Mentorship Matters

Carla Willis joined Washburn & McGoldrick in 2019, following a 25-year campus-based fundraising and consulting in higher education advancement and thought leadership. Carla has worked in just about every area of frontline advancement, including major and principal gifts, planned gifts, corporate and foundations, campaign planning and execution, and began her career in annual giving at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has worked at two Big Ten institutions, other large public universities, both public and private liberal arts colleges, law schools, an HBCU and an academic medical center.Prior to joining the firm, she served in chief advancement roles at UNC Asheville, Kean University and Florida A&M University (FAMU) (she also served in a long term interim CAO role at Saint Leo University). In each of these leadership roles Carla also led each university's foundation operations. Carla was instrumental in setting a new pace for major gift fundraising and led a fundraising feasibility study, which launched the planning and silent phase of UNC Asheville's first sizable comprehensive campaign of $100M. Additionally, it was her innovative approach to fundraising and resource investment that enabled many new platforms and social media fundraising optimization tools for the advancement offices in each of her chief advancement posts. While serving FAMU, Carla honed her corporate engagement skillsets, securing gifts from the likes of Disney, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Northern Trust, 3M, Walmart, the Orlando Magic and Tyson Foods, to name a few. Additionally, she created and executed a CEO to CEO Forum, engaging several Fortune 500 CEOs and other executives, along with their corporations in philanthropy at FAMU. Carla is also credited with launching one of the very first higher education text to give campaigns while serving at FAMU.Carla has been part of comprehensive and capital campaigns ranging in size from $40 million to two campaigns exceeding $2.5 billion. Carla served as a major gift officer for the University of Toledo during its UT40 Campaign and as a regional director of development in the east coast for the University of Michigan Law School during its Michigan Difference Campaign, securing many principal and major gifts for these universities. She also served as an Assistant Vice President for Development for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center during its But for Ohio State Campaign and worked to close many major and principal gifts including a cross disciplinary $13.5 million dollar gift which benefited several units of the university.Carla has served a diverse range of clients including DePauw University, Duke University, Guilford College, Haverford College, Lincoln University (PA), the UNC System, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Toledo and Virginia State University. Her projects have included pre-campaign readiness assessments, feasibility studies, executive and staff coaching, staff and volunteer training. Additionally, in the late 90s Carla served as founder and principal of her own small, boutique development consulting firm, Willis Development and Communications Associates and also as a senior consultant for John Brown Limited, a boutique development consulting firm specializing in comprehensive campaigns and planned giving. Carla had a successful career at the IBM Corporation prior to beginning her career in advancement.Carla is active in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), currently serves on the CASE Industry Advisory Council and has served on the CASE Commission on Philanthropy, the District V Board of Directors and chaired the District V Committee on Equity (COE.) She is a frequent presenter at conferences on advancement related topics, leadership and more recently on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as related to the advancement profession. In the fall of 2020 Carla earned a certification in DEI from Cornell University. Carla is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Links, Incorporated and serves on the board of the Kendal Charitable Funds, a Quaker non-profit organization headquartered in Newark, Delaware supporting communities, programs and services for older adults.

Edgar Gonzalez is an experienced and proven leader, team-builder, and collaborator with almost 20 years of experience in higher education advancement and program development. He currently serves as Vice President of University Advancement at Seattle University. Prior to joining Seattle University, Edgar held leadership roles at Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Washington, and the Alliance for Education. A native of Argentina, Edgar and his family emigrated to the US when he was 9 years old in pursuit of the American dream. After earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, he has dedicated his entire career to working in higher education and ensuring that everyone has access. Edgar is passionate about the positive impact philanthropy can have on the institutions, communities, and individuals he is fortunate to serve. His career has always been focused on building institutional capacity through cultivating deep relationships, transformative philanthropy, leadership development and impactful storytelling.

Lishelle Blakemore ‘89 (she/her/hers) is the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Development in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for the University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) department at the University of California, Berkeley.Lishelle has served as the AVC of Development since 2017. Prior to this role, Lishelle established and led the Annual Programs department in UDAR. Before joining UDAR in 1994, Lishelle served as Assistant Vice President for The Pacific Group, where she provided consulting and fundraising services for universities throughout the country.On campus, Lishelle serves on the University Athletics Board, the Executive Advisory Committee for UC Berkeley Discovery, and the BSFO Program Committee. Outside of Cal, Lishelle has been an active volunteer with CASE District VII and currently serves on the US/Canada Council, the Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising and Black Leaders in Philanthropy.

Brent Swinton brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience in higher education and the non-profit sector to his position as Vice President of Advancement at Bowie State College. Swinton has a variety of first-hand experience in major gift fundraising, development operations and strategic communications, gathered from a career that has been dedicated to helping mission-based organizations achieve their strategic goals.Prior to joining Bowie State, Swinton led fundraising at the national headquarters of Advancement Project and the Children's Defense Fund. Previously, he was assistant vice president for institutional advancement at Notre Dame of Maryland University and senior director of advancement services at Howard University. Swinton is credited with training hundreds of grassroots organizations to sustain themselves financially through the Compassion Capital Fund, the cornerstone grant program of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. At Notre Dame of Maryland, Swinton provided leadership and oversight of all campaign and alumni relations activities. Earlier, he worked for a fundraising software provider, guiding colleges across the nation on campaign planning and implementing donor databases.

Bathsheba Philpott, CFRE, serves as the Vice President of Philanthropy for National Medical Fellowships, Inc. (NMF). In this role, Philpott will lead all fundraising and partnership efforts for the organization whose mission confronts, addresses and solves for pervasive inequity in health care.With more than 20 years of experience in development and philanthropy, Philpott has made an impact with many nonprofit organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as well as health care-focused and serving institutions such as the Children's National Hospital and The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Philpott joins NMF from the American Council on Education, where she most recently served as Vice President of Advancement.

Matthew M. Winston, Jr. joined Binghamton University in May as executive director for alumni engagement and serves as the University's chief alumni engagement officer, providing leadership to the alumni office team.Winston is founder and principal of The Winston Advisory Pack consulting firm, focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion strategies for institutional advancement organizations. He previously served as the senior associate vice president for alumni relations at Virginia Tech. Prior to that, he spent 15 years as assistant to the president at the University of Georgia, where he also was acting director of the Office of Institutional Diversity.

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​Shane Carlin's professional career has been in fundraising and Student Affairs where he was the Director of Development for Student Life and Scholarships at Northwestern University, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Advancement at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shane has also worked as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), as well as in Residence Life and Housing at Miami, Northwestern, and Capital Universities.Shane is a Korean American adoptee where he grew-up in northern Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Communications from the University of Kentucky and his Master of Science in College Student Personnel from Miami University. ​Shane not only has over 20 years of experience in higher education administration, but also has mentored students in international settings. Besides his expertise in higher education, he is an experienced public speaker. He has been invited to speak at universities from coast to coast. In addition, he was a speaker for TEDx Lakeshore East in 2011. Internationally, Shane presented the “Western Way of Networking” to students at Hong Kong University Science & Technology (HKUST) and managers at General Electric (GE) in Shanghai at the China Technology Center.

Heidi Lee leads the major donor advising team in building lasting relationships with donors who support MVP and grassroots organizations across the country. As a development professional she knows that lifting the voices of women and women of color in the philanthropy world will make an enormous impact in our society.Her experience includes over twenty years in the philanthropic environment, working with and for social justice organizations, educational institutions and political action committees. She has seen first hand how passionate people can make a difference. Born in South Korea and raised in Las Vegas, NV to immigrant parents, she learned at an early age that giving voice to the voiceless was her calling. After spending over eighteen years in California, she is back in Las Vegas with her spouse, son and cat.

Jennifer Mora is the Senior Director, Major Gifts, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Community Initiatives at the University of San Francisco.

As Senior Associate Dean of Development at UNC Kenan-Flager Business School, Shontel Grumhus leads a team of 27 development professionals and reports to the dean of the business school. Under her leadership, the UNC Kenan-Flager has exceeded a $400 million campaign goal for the School, overseen a successful new building campaign; and broke the record for best fundraising year ever at UNC Kenan-Flagler in '21 and '22. She has personally closed more than $33.3 million in gifts and commitments in FY21-22 and $50 million in FY20-21.

Damon Sununtnasuk is the founder and CEO of two award winning companies - Natural Cure Labs LLC and Sunt Group LLC. He has an internationally decorated career in health, technology, and entrepreneurial leadership. Damon has led business efforts at several technology companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Samsung in London, Berlin, and Seoul, respectively. Damon's work and travel has taken him to more than 70 countries across six continents. Damon earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Florida and his Master of Business Administration (First-Class Honours) from the University of Cambridge, England. Damon current serves on the Board of Directors for the University of Florida Alumni Association and lives in Mexico City, Mexico.

Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D., became the eighth President of Coppin State University (CSU) on May 26, 2020. A respected higher education leader, he is an advocate committed to creating opportunities for all students, especially those from underrepresented communities.He is a champion of public policy issues that foster meaningful dialogue within the landscape of higher education. President Jenkins has delivered keynote addresses to audiences across the United States and internationally. His speeches, research, presentations, and publications have been focused on economic development, crisis management, enrollment and retention, diversity, leadership, African-American male initiatives, social justice, first-generation college students, funding higher education, mentoring, and high-risk college campus behavior such as alcohol consumption and sexual misconduct.President Jenkins is leading the Coppin State University family with an unwavering commitment to student-centeredness, excellence, transparency, and accountability. Through collaboration with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Baltimore community, President Jenkins is positioning Coppin State University to become a national leader in urban higher education that transforms the lives of students, from all backgrounds. Coppin State University is recognized, nationally, for its healthcare, business, psychology, criminal justice, teacher education, social work, and STEM academic programs.President Jenkins has expanded the academic portfolio by developing and implementing new, high-demand academic program offerings, such as: the certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Master of Science in Health Information Management, the Bachelor of Science in Data Science, the Master of Science in Applied Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and the Master of Science in Polymer and Materials Sciences. Greater emphasis has been placed on adult learners and, therefore, three fully online degree programs are under development with the Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems recently receiving full approval for online offering. The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education – Human Development, Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management, and the Doctorate of Nursing Practice will be submitted for approval to offer through online modality.As President of Coppin State University, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Hippodrome Foundation; the Baltimore chapter of President Obama's national initiative, My Brother's Keeper; Healthcare Access Maryland; the Maryland Zoological Society; the Boy Scouts of America – Baltimore Area Council; the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities; and the national advisory council for Ninety To Zero. He is also a member the President's Council of the Greater Baltimore Committee.President Jenkins has been honored by several civic organizations and universities for his leadership on social change and community engagement. He has been invited to discuss important higher education issues on various media outlets, appearing on Maryland Public Television, Fox News, CBS News, The Jim Strawn Talk Show, HBCU'ish, Hoppy Kercheval – WV MetroNews, IHeart Radio, TEDCO Talks, WOLB, HBCU Digest, C-SPAN, The Box Podcast, NPR and the Roland Martin Show. President Jenkins has been inducted into several prestigious academic honor, business, and leadership societies, including Alpha Kappa Psi; Phi Kappa Phi; Sigma Alpha Pi; Alpha Sigma Lambda; Omicron Delta Kappa; Alpha Phi Sigma; Pi NU; and Order of Omega. The Baltimore Business Journal included him in their 2021 cohort of “Faces to Watch.”Born in Washington, D.C., and raised between the nation's capital and North Carolina, Jenkins is a United States Army veteran who began his path to the presidency as a first-generation college graduate of Fayetteville State University. He earned a master's degree from North Carolina Central University and a doctorate from Virginia Tech. President Jenkins is the first graduate in the history of Virginia Tech's Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) doctoral program to become a college or university president.President Jenkins is married to his college sweetheart, Toinette Jenkins, who proudly serves as the First Lady of Coppin State University. They have two daughters.

Dr. J. Michael Bonnette joined the University of Lynchburg team as the vice president for advancement in 2016. Prior to joining the Lynchburg team, Dr. Bonnette served as the assistant vice chancellor for development at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, where he increased the amount of scholarships awarded to students from private funding sources and implemented capital fundraising campaigns, in addition to other accomplishments. Earlier, he served as associate director for development at the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation, where he rebuilt the development and stewardship programs. He also served in several development and alumni programming positions at Clemson University.Prior to his work in higher education, he was a project manager for a technology firm that provides and analyzes data for the agricultural chemical industry.Dr. Bonnette earned three degrees from Clemson University, completing his Ph.D. in 2015 with a dissertation entitled, “A Case Study for Complex Systems Leadership in Higher Education Fundraising.”

Erick Harper has worked in university athletics administration for more than 30 years. He joined UNLV as senior associate athletics director for development in 2012 and has overseen fundraising efforts for the department and has served as a sport administrator for multiple sports, including football and women's golf.Prior to UNLV, Harper was associate athletics director for football operations at the University of Arizona from 2003 to 2011. He began his athletics administrative career at Kansas State University (1990-2003), where he served in development, marketing, and compliance roles and as a sport administrator for multiple sports.Harper received his bachelor's degree in 1992 from Kansas State University, where he was a four-year starter and standout defensive back for the Wildcats football team. He later earned a master's in organizational management and leadership from Ashford University in 2013. Harper and his wife, Patrice Hester-Harper, have two daughters, Sydney (14) and Avery (5).

Laura K. Padron recently joined the UConn Foundation as the new Senior Vice President for Advancement (SVPA). A member of the foundation's senior leadership team, Padron is responsible for leading the advancement team and will play a crucial role as the foundation embarks on the largest campaign in its history.Padron is an innovative leader with extensive experience in development, donor relations, and campaign planning. She joins UConn from the Florida International University (FIU) Foundation, where she served as associate vice president. Padron led FIU's $750 million Next Horizon Campaign with major gift officers across the academic colleges and schools, athletics, and student affairs.Padron's return to FIU in 2012 followed five years at the University of Miami, where she served as assistant dean for development at the School of Business and spearheaded the school's role in the university's $1.6 billion campaign. Previously, Padron served as senior director for donor relations and stewardship and established FIU's first Donor Relations and Stewardship Office. Before working in academia, Laura directed national programs, including the Presidential Scholars in the Arts and YoungArts programs at the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.“We are delighted to be able to recruit someone of Laura's caliber and experience level to the UConn Foundation,” says Jake Lemon, president and CEO of the UConn Foundation. “I have no doubt she will build on the foundation's recent success, and we enthusiastically welcome her into UConn Nation.”Padron has earned multiple awards in recognition of her work, including a 2005 Council for Advancement and Support of Education Gold Award and a 2021 Global Forum for Education and Learning Top 100 Visionaries in Education Award.Padron is a graduate of Florida State University and a former president-elect and board member of Miami's Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Nico Yantko (pronounced: Nick-oh Yank-oh) was named the 10th athletics director in Murray State history on Aug. 15, 2022.A Murray State alumnus, Yantko returned to Murray State University as the Racers began their first year in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2022-23 and joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023.Nico is a former Racer quarterback (2007-09). He returned home to Murray State after career stops at North Carolina State, the University of Missouri and the University of Louisiana.

Dr. Noelle Lefforge, Ph.D., is a Clinical Associate Professor & PPC Director of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver.

Dr. Lawrence Chatters currently serves as the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Initiatives. In addition to leading the department's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Dr. Chatters serves as a senior administrator advising the Director of Athletics. He also provides support to the Human Resources department, directs departmental professional and leadership development, and provides oversight of the implementation and progress of Nebraska Athletics' strategic plan. Chatters is the primary sports administrator for Women's Gymnastics and Swimming and Diving and also serves as the secondary sports administrator for the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs.