See How the Advancement Community is Changing
University Advancement proudly acknowledges and congratulates the following individuals on their recent promotions:
Courtney Bibb, Managing Director, UVA Parents
Dan Biggs, Associate Director Business Intelligence Analyst
Matthew Blough, Assistant Director for Digital Engagement and Communications
Charity Boudouris, Senior Director, Campaign Communications
Jenn Cornell, Director of Development, Education
Chrissy Gibbons, Senior Director of Development for Medical Research, UVA Health
Steve Glass, Director of Gift and UAO Business Administration
Bo Greenwood, Executive Director of Development
Amelia Kelly, Senior Prospect Researcher
Tiffany Morris, Associate Director for Donor Relations
Mary Lynn Musser, Associate Director for Alumni and Parent Travel
Pat O'Donnell, Senior Associate Director, Reunion Giving
David Pinker, Executive Director for Advancement Technology Solutions
Jake Pittman, Director of Major Gifts, University Priorities
Amy Quick, Project Lead, UVA Cancer Programs
Sarah Robinson, Associate Director for Advancement Analytics
Matt Rose, Senior Associate Director for Business Intelligence & Reporting
David Vargo, Systems Administrator
New Role
Gina DeMattia
Associate Director, Leadership Annual Giving
Darden
We are thrilled to announce that Gina DeMattia is taking on new responsibilities at the Darden School Foundation, transitioning into the role of Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving. Since joining Darden in 2019, Gina has shown remarkable initiative and dedication in managing volunteer relationships and leading class giving efforts for 1984-2004. In her new role, she joins Darden’s Frontline Fundraising team, overseeing a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects. Her focus will be on growing the Darden Society and strengthening the Foundation’s ‘Next Gen’ pipeline. We are confident that Gina will excel in this role and look forward to the positive impact she will undoubtedly make. Please join us in congratulating Gina!
Farewell
Abigail Simmerman
Donor Experience Officer
Engagement
Please join the Donor Experience team in wishing a warm farewell to Abigail Simmerman as she leaves her role to pursue her PhD at Penn State this fall. Abigail’s last day at UVA will be July 26. Since joining the Office of Engagement as a Donor Experience Officer in 2022, Abigail has met with hundreds of donors and helped secure significant support for the University. She has also been an active member of OOE’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee, leading the recent roundtable series. Join us in congratulating Abigail on pursuing this new challenge; she will be missed!
Best Wishes, Abigail!
Previous Staffing Matters Announcements
New Staff
Maeve Hayden
Assistant Director of Donor Relations
University Advancement
A graduate of UVA’s College of Arts and Sciences, Maeve brings a wealth of experience to the role, from internships at the Virginia Festival of the Book and the Maxine Platzer Women’s Center, to several years’ experience as a writer and editor at the Cville Weekly, and a wealth of experience pitching, researching, and writing profiles, interviews, food, art, music and more as a freelance writer for weekly newspapers and magazines, and more. In addition to this professional experience, Maeve earned her Masters in Publishing from George Washington University in 2022.
Most recently, since February 2024, Maeve has been part of the Office of Engagement in the temporary role of Donor Relations Writer and Project Coordinator. In this capacity, Maeve collaborated with colleagues across Grounds to write and send hundreds of personalized gift acknowledgement letters to top donors across the University on behalf of President Ryan and Mark Luellen, and she will continue to manage and finesse this program in her new role.
Justin Spence
Associate Director of Development
Engineering
Justin has extensive experience in constituent relations including board management, volunteer engagement, annual giving and event execution. He enjoys craft breweries, kayaking and spending time in Charleston, South Carolina with his two nieces, Millie and Charlie.
New Role
Joyce Chow
Donor Experience Officer
Engagement
Joyce has served for a little over two years as a University Advancement Ambassador. Her creativity and compassion have left a lasting impact on the hundreds of alumni with whom she has met. Joyce is a soon-to-be Double Hoo, having graduated with her BA in Foreign Affairs in 2018 and is currently finishing up her M.Ed. in Educational Psychology. She also holds a Master of Studies in the History of Design from the University of Oxford and a Graduate Diploma in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art.
Farewell
Sarah Mullen
Director of Campaign Initiatives
Engineering
Sarah Mullen is departing UVA this summer to become the Director of Donor Relations for the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) in Charlottesville, VA. We are happy for this great opportunity for Sarah, as she will build out a new role for SELC to grow their donor and board engagement strategies. We are so appreciative of the many ways Sarah has served the UVA School of Engineering, the UVEF Board, and UVA Advancement over her nearly eight years with UVA Engineering (and seven years prior in other roles at UVA). She has been such a valuable, collaborative member of the advancement operation and important connection for many across advancement and the University. We hope to find a time to toast her many contributions to UVA in the fall! Please join us in thanking Sarah and wishing her all the best!
Best Wishes, Sarah!
New Role
Rachel Sigler
Associate Director of Development
University Priorities
Rachel Sigler joined The Office of Engagement’s University Annual Giving Team in July 2022. During her tenure, she has served as the strategic partner for annual giving appeals, stewardship, and as a frontline fundraiser, meeting one-on-one with prospects, and soliciting gifts for The Virginia Fund. Through these efforts, Rachel oversaw over $3.75 million from over 5,000 unique donors -the majority of whom are repeat donors - to The Virginia Fund in the last two years. In addition to all her efforts with The Virginia Fund, Rachel was an active OOE colleague, staffing a variety of engagement events and participating on committees in OOE and University Advancement.
Prior to joining UVA, Rachel worked for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she executed international donor trips and supported the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts. In her new role, Rachel will expand her portfolio to include Global Philanthropic Priorities – there are over 30,000 alumni with study abroad experiences - in addition to The Virginia Fund’s major gift prospects in her territory. She will also be well-versed in other UVA priorities (e.g., scholarships, historic preservation, student affairs, DEI). Rachel will serve as a resource to other Major Gift Officers within University Priorities who will solicit gifts on behalf of The Virginia Fund in their territories. Rachel continues as the strategic partner for The Virginia Fund, liaising with the President’s Office, the Office of Engagement’s University Annual Giving Direct Marketing and Virtual Philanthropy, and Event Experiences teams to deliver annual giving appeals and any donor stewardship events. Rachel will support occasional UVA Global donor-facing events and communications.
New Staff
John Pilat
Advancement Associate, Operations
University Advancement
Before joining University Advancement, I worked as an English teacher. My wife and I have lived in Charlottesville for over ten years, and we love going on walks and playing board games.
Mike Darrah
Digital Experience and Communications Technology Lead
University Advancement
Mike is an experienced IT Consultant, User Experience (UX) Developer, Web Developer, Graphic Designer, and System Engineer. He has diverse management experience with running his own Web & Marketing agency, working directly in multiple higher education environments as well as high-tech (MEMS) sales management experience. Mike has worked in the music industry managing websites and digital media for clients such as Blues Traveler, and George Clinton, and was formerly a writer for Winamp.com during the digital music revolution of the early 2000's. In his spare time, Mike is an avid photographer and concert videographer, still contributing to the music industry with his website hitskeeper.com.
New Role
Josh Barnes
Assistant Director of Development
University Priorities
Congratulations to Josh Barnes who accepted a new role on the University Priorities regional team as Assistant Director of Development! Josh has spent the past two years cultivating his frontline skills through discovery visits as a University Advancement Ambassador. We look forward to the good work he will continue to do as a development officer through the end of the campaign and beyond!
Virginia Dolan
Assistant Director of Development
University Priorities
Congratulations to Virginia Dolan who accepted a new role on the University Priorities regional team as Assistant Director of Development! Virginia has spent the past year cultivating her frontline skills through discovery visits as a University Advancement Ambassador, in addition to her experience serving as a manager at a local restaurant and a tour guide at Monticello. We look forward to the good work she will continue to do as a development officer through the end of the campaign and beyond!
Farewell
Maren Sautter
University Advancement Ambassador
UA - Development
Maren Sautter joined University Advancement in July 2023, where she helped to create a pipeline of new major gift donors through proactive discovery. Maren graduated from the University of Virginia in May 2023 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. Maren will begin her graduate studies here at UVA this fall. Joining us in wishing Maren all the best.
Best Wishes, Maren!
New Staff
Nora Raleigh
Donor Experience Officer
Office of Engagement, University Advancement
Nora graduated from UVA this spring with a B.A. in Public Policy & Leadership and she has worked for UVA's Office for Sustainability for the past three years. In her free time, Nora loves to spend time with loved ones, try out new recipes, and enjoy the outdoors.
New Role
Megan Black
Associate Director, Direct Marketing
Office of Engagement, University Advancement
Megan has been with the Office of Engagement since July 2023. Before joining UVA, she worked in advancement offices at UNLV and William & Mary. In her new role, Megan will continue to work directly with partners to execute omni-channel appeals in an effort to increase revenue and undergraduate alumni participation.
Megan enjoys golfing, reading, college basketball, cooking, and baking. (She used to have her own small baking business.)
Mary Finnerty
Data Analyst
Operations, University Advancement
Please join the Direct Marketing and Prospect Management, Research, and Analytics (PMR&A) teams in congratulating Mary Finnerty on her new role as a Data Analyst on the PMR&A team! Mary officially transitioned to this position on Monday, June 24. Since joining the Direct Marketing team just over a year ago, Mary quickly became a subject matter expert in all things data. She is a fast and curious learner who, in that time, became proficient at SQL, building Cognos reports and Tableau dashboards, all while improving leadership annual giving segmentation, and so much more.
In this new role, Mary will be supporting the Office of Engagement and senior leadership by providing high-level analysis and reporting solutions that will enhance our strategic, data-driven decision-making. She will work with Sarah Robinson in Pod 6 on analyzing data to grow our pipeline from engaged constituents to annual giving donors and beyond.
New Staff
Mary Denlinger
Executive Director
Madison House
Mary Denlinger has been appointed Madison House's new Executive Director, effective June 10. Mary earned her M.Ed. in College Student Personnel Administration at James Madison University and has vast experience facilitating the progression of students’ learning beyond the bounds of campus through student-led community engagement. She most recently served as Curricular Development Manager for the Community Engagement and Volunteer Center at James Madison University. Over the past 20 years she has also led teams connecting thousands of students to volunteer opportunities at George Mason University, Georgetown University, Elon University, and Gonzaga University. Mary is excited at the prospect of working actively to help our students to continue to find ways to build student public service to build leadership skills, and cultivate a lifelong commitment to service, while engaging thoughtfully with the community to address critical needs, and make a lasting, positive impact.
Becky Bennett
Advancement Associate, Operations
University Advancement
Becky joins the Advancement Operations team as an Advancement Associate. For the past five years, she worked in Advancement at a private school in Charlottesville. There, she enjoyed building relationships, planning events and database work. In her free time, she loves spending time with my family, gardening and reading. Becky also likes to be challenged and to learn new things.
New Role
Karen Nuelle
Director of Development
Engineering
We are thrilled to announce that Karen Nuelle will be joining the UVA Engineering Advancement team as a Director of Development. Karen brings a wealth of experience both at UVa and beyond to this new role, supporting Engineering’s growing advancement initiatives.
Over the past five years, Karen has been instrumental in the expansion of the UVA Parents Program, serving as an associate director of development. She has also worked closely with parents and alumni of the College in a donor relations and events role previously.
We are grateful for all that Karen has contributed to the UVa Advancement community and are excited about this new opportunity for her.
New Staff
Laura Barham
Development Coordinator, UVA Health Initiatives
University Advancement, Health Development
Laura graduated from UVA in 2019 with a degree in Anthropology & Linguistics, and in 2023, she received her Master's by Research in Anthropology from Durham University in England. Having loved her time as a student, Laura stayed in Charlottesville between her undergraduate and Master's education, working as a Front of House Manager at Mellow Mushroom and as a Teaching Assistant at Albemarle High School.
In her new role, Laura will provide support for development officers focused on a few unique and growing areas of UVA Health including community engagement, health equity, midlife health and research departments and centers.
In her spare time, Laura enjoys reading, learning new things, and crafting. Her master’s thesis focused on the production and use of string objects in Oceania, so she enjoys learning about & engaging with material culture at museums, as well as making crafts of her own. She hopes to volunteer at the Kluge-Ruhe to further engage with both the University and Charlottesville Community.
New Staff
Jayla Gilliam
Assistant Director of Development, Batten
University Advancement
Jayla joins UVA after fundraising in the university advancement and political fundraising realms for the past 4 years. She loves spending time with her family and trying new foods in her spare time.
Farewell
Sophie Pugh
Development Associate, Fralin Museum of Art
University Advancement
Sophie Pugh’s last day at the University of Virginia was May 20. We wish her all the best in her next adventures!
Best wishes, Sophie!
New Staff
Abby Ramsay
Assistant Director, Donor Relations
University Advancement
Abby is originally from Virginia Beach but has most recently lived in Washington, DC since graduating from James Madison University in May 2022. In DC, she has worked as a corporate fitness center director and personal trainer. Abby is so excited to join the UVA community and transition her skills and experience into working with the Donor Relations team. In her free time, Abby likes to hike, spend time with friends and family, dabble in photography, and dance.
Role Changes
Mary Katherine Barbour
Senior Director of Strategic Gifts
Darden
Mary Katherine has been promoted to Senior Director of Strategic Gifts. In this role, she will continue to manage and coordinate all aspects of Darden’s Gift Planning Program in partnership with Central Gift Planning and focus on cultivating meaningful relationships with a portfolio of prospective donors who have the potential to make principal gifts of $5M+. In this role she will work closely with donors and others across the Darden enterprise to maximize donors’ philanthropic support and personal engagement with Darden and focus on long-range strategic priorities and transformational giving opportunities.
Congratulations, Mary Katherine!
Carter Hoerr
Senior Advisor to the Foundation President
Darden
Carter will build on his current role as a senior advisor to the advancement team and transition to a role as Senior Advisor to the President in the Foundation President’s office. In this role, he will work closely and strategically with Rob to maximize the impact and effectiveness of our advancement work and the Foundation. He will support Rob’s activities and interactions with key Foundation stakeholders and serve as a liaison to the Dean’s Office on advancement related activities. Carter will serve on the Foundation Senior Leadership Team and continue to manage a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects, oversee the Powered by Purpose Campaign and work closely with the Campaign Cabinet and other stakeholders to achieve campaign success.
Kim McKean
Senior Associate Director Advancement Operations
Darden
Kim has been promoted to Senior Associate Director of Advancement Operations. In this role, Kim is responsible for managing Darden’s advancement data and reporting infrastructure to support world-class constituent engagement and fundraising success. Jose will report to Kim and together they will ensure that fundraising and engagement strategy is informed by sound data which includes implementing metrics, reports, systems, and processes to promote effective and efficient fundraising and stakeholder engagement. Kim will manage and prepare information to guide sound and effective business decisions and ensure that systems and processes run smoothly. Kim will work closely with Isaac, Jose and advancement department leaders to regularly assess the needs and opportunities of team, evaluate how Advancement Operations can support these needs, and promote cross-team collaboration.
Isaac Stephenraj
Senior Director, Advancement Systems Strategy
Darden
As we prepare for the upcoming Salesforce CRM implementation, evaluate myriad new technology solutions, and integrate AI into our advancement and engagement work , Issaac is transitioning to a new role as Senior Director, Advancement Systems Strategy. In this role, Isaac will play a pivotal role in shaping the systems that support Darden’s strategic fundraising and engagement efforts, and act as a liaison between the advancement/engagement and technology teams. He will help identify business challenges and opportunities and recommend and implement IT solutions that align with and meet business needs. He will continue to serve as the primary liaison with UVA on the Salesforce CRM implementation and will continue to serve on the University Advancement Technology Steering Committee.
Farewell
Jeffrey Reason
Project Associate, University Annual Giving
University Advancement
Jeffrey Reason's last day at the University of Virginia was May 6. We wish him well in his next adventures!
Best wishes, Jeffrey!
New Staff
Agatha Walker
Donor Experience Officer
University Advancement
Agatha Walker joins University Advancement this week as a Donor Experience Officer, where she 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.
Agatha grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, attended Williams College, and then spent decades working in advertising sales in New York City. She now resides in Madison, CT with her husband (UVA '96) and 3 children, and enjoys life on the Connecticut shoreline.
Britany Wentz
Associate Director, Event Experiences
University Advancement
Britany Wentz joins the Event Experiences team as an associate director, where she will serve as lead event planner and strategist for a robust portfolio of University Advancement events. She brings over a decade of dedicated experience in event management, specializing in creating unforgettable experiences.
In her free time, Britany enjoys cheering on the DC sports teams, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and listening to Taylor Swift.
Farewell
Caroline Livingston
Associate Director of Donor Relations
University Advancement
Please join the Donor Relations team in congratulating Caroline Livingston on her new role as Director of Donor Relations with Washington State University! Caroline’s last day with UVA will be Friday, May 10, and she will start her new (remote) role later this month.
Since joining the Donor Relations team in 2018, Caroline has been an essential contributor to our donor stewardship program and the greater Advancement Community. As the lead strategist on our pan-University Leaders in Philanthropy program, she was responsible for stewardship of donors with collective lifetime giving of over $5B. In this capacity, Caroline designed and implemented a tremendous number of new events and communication strategies to surprise, delight, and increase top donor affinity for UVA. In addition to growing the Leaders program, Caroline was essential in creating our first 25 custom stewardship plans for top donors, as well as designing and launching a new program to recognize donor milestones with highly-customized gifts.
Throughout her time at UVA, Caroline has been an engaged and dedicated member of the Advancement community taking on roles like co-chair of the ACE Committee, serving as an active member of OOE’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice Committee, and taking on the role of co-chair of the Stewardship Community of Practice. She is widely known for her creativity, get-things-done mentality, her notable generosity, and for being a wildly kind and caring colleague to all who know her. Please join us in celebrating Caroline, she will be missed!
Role Changes
Nicole LaBruno
Assistant Project Manager
University Advancement Operations
Nicole has been with University Advancement since 2004 and throughout her tenure has adeptly navigated various roles, from web developer to data specialist. For the past 12 years, she has been the primary liaison for Advancement Communications, overseeing 100+ projects annually. In her new role, Nicole will serve as a collaborative force, actively engaging across multiple projects to streamline processes, monitor progress and track goals-based key performance indicators (KPIs).
Nicole is the proud mom of Michael, now 16, is a Peloton junkie, loves traveling, and spending time with her family.
Katherine Leatherman
Senior Associate Director, Direct Marketing
University Advancement
In her new role as the Senior Associate Director, Katherine will be supervising four project managers within the Direct Marketing team and helping to guide the strategy and execution of appeals for school and unit partners.
Katherine has more than 10 years of experience at UVA with 4 of those years in University Annual Giving. Since joining University Annual Giving, Katherine has executed more than 200 direct marketing appeals and worked with 19 different school and unit partners.
Farewells
Nicole Thomas
Director of Development for Student Affairs
University Advancement
Starting May 6th, Nicole Thomas will embark on a new journey within the University community, assuming the pivotal role of Commons Director for the Contemplative Sciences Center, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in her career.
Nicole's transition into this role is a testament to her multifaceted talents and dedication. With her background in both student wellness research and development, Nicole is uniquely poised to lead the center's programming and operations. Her passion for supporting student flourishing, coupled with her extensive relationships across the University community and Student Affairs, ensures that she will forge impactful partnerships and cultivate enriching opportunities.
One colleague beautifully encapsulated Nicole's impact when introducing her to a prospective donor, saying, "Nicole heads up the fundraising side of things for Student Affairs, but even more importantly she is a true Student Affairs professional in every sense of the word. Nicole’s passion lies within helping give our students the world-class experience they deserve while they are on Grounds."
Please join us in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Nicole and expressing gratitude for her unwavering dedication to securing resources for our students. While we bid farewell to her in her current role in University Advancement, we eagerly anticipate the positive contributions she will continue to make in this new capacity. Nicole's presence at UVA remains a source of strength, and we wholeheartedly support her in this exciting new chapter of her career.
Jill Pollard
Digital Communications Specialist
University Advancement Operations
It is with mixed emotions that we announce the departure of Jill Pollard from Advancement Operations. Since she joined us in September 2022, Jill has been a huge asset to our team. She’s enhanced the look and feel of our Take 5 newsletter and has boosted the Advancement Hub with key content like Staffing Matters, the latest events, and all the buzz about AI and the CRM project.
Jill’s a Cvent guru, turning our Day and Week of Learning websites from meh to wow and making the registration process easier for our users. And let’s not forget the digital treasure trove she’s created – from the warm welcomes for new hires to the snazzy LinkedIn announcements and those eye-catching infographics and reports.
As Jill sets her sights on fresh challenges, we’re sending a massive thank you for the magic she’s brought to our team. Her creativity and collaborative spirit have left a mark, and while we’re sad to see her go, we can’t wait to see her conquer new heights.
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.
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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