See How the Advancement Community is Changing
New Hires
Kelsie Prince
Junior Designer, Advancement Communications
Kelsie Prince joins Advancement Communications as a junior designer, where she will help develop and implement digital content and strategies across platforms to convey the visual identity for the fundraising campaign brand. Kelsie most recently worked at ComSonics, where she performed many duties as graphic designer and marketing coordinator.
Kelsie lives in Charlottesville.
Kate Schmitt
Writer, Advancement Communications
As part of the communications team, Kate Schmitt will write stories and announcements about the donors who generously give to the University, students and faculty who have benefited from that support, and the initiatives that require private support to achieve the goals of UVA’s strategic 2030 plan. Kate has spent nearly all her career as a writer, working to aid students, colleagues, and other stakeholders to hone their skills in professional editing practices and writing for public audiences. For more than a decade, she was an associate professor of English at Florida Atlantic University. Most recently, at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, she wrote and edited content on curricular platforms, newsletters, the Web, and other media used to update donors and constituents about the Center’s activities.
Outside of work, Kate enjoys spending time with family, especially her husband and their twin daughters, and traveling, particularly to New Hampshire and Maine. She practices printmaking and book binding, in addition to drawing, painting, and creating comics. Here in Charlottesville, she loves hiking, biking, cooking and exploring farmers markets.
Drew Scott
Assistant Director for Gift Planning, University Advancement
In his new role, Drew Scott will cultivate relationships with alumni, family, and friends of UVA to actively solicit future support, deferred gifts, and major outright gifts to the University, its schools and units, and its programs. Drew is a former professional golfer and has also been a head coach for Division 1 collegiate golf teams.
Outside of work, Drew enjoys spending time with family, travel, and college athletics. He lives in Crozet.
Daniela Simmons
Advancement Associate, UVA Community Health Foundation
As a member of the UVA Healthcare Philanthropy team, Daniela Simmons will help engage donors, parents, friends, grateful patients, and families in support of UVA Health’s priorities, and will provide administrative support to Carolyn Hays and the UVA Community Health Foundation. Daniela graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in public health. She has experience in project coordination, online design and health promotion, and has worked for numerous nonprofit organizations.
Outside of work, Daniela enjoys being active, watching movies, and spending quality time with her family and friends.
Previous Staffing Matters Announcements
New Hires
Sarah Marion
Advancement Associate, Healthcare Philanthropy
UVA Health Development
Sarah Marion will provide support for three major gift officers and help increase productivity and efficiency through the donor identification, cultivation, and solicitation process. She has over 17 years experience working with customers and building relationships across a number of organizations, with 12 of those years in leadership positions. Most recently, she was a production manager at Custom Ink, overseeing the digital printing division. She is used to prioritizing various tasks, running reports, and analyzing data to help her implement more efficient ways for herself and others to succeed.
Outside of work, Sarah loves baking (especially cookies!) for her husband Omar and daughter, Violet, and also thrifting for unique items and hanging out with their two dogs.
New Hires
Andy Levinsky
Senior Writer
UVA Health Development
As Senior Writer, Andy Levinsky will help UVA Health achieve its fundraising goals by conceptualizing, writing and editing engaging content and proposals that excite readers and inspire philanthropic support.
Andy brings a wealth of communications experience to this position, including a decade as editor-in-chief for Suffolk University’s advancement magazine, which has been recognized with dozens of national awards. He also held editorial and writing positions at Regis College and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Additionally, he was a writer/producer for WBZ/CBS television in Boston and has written numerous articles for the Boston Globe.
Outside of work, in addition to writing for pleasure, Andy enjoys swimming and is a restaurant enthusiast.
New Hires
Meg Flanagan
Donor Experience Officer
University Advancement
As a Donor Experience Officer, Meg Flanagan will connect with undergraduate alumni, deepening their engagement with UVA and renewing their annual support. Meg graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English Literature, and initially pursued a career in journalism in New York, working as a producer at CNN, Bloomberg News, and the Huffington Post. She then transitioned to an investor relations role for a private equity firm before moving down to Charlottesville, where she continued her career in business development at a local organization serving women in financial services.
Meg enjoys hiking on local trails, running and biking on dirt roads, and playing with her two young kids and Boykin Spaniel in the backyard.
Brian Morris
Advancement Associate, Advancement Communications
University Advancement
Brian Morris joins the Advancement Communications team to help with project management, scheduling, and just about everything else. He previously worked at UVA Health, then as shipping lead for Virginia Diodes. We're thrilled to have him return to UVA.
Fun facts about Brian: he prefers analog watches and enjoys watching baseball.
New Hires
Dymond Boone
Assistant Director of Development
Madison House
In her new role, Dymond Boone is responsible for managing annual giving efforts, assisting in advancement operations, event management, and overseeing donor relations and stewardship. She has previously worked at the Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA and Philadelphia Museum of Art in advancement operations and grant management.
Outside of the office, Dymond can be found spending time with her family, reading or shopping.
New Hires
Amy Alberti
Associate Director, Advancement Marketing
McIntire
As an integral member of the McIntire Advancement team, Amy will create and execute communications that effectively convey McIntire’s mission and the impact of philanthropic funds for the strategic growth of the School. Amy launched her advancement career at the University of Richmond – where she was promoted three times within the Office of Annual Giving – starting as an Administrative Coordinator for Class Giving, to Project Operations for Annual Giving, to the Assistant Director of Annual Giving. She most recently worked as a Senior Account Manager at EAB, a consulting firm where she served as the lead contact for 15+ higher education clients on their advancement marketing efforts.
Virginia Dolan
University Advancement Ambassador
Virginia Dolan joins us as a University Advancement Ambassador, where she will connect with UVA alumni, parents, and other potential donors to work towards fulfilling the Honor the Future campaign. Virginia graduated from UVA in December 2022 with a bachelors’s degree in history, as well as global studies security and justice. At UVA, she facilitated for Hoos Connected, an organization that aims to build connections between first year and transfer students, for two and a half years.
Outside of UVA, she has been a tour guide at Monticello, interpreter services intern at the IRC, and manager at Timberwood Tap House. Her undergraduate research for her global studies security and justice major surrounded modern perceptions of Benito Mussolini in the Italian media. Additionally, her research for her history major surrounded variations in the motivations women disguised as men, and men themselves, experienced when fighting in the Civil War.
In her free time, Virginia enjoys spending time with friends, going to spin classes, and spending time outdoors.
Chris Neal
Director of Development, Medical Alumni
UVA Health Development
In this role, Chris will lead the Medical Alumni team of Hudson Clare, Morgan Shedd, and Lizzie Holland to secure significant resources to advance the mission of the School of Medicine, and provide ongoing support to our medical students and faculty. Chris will lead the team through the remaining two years of the Honor the Future campaign and beyond, partner with chairs to identify alumni donors, collaborate with the MAA to leverage engagement opportunities for donor discovery, build strategy to deploy major gift officers, and solicit a portfolio of major gift prospects.
Chris joins us from Longwood University where he served as Assistant Vice President for Leadership & Planned Giving. He led a team of gift officers to serve as generalists, fundraising for the greater Longwood community. During the course of Chris’s tenure, he has played an integral role in increasing Longwood’s endowment from $51.8M to over $100M.
Chris holds a Master of Sport Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Longwood University. Chris and his wife, Caroline, have three sons: Luca (13), Julian (11), and Dominic (8). When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports (particularly football and basketball), and assisting his wife with her non-profit, Worthdays.
Role Change
Jess Hamilton
Chief Program Officer
UVA Alumni Association
During her 13-year tenure at the Alumni Association, Jess Hamilton has supported and led newly incubated and flagship engagement programs. In addition, she successfully led the expansion and re-organization of the Alumni Programs team last summer, further aligning our capabilities with our strategic priorities. In her new role, she looks forward to collaborating across the Alumni Career Services, Alumni Programs, College Compass, and Student Engagement teams and working in deeper alignment with programmatic and shared-services teams across the University to more fully integrate the work we do together.
New Hires
Erin Johnson
Briefings and Communications Specialist
University Advancement
Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, who goes by Erin, joins University Advancement’s Principal Gifts team this week as the Briefings and Communications Specialist. Erin will lead strategic communications for the University’s principal gifts program, including preparing briefings for senior leaders, supporting proposal development, and advising and assisting on communications for or regarding top donors, including correspondence and reporting on gifts of $1M or more.
Before joining UVA, Erin worked at the RAND Corporation for more than 15 years, most recently leading the publishing program as the director of Research Editorial and Production.
A recent transplant to the area, Erin enjoys reading, walking, playing piano, singing, cooking, and staring for hours at the beautiful trees and mountains around her new home. She’s also the official beer taste-tester for her husband-turned-homebrewer, Mike.
Role Changes
Trecia Gunnoe
Assistant Director of Stewardship
McIntire
In her new role at McIntire, Trecia Gunnoe will support endowment and scholarship reporting, lead efforts and events to educate McIntire students about the impact of philanthropy, and help execute a comprehensive strategy for stewardship and donor engagement efforts. Trecia previously worked in University Advancement's Office of Engagement as a project associate, where she was an invaluable asset to Lifetime Learning and Alumni & Parent Travel. She managed the Thoughts From the Lawn blog, hosted stellar virtual webinars before worldwide audiences, handled reimbursements for all travels, and staffed and helped coordinate countless in-person programs.
Trecia has a background in teaching – most recently at Charlottesville Day School – and is also the parent of a rising third-year at UVA.
New Hires
Nick Delaney
Senior Associate Director of Development, Cancer Programs
UVA Health Development
Nick Delaney will garner support for UVA Cancer, managing a portfolio of donors with a focus on major gifts, and staffing a subset of our cancer providers to grow patient philanthropy and grow support for their work. He joins us from the National Geographic Society, where he worked with principal and major gift donors throughout the Eastern part of the U.S. Nick enjoys working with donors, helping to guide their gifting to maximize impact. He has been in fundraising for 10 years, having worked at the University of Michigan, UVA's Darden School of Business, Washington State University and most recently at National Geographic. Before turning to fundraising, Nick spent nearly twenty years as a portfolio manager and wealth strategist for high net worth clients in Central Florida, where he utilized tax efficient strategies for his clients' philanthropic interests.
Nick is originally from England, is married to his wonderful wife Dana, and has three awesome children Ben (wife Alex), Chris and Emily, and Lola, their sheepadoodle. For relaxation, Nick enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf and exploring scenic routeways.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Holland
Associate Director of Development, School of Medicine
UVA Health Development
Lizzie Holland is excited to join Morgan Shedd and Hudson Clare on the Medical Alumni team where she will carry a portfolio of School of Medicine Alumni donors, solicit major gifts, and coordinate with Chairs and the MAA team to advance the mission of the School of Medicine. A native of Richmond, Lizzie is making the move to Charlottesville from Bozeman, Montana, where she held the position of Regional Director of Development at Montana State University. Previously, she lived in New York City and worked for institutions including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Lizzie holds a B.A. in American Studies & Theatre Arts from Dickinson College and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University.
Lizzie actively volunteers with various local and national nonprofits. In her free time, she enjoys needlepointing, skiing, and is always up for an adventure!
Dirk Katstra
Senior Executive Director, Principal Gifts
University Advancement
For nearly 30 years, Dirk Katstra successfully led the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF). During his tenure, the team at VAF spearheaded fundraising for a significant number of capital projects--JPJA, the Scott Stadium expansion, Palmer Park, Davenport Field/Disharoon Park, indoor and outdoor tennis facilities, the golf performance center, the track facility, the George Welsh Indoor Practice Facility, and the Athletics Master Plan--while simultaneously raising scholarships and operational support for our 27 athletics teams. Most recently, Dirk led VAF in achieving its $500M Honor the Future campaign goal more than two years ahead of schedule.
Now that VAF has surpassed its campaign goal, Dirk is joining University Advancement’s Principal Gifts team, where he’ll put his significant experience in raising principal gifts, and in fundraising for capital projects, to work in support of University priorities.
Dirk and his wife, Michelle, have three children – Austin (UVa 2020), Ryleigh (Duke 2024) and Ryan (UVa 2026). Originally from Kansas City, he enjoys BBQ and is a Kansas City Chiefs fan.
Megan Liu Lizarme
Project Associate, Digital Engagement and Communications
University Advancement
Megan Liu Lizarme joins the Digital Engagement team, where she will produce digital communications, event analysis, and work with all facets of our digital marketing. Megan comes to us from Indiana University, most recently as Creative Project Manager at the Kelley School of Business.
She is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Jeffrey Reason
Project Associate, University Annual Giving
University Advancement
Jeffrey Reason will provide project management and administrative support for the Donor Experience Officer program, Next Generation Philanthropy, and The Virginia Fund. A graduate of Longwood University, where he is also pursing a master's degree, he most recently worked at Hampden-Sydney College as Assistant Director of Employer Relations in their Career Center.
Outside of work, Jeffrey loves to garden and discuss TV shows and film. His Yorkie and Poodle mix, Gizmo, ensures his life never has a dull moment.
Jacqui Wood
Assistant Director of Donor Relations
University Advancement
Jacqui Wood has joined the Donor Relations team as an event planner and strategist who will manage a robust portfolio of Advancement events. Jacqui will work with Advancement and MOU partners to execute highly curated events, including board meetings, receptions, tours, and dinners. She comes to us from the University of Mary Washington, where she served as Director of Advancement and Alumni Events, planning and executing events such as Reunion Weekend and Presidential roadshows.
Jacqui loves to bake with her daughter (not much help at a year old, but she definitely adds the spice), spend time on the lake or family farm, and experience new places and food with her family.
Farewells
Catalina Wilkins
Catalina Wilkins is leaving her role as Associate Director, Next Generation Philanthropy, but not UVA, as she embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse herself and her family in all things UVA men's basketball with her husband's move from Graduate Assistant to Assistant Coach. Catalina is the founding architect of our Next Generation Philanthropy program, and her legacy will be felt at the University of Virginia for decades to come. Catalina transformed Cavalier Connect into the student engagement center it is today. In partnership with the Alumni Association, she set participation records for fourth-year giving (over 2,100 in FY23!) Catalina reframed student and alumni giving with CIOs and launched a peer-to-peer fundraising pilot. She will be missed in University Advancement, and we are delighted she will remain in Charlottesville as a vital part of our UVA community. Congratulations, Catalina!
New Hires
Megan Black
Assistant Director, Direct Marketing
University Advancement
Megan Black will work with the University Annual Giving content team to develop and implement the appeal strategies for four schools and units partners through print, digital and emerging technologies. Megan comes to us from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she served as the Director of Annual Giving. At UNLV, Megan's efforts resulted in a 141% increase in annual fund gifts from FY22. Megan also served as the Associate Director of Development for UNLV's School of Nursing.
Megan enjoys golfing, reading, college basketball, cooking, and baking. (She used to have her own small baking business.) Her husband is in the Air Force.
Kelli Sutton Block
Associate Director of Development, Student Enrichment
University Advancement
As Associate Director of Development, Student Enrichment, Kelli Sutton Block’s work will focus primarily on discovering new donors and building a pipeline to support our Contemplative Sciences Center and Student Health and Wellness programs.
A graduate of the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University, Kelli is a licensed clinical social worker having specialized in treating the effects of trauma. As a mother of four and yoga practitioner for 25 years, she is committed to students' overall wellness and balance.
Liz DeLaet
Advancement Coordinator
University Advancement
Liz DeLaet, joins the University Priorities team as Advancement Coordinator, where she will support Chris Barnes, JaPrince Carter and Jake Pittman. Liz comes to us from the Academic Medical Advancement office at Dartmouth College, where she supported six fundraisers.
Outside of work, Liz is a visual artist and musician, She enjoys coming up with recipes in the kitchen, long walks exploring new places with her partner, Chris, and working on projects in her new home.
Teresa Liu
Associate Director for Prospect Analytics
University Advancement
Teresa Liu joins Prospect Management, Research, and Analytics as the Associate Director for Prospect Analytics, where she will lead the Analytics team to provide data and insights to inform fundraising strategies and grow the pipeline of support in the new liaison model. In addition, Teresa will work closely with the schools and units in Pod 5.
Teresa comes to us from the Art Institute of Chicago, where she worked for the last six years as Associate Director of Prospect Management. In this role, she facilitated portfolio consultations, delivered forecasting & analytics to gift officers, and identified new prospects for the museum. Prior to the Art Institute, Teresa worked in community economic development and marketing research.
Teresa resides in Chicago, IL with her husband, Sam. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, rock climbing, hiking, visiting museums, and trying new restaurants. Teresa serves on the board of Apra-Illinois.
Maren Sautter
University Advancement Ambassador
University Advancement
Maren Sautter joins us as a University Advancement Ambassador, where she will help to create a pipeline of new major gift donors through proactive discovery. Maren graduated from the University of Virginia this past May with a distinguished major in history and a minor in sociology. At UVA, she served on the executive team of the student organization She Writes History, which focuses on elevating the narratives of women and marginalized communities through historical scholarship and community engagement. She conducted undergraduate research with the Department of History for her thesis examining the network of eugenics policy and legislation between Nazi Germany and the United States. Previously, she worked for the Lorna Sundberg International Center and on the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society's oral history project, No Playbook, featuring narratives on school integration during Virginia's massive resistance era.
In her free time, Maren enjoys rowing, playing the violin, baking, and volunteering for Charlottesville Area Riding Therapy.
Bradley Scheftner
Assistant Director, Next Generation Philanthropy
University Advancement
Bradley Scheftner will serve as Assistant Director for Next Generation Philanthropy, overseeing Cavalier Connect, the 50+ student fundraising center, as it expands into an omni-channel engagement center. Bradley comes to us from a consulting background, where he worked with clients to problem-solve on a variety of topics including sales, digital marketing, and system streamlining.
Outside of work, Bradley enjoys golf, mountain and road biking, and cooking.
Role Changes
Ashley Gresh
Senior Associate Director, Digital Engagement
University Advancement
Ashley Gresh has been promoted to Senior Associate Director, Digital Engagement. In her four years with the Digital Engagement team, Ashley has established herself as an expert marketer, forward thinker, and all around wonderful colleague who rises to every challenge. The impact of her work is seen throughout all aspects of the Office of Engagement and with partners across Grounds.
New Hires
Warren Buford
Executive Director of Development, UVA Engineering
Warren Buford is the new Executive Director of Development for the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Executive Director of the University of Virginia Engineering Foundation (UVEF). This marks a homecoming for Warren, who came to Charlottesville seventeen years ago to start at UVA as the Associate Vice President for Major Gifts at UVEF. He then went on to become Executive Director of the UVA School of Architecture Foundation and has spent the last ten years as the Associate Head of School for Advancement at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville.
Warren has two teenage sons, so he spends a lot of time outside of work keeping up with family. His interests include tennis, basketball, travel, hiking and he loves a good South Africa braai (barbecue). He is involved with his church, Olivet Presbyterian, serves on the board of the Center for Non-Profit Excellence, and has been active with CASE.
Role Changes
Sherry Burnett
Associate Director for Gift Accounting
University Advancement
Sherry Burnett was recently promoted to Associate Director for Gift Accounting after previously serving as a Gift Accountant and Assistant Director for Gift Accounting. Sherry has been at UVA for 27+ years, having previously worked in Student Health. We are excited to welcome her into this expanded role where she will build on her experience and work more directly with our partners in schools, units and UAOs.
Emma English
Assistant Director, UVA Clubs Global Network
University Advancement
In her new role, Emma English will work with a portfolio of UVA Club boards and volunteer leaders, supporting their programming and community-building efforts, and serving as their liaison to updates from Grounds. Emma is a 2022 graduate of UVA who joined the Office of Engagement last summer as a Donor Experience Officer, making outreach contacts in a portfolio of 1000+ alumni donors.
Sarah Robinson
Assistant Director of Pipeline Analytics
University Advancement
Sarah Robinson joins the Prospect Management, Research, and Analytics team as the Assistant Director of Pipeline Analytics. A 2018 graduate of the College, Sarah was coined the “Girl Friday” of Donor Relations; as she helped everyone on the team in tasks such as report review and creation, event and ThankView management, Leaders in Philanthropy execution, and so much more. During her three and a half years with the team, she grew the formerly known ‘Thank-A-Donor-Day’ and turned it into her own cross-Grounds success as “Hoos Grateful.” During that time, she also found a new niche and love for data and analytics, which led her to enroll in the Master of Science in Business Analytics program at McIntire and Darden, where she will graduate this July with honors.
In her new role, Sarah will liaise with the Office of Engagement and Annual Giving to support their reporting and analytics needs and help build the pipeline of support for the current and future campaigns. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys reading, listening to thrift shop records, exploring old ruins on her travels, and completing crossword puzzles and trivia games with her fiancée, Ryan.
New Hires
Sharath Bhat
Associate Director of Business Intelligence
University Advancement
Sharath Bhat will serve as an Associate Director of Business Intelligence, applying his technical expertise with reporting and data management to our data, and helping develop new and improved reporting and insights for our community. Sharath comes to us from the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University, where he has worked for the last five years as a Senior Data Analytics Developer.
Sharath is a huge sports fan and hopes to watch Liverpool, his favorite football/soccer team, play at their home stadium, Anfield, one day. He is also a big foodie and loves trying new restaurants and finding the best place in town for ice cream.
Alyssa Champa
Prospect Management Analyst, University Advancement
Alyssa Champa joins the Prospect Management, Research and Analytics team where she will provide strategic support, goal setting, and data analysis for units across Grounds in Pod 4.
Before coming to UVA, Alyssa attended the University of Dallas and then joined their Advancement Team under Alumni Relations. In this role, she managed alumni communications and events, provided donor stewardship, and ensured accurate alumni and donor data.
Outside of work, she loves to travel, bake, and watch movies. Alyssa and her husband are always looking for their next place to try new desserts.
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