gymnastics Excellence Fund (GEF), Women's Basketball Fund (WBF), and Men's Basketball Fund (MBF). He also assisted in the fundraising efforts of annual giving and priority seating for football (WCHF).
In his new role, Andrew will provide overall leadership, strategy, and direction for the Virginia Athletics Foundation annual giving program.
Outside of work, he enjoys traveling to visit friends and family and being active, whether walking, hiking, and playing sports.
Role Changes
Erin Chandler
Associate Director, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) and Corporate Philanthropy
Erin Chandler has been a stalwart leader with the CMNH program, annual giving, local partnerships, and events. She leads by example through her relationship building, cross-Grounds partnerships, and intra-hospital collaboration. She has successfully expanded the CMNH territories to align with the growth of the health system and increase revenue for the Children’s Hospital. From the Week of Giving to HooThon, her commitment to the mission of UVA Health Children’s shines.
She has also helped spearhead our corporate philanthropy model to build on, and expand upon, current and prospective corporate partners to Children’s. Her work with CMNH partners is a natural fit which expands her role to include corporate partners that support the philanthropic mission of Children’s. She will work closely with Joon Cho and the future director of corporate philanthropy within HSD.
William Cocke
Senior Writer and News Director
As Senior Writer and News Director in Advancement Communications, William Cocke will be responsible for overseeing the strategic and editorial direction of news coverage for campaign gift announcements in both internal and external media. He will work closely with senior leadership, including the Vice President for Advancement, the Associate Vice President for Principal Gifts, and serve as liaison to University Communications to ensure the timeliness, quality, and accuracy of giving-related news stories. He will continue to work with colleagues across Grounds as a principal writer for Envision and manage a team of writers in Advancement Communications.
Dane Ferré
Executive Director of Gift Planning
As Executive Director of Gift Planning, Dane Ferré will lead the day-to-day operations of the Office of Gift Planning. Dane joined the Office of Gift Planning in 2022 as Philanthropic Advisor, in which role he increased the University’s ability to accept gifts of business interests and other complex assets. Prior to joining the Office of Gift Planning, he practiced corporate law with international law firms in New York and Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of UVA’s College of Arts and Sciences and Emory University’s School of Law.
Ali Freeman
Associate Director of Prospect Management
Since joining the PMR&A team, Ali Freeman has proven herself to be indispensable. She has identified operational gaps, pioneered new programs, and established robust partnerships with the schools and units she serves. In this role, she will supervise prospect managers and spearhead the development of contemporary policies and procedures to foster further growth in prospect management.
Sadira Glendenning
Associate Director, UVA Clubs Global Network
Sadira Glendenning has been an integral part of the UVA family for 5 ½ years, and since joining the UVA Clubs Global Network team in 2021, she has brought an incredible energy to her role. Her dedication to revitalizing various clubs, such as Austin, Phoenix, Twin Cities, Salt Lake City/Park City New River Valley, and Northern Shenandoah Valley, has been truly commendable. Sadira's leadership in the UVA Club Student Ambassador program and her contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives have earned her well-deserved recognition, including an ACE award from her peers.
Ann Lawrence Grasty
Executive Director, University Annual Giving
Ann Lawrence Grasty, who joined UVA in 2014, has played a pivotal role in the growth of annual giving at UVA. Under her leadership, the team has expanded from 4 to over 20 members. Ann Lawrence's strategic approach has led to an 18% increase in alumni undergraduate giving in FY23, earning UVA recognition as one of the top 3 annual giving teams for growth in donors among public universities. Her development of new initiatives including DXO, Next Gen, and Peer to Peer fundraising has showcased her innovative thinking. Ann Lawrence's leadership has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by being selected to lead the Annual Giving Consortium and as a recipient of a UVA ACE Award.
Congratulations, Ann Lawrence!
Anna Hodges
Senior Director, Analytics & Decision Support
For more than 10 years, Anna Hodges has served the UVA Advancement Community. From her talented leadership in our reunion giving program to her focused work in annual giving and strategic initiatives for the School of Engineering, Anna has been committed to serving her alma mater. This commitment to advancement at UVA has been recognized by her peers with an ACE award for Relentless Determination. In 2022, Anna joined Advancement Operations as the Director for Analytics and Decision Support and led the charge in rebuilding our Prospect Management, Research & Analytics team to support the needs of our modern advancement environment.
Chelsea Laxer
Associate Director of Prospect Management, Health Development
Since joining the PMR&A team, Chelsea Laxer has consistently demonstrated her expertise in healthcare philanthropy. She has excelled in prospect management and has built strong relationships with development officers and senior leadership. We look forward to witnessing her continued success in fostering strategic collaboration and partnership with the Health Development team.
Caroline Livingston
Associate Director, Donor Relations
Caroline Livingston, with four years of dedicated service to UVA, has been instrumental in leading the strategy for our Leaders in Philanthropy program. Her creation of a donor-centric milestone giving program and strategic communication plan has greatly enhanced our relationships with major donors through the Lawn and Cornerstone Societies. Caroline's innovative stewardship events and partnerships with Advancement Communication and Development Major Gift Officers have added a highly personalized touch to our interactions with our esteemed supporters.
Ashley Privott
Chief Employee Engagement Officer
As the Chief Employee Engagement Officer, Ashley Privott will be responsible for fostering connections within the UVA Advancement Community, to UVA, our work, and each other. She will work closely with the ACE committee to champion and reinforce our culture, promoting a sense of belonging and purpose. Over the past six years, Ashley has built our Days and Weeks of Learning into a hallmark of employee engagement, with more than 400 attendees at our event last week. She will continue to provide leadership to these events and others in an effort to connect and inspire our employees.
Joe Ruoto
Chief User Experience Officer
Joe Ruoto joined University Advancement in 2018 as an experienced project manager, charged with standing up several advancement technology platforms, including Marketing Cloud and EverTrue. Joe is a gifted speaker and is known for being able to bust complexity with humor. He is a true partner, bringing stakeholders from across Grounds together to accomplish ambitious goals, and for that, he was recognized with the 2021 ACE Award for Strengthening Community. In his new role as the Chief User Experience Officer, Joe will be committed to providing a seamless experience for external and internal users of our advancement technologies.
Jennifer Sisko
Assistant Director, Gift Administration
Jennifer Sisko’s promotion is a testament to her unwavering dedication to the University and her outstanding contributions to the University Advancement Services team since its inception in June 2020. She has consistently demonstrated exceptional skills, commitment, and a proactive approach in her role. The promotion serves as a recognition of her remarkable achievements and the positive energy she brings to the team. As Assistant Director of Client Services, she will continue to excel and make significant strides in providing outstanding service to our donors and colleagues.
Chase Sylvia
Assistant Director, User Experience
Chase Sylvia has done a wonderful job servicing the Advancement Community via the Help Desk and special projects as the Enterprise Applications Specialist. As our group expands to include the Learning Management System (LMS), the Hub intranet, and other departments also using the Help Desk, Chase’s role will be promoted to Assistant Director for User Experience and will include setting strategic objectives and helping to manage those applications. Leading by example, the goal is to empower our end users with the training and skills needed to be their most successful.
Beth Zitzman
Associate Director, UVA Clubs Global Network
Beth Zitzman, who joined the Office of Engagement in 2022, brings with her a wealth of experience from a 25-year career in event experience management, most recently with Radio City Music Hall. Her contributions include the revamping and enhancement of our signature programs for UVA Clubs: Accepted Student Celebrations, Summer Socials and Student Send-offs, and Hoos Here. Beth's collaborative efforts in creating Hoos Stories, fostering an inclusive environment for sharing personal stories, have been particularly noteworthy. Her dedication has not gone unnoticed, as she recently received an ACE Award from her peers.
New Hires
Kevin Hickman
Assistant Director of Gift Accounting
University Advancement
Kevin Hickman joins University Advancement Operations as Assistant Director of Gift Accounting. He previously worked at his alma mater, Longwood University, as Scholarship Administrator and Junior Accountant. After Longwood, he transitioned to the role of Finance Director for Buckingham County, which is where he grew up.
Kevin married his high school sweetheart and has a 3-month-old little girl, Olive Ruth. He also has two sweet pups, Winston (Golden Doodle) and Lily (Labradoodle). In his free time, he likes to watch sports on TV or in person. His favorite place to be is at Camden Yards in Baltimore (Go O’s!).
Role Changes
Jeanna Grimes
Associate Director, Donor Experience
University Advancement
Jeanna has worked as a Donor Experience Officer since the inception of the DXO program. In that time, she learned the foundations of digital engagement work and has grown tremendously as a fundraiser and team leader. As the Associate Director, she'll oversee the day-to-day operations of the DXO program, coordinate strategy moving forward, and maintain a portfolio of DXO prospects.
Farewells
Lori Brookins
Senior Principal Gift Officer
University Advancement
Please join the principal gifts team in congratulating Lori Brookins on her new position as a Senior Principal Gift Officer at Virginia Tech starting January 25, 2024. In her new role, Lori will work closely with VT’s senior associate vice president for advancement, Monecia Taylor. She’ll also re-join a former colleague from Harvard Business School.
During her 5-year tenure, Lori has enjoyed great success securing significant gifts to many areas of the University. She’s also initiated and nurtured relationships with countless prospects, donors, students, and colleagues--relationships that will continue to serve the University for years to come.
Lori’s new role allows her to work remotely, so she won’t be leaving Charlottesville. She welcomes the opportunity to stay in touch, compare notes and strategies, and continue her many strong friendships and partnerships.
Do you have a staff update to announce?
We want to know! Let us know about incoming talent, exciting role changes, promotions, retirements, and departures and we'll share in the Take 5 newsletter and on the Hub.
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