We’re extremely grateful for the generosity and expertise of our 2026 presenters, moderators and panelists. We’ll have nearly 40 in all, so keep checking for our additions.
🍎 = Returning SEAGC Faculty Member!
🍏 = First-Time SEAGC Faculty Member!
Bob Burdenski 🍎
Conference Committee
Bob Burdenski is an internationally-recognized annual and regular giving programs consultant for schools, colleges, and universities. He is a prolific writer and published author, often appearing in CURRENTS Magazine, the member magazine of the Council for the Advancement and the Support of Education (CASE). Bob is the author of three CASE books: Innovations in Annual Giving: Ten Departures That Worked, which presents ten U.S. case histories of advanced annual giving strategies; More Innovations in Annual Giving, Ten Global Departures That Worked, which features case histories from institutions around the world; and CASE’s first digital book, Online Innovations in Annual and Regular Giving, Ten Dozen Departures That Worked. In 2013, Innovations in Annual Giving was published by Fudan University in Shanghai, becoming the first CASE book translated into Chinese. Bob was named a CASE Laureate in 2029 and is a recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for Lifetime Teaching Excellence as ranked by his audiences. He has educated (and entertained) at presentations throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, including numerous CASE Europe Annual and Regular Giving Conferences and Masterclasses. He presented CASE’s first-ever annual giving training programs in India, Japan, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2019, Bob was named a CASE Laureate for his volunteer service to the profession. Since 2002, Bob has served as the moderator of FundList, the fundraising e-mail discussion listserv with nearly 4,000 development professional subscribers.
Skylar Beaver 🍏
Skylar Beaver is Chief Advancement Officer at the Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Florida. Skylar Beaver is Chief Advancement Officer at The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Florida, where she leads the advancement team overseeing development, marketing, and communications for the independent PreK-12 school and directs the school’s comprehensive campaign. Previously, Skylar served as Director of Development at The Lawrenceville School, where she played a major role in the school’s record-breaking $475M+ campaign. Her experience spans nearly 18 years in educational advancement, including leadership roles at The Spence School, Washington and Lee University, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, with expertise in annual giving, major gifts, alumni engagement, and international fundraising. Skylar is a CASE Laureate and CASE Crystal Apple Award-winning speaker and teacher. In addition to her institutional work, she serves as an Advancement Search Consultant with RG175 and maintains an independent fundraising consulting practice. Beaver holds a BA in Sociology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus in Nonprofit Management from SUNY Brockport.
Rebekah Cheney 🍏
Rebekah Cheney is Director of Annual Giving at Winthrop University. Since November 2025, Rebekah Cheney has served as the Director of Annual Giving for the Division of Advancement at Winthrop University (WU), where she manages and executes a comprehensive annual giving program with a focus on unrestricted giving, including the coordination and oversight of supporting initiatives in the areas of development, alumni relations, athletics fundraising, and donor relations. Prior to joining WU, she served as the Director of Annual Giving at Western Carolina University, Director of Development for the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and held multiple development-related roles in Principal Gifts and Prospect Management at the LSU Foundation. Cheney began her career in Philanthropic Trust Management at Wells Fargo where she and her teammates served as both client-facing representatives and administrators for accounts throughout the country. Cheney graduated from Campbell University in 2013 with a BBA in Trust & Wealth Management (minor in Financial Planning) and an MBA. As an extension of her lifelong passion to help others realize their full potential, she has served as a certified CliftonStrengths coach for over five years.
Cheryl Ciucevich 🍎
Cheryl Ciucevich is Vice President for Advancement at Augusta Technical College. Mrs. Ciucevich has worked across all areas of advancement, including both major giving and annual giving, alumni relations, and public relations. She spent 16 years at Kennesaw State University where she served simultaneously as the Director of Development and the Director of Public Relations for the College of the Arts. Prior to its consolidation with Georgia Southern University, she was the Senior Director of Alumni Development at Armstrong State University in Savannah, where she continued to create new endowments and to expand the annual giving donor base. Ciucevich holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. She also completed a Certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. As a volunteer in Savannah, she has been active with the Dawn’s Daughter Leadership Program, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Gala, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center and Sacred Heart Catholic Church. She and her husband, Ed Ciucevich, look forward to being active members of the Augusta community.
Alicia DeLuca 🍏
Alicia DeLuca is Director of Annual Giving at Florida Atlantic University.
Jennie Dickerson 🍏
Jennie Dickerson is Director of Philanthropy at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Jennie Dickerson, MBA, CFRE was born to raise money and teach others how to do it. She has a knack for uncovering the negative mindsets that hold leaders back from making the ask and finding just the right role for volunteers. Over the course of her career, she has worked in annual giving, capital campaigns, fundraising strategy, development planning, events, and volunteer management. In her role at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis she is known for asking the right questions and right-sizing strategy to fit an organization’s capacity. Her passion lies in using these skills to help mission-driven organizations achieve their goals with ease.
Alex Echeveste, MA, MSNM 🍎
Alex Echeveste is Associate Director of Annual Giving at UT San Antonio.
Letitia Evans, CFRE, CFRM 🍎
Letitia Evans is Leadership and Major Gifts Officer at Elizabeth City State University, with extensive experience in fundraising and an affinity for technology. She previously served as an Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, Interim Director of Alumni Relations, and Development Officer at the same university. Letitia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications- Media Production from the University of Dayton, Ohio. She began her career as a Regional Development Officer at her alma mater and has since worked with the Girl Scout Council of the Colonial Coast and the Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation. She is a CFRE Candidate and finds philanthropy highly rewarding. Currently, Letitia is pursuing her Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Development at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota. Beyond her professional role, Letitia chairs the ECSU Staff Senate, is a board member of NC Habitat for Humanity in Elizabeth City, and is a member-at-large in the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In her free time, Letitia enjoys taking in a great action movie and spending time with family and friends.
Diana Forbus 🍎
Diana Forbus is Associate Director, Broad-based Campaigns and Strategic Engagement at the University of Maryland, College Park. Throughout her career, she’s done a little bit of everything—events, appeals, donor relations and stewardship, grants, and front-line fundraising. She currently serves as the Associate Director, Broad-Based Campaigns & Strategic Engagement at the University of Maryland, leading the Annual Giving team in working to inspire giving that aligns with donor interest and the needs and priorities of UMD. Each year this small but mighty team is responsible for crafting integrated, omni-channel marketing outreach that offers broad-based appeal, including a record-setting Giving Day in 2026 that raised $9.4M from 9,988 donors. Diana started her nonprofit career in the arts and carries that creative mindset in her current work in higher education. She loves creative brainstorming and sharing seemingly “off-the-wall” ideas, knowing that sometimes these ideas hold the most potential to be a game changer. Diana holds an M.F.A. in Arts Administration/Theatre Management from the University of Alabama/Alabama Shakespeare Festival and a dual B.A. in Drama and Communications (with an emphasis in Public Relations) from the University of Hartford.
Dan Gardiner 🍏
Dan Gardiner is Partner Success Manager with GiveCampus.
Heather Locke Green 🍎
Heather Locke Green is Executive Director, Annual Giving at the University of Texas, San Antonio.
Clayton Higdon 🍏
Clayton Higdon is Assistant Director, Strategy & Appeals at Western Kentucky University.
Sharon Horinka 🍎
Conference Committee
Sharon Horinka is the Associate Director of Annual Giving at UNC Charlotte, where she turns big ideas into big results. With 17+ years in fundraising (and a record as the university’s top student fundraiser of all time), she’s led everything from the Student Philanthropy Center and Donor Experience Team to a high-powered texting strategy that keeps donors engaged and inspired. A proud 49er alumna, Sharon now focuses on giving days, and building the pipeline from annual gifts to planned giving – all while keeping philanthropy fun. She bleeds green and gold and believes the best donor relationships start with genuine connection…and maybe a GIF or two!
Heather Junod 🍎
Heather Junod is Associate Vice President, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at the University of Central Florida.
Morgan Kee 🍏
Morgan Kee is Director of Annual Giving at Davidson College.
Julie Knight 🍏
Julie Knight is a strategic advancement leader with more than a decade of experience driving innovation in annual giving, fundraising analytics, and organizational leadership. As Assistant Vice President for Annual Giving at the University of Central Florida, she leads the university’s comprehensive annual giving strategy, including leadership annual giving and donor participation initiatives. Prior to UCF, Julie held advancement leadership roles at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Miami, and Johns Hopkins University. Julie holds a doctorate from Cardiff University and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University. As a speaker, writer, and consultant, she is committed to advancing the profession through strategic collaboration and the responsible application of technology to philanthropy.
Ryan Laughlin 🍏
Conference Committee
Ryan Laughlin is Leadership Annual Giving Officer with Winthrop University. Ryan Laughlin is a proud 2017 Winthrop graduate who has worked in higher education in various capacities since 2019. After two years in digital marketing, he entered a graduate program in Student Affairs Administration, where he worked in fraternity and sorority life before earning his master’s degree in 2021. Since then, he has worked in alumni engagement at Georgia Tech and FarmHouse Fraternity. During his time with FarmHouse, he also oversaw communications, educational programs, and association management. Throughout his career, Laughlin has remained a dedicated volunteer for both his alma mater, Winthrop University, and his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. After nearly three years of volunteering with Winthrop as a regional volunteer and member-at-large of the Alumni Executive Board, Laughlin made the transition to the university staff in April 2025, serving as the university’s first Leadership Annual Giving Officer. Since joining the Division of University Advancement, Laughlin has helped build Winthrop’s leadership annual giving program from the ground up. He has met with more than 100 alumni and friends of the University and has helped grow the President’s Circle, a community of donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually. In his role, Laughlin works in annual giving, often working in tandem with other solicitations, and building a pipeline for future major gifts.
Taryn May 🍏
Taryn May is Senior Associate Director, Annual Giving at Rollins College. She leads strategy and execution for Rollins College’s multichannel annual giving program, overseeing complex fundraising and engagement initiatives across direct mail, email, digital, social, video, and online giving.
Joe Nullet 🍏
Joe Nullet is Digital Communications Manager, Advancement Communications at Florida Atlantic University.
Sadiki Perry 🍏
Sadiki Perry is Associate Director for Digital & Social Giving, Office of Annual Giving at Florida State University.
Desmond Pierce 🍎
Desmond Pierce is Executive Director of Annual Giving at East Tennessee State University.
Sara Pond 🍎
Sara Pond is Vice President, Client Development at MCR, Inc. She is a philanthropic leader with a 20-year career serving educational and non-profit sectors with special focus on pipeline development. Her experience details leading teams, targeted marketing and communications, technical strategy, artful storytelling, and qualitative analysis to build the donor pipeline and raise revenue. She is passionate about helping organizations provide economic mobility, access to educational pathways and healthcare.
Allison Shore 🍎
Allison Shore is Account Executive at Excalibur Direct Marketing. A 20+ year veteran in marketing and advertising, she helps non-profits, hospitals, and universities transform their marketing strategies across digital platforms and traditional channels. She is known for designing cost-effective campaigns that deliver measurable ROI while integrating omnichannel outreach to maximize client reach and engagement. Allison’s expertise spans the full marketing ecosystem, from email automation and social media optimization to targeted direct mail campaigns and comprehensive analytics. A native of North Carolina, she loves exploring both the mountains and the beaches of her state with family and friends whenever she gets the chance.
Andria Silva 🍏
Conference Committee
Andria Silva is Executive Director of Annual & Leadership Giving and Advancement Marketing at Rollins College.
Christina Stevens 🍏
Christina Stevens is Director of Development, Annual Giving at Tampa General Hospital. Christina brings more than a decade of experience in fundraising and development. She currently leads annual giving strategy for the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, overseeing donor and grateful patient solicitation efforts and helping increase new donor acquisition by more than 50% from FY24 to FY25. She also manages several key philanthropic engagement programs, including the Nancy C. Bruemmer, MD Women’s Leadership Circle, third-party fundraising initiatives, and the TGH Physicians Giving Circle. Prior to TGH, Christina led annual giving at the University of Tampa and worked in major gifts at the University of South Florida. Christina holds a Master of Public Administration degree and serves as an adjunct professor in the University of South Florida’s School of Public Affairs, where she teaches a graduate-level course in fundraising and resource development. Her expertise spans annual giving, donor engagement, major gifts, and philanthropic strategy, with a strong focus on building sustainable pipelines and growing donor participation.
Matt Sulzer 🍎
Matt Sulzer is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MCR, Inc. For the past 20 years, Matt has served more than 600 college, university and healthcare teams with their direct mail needs. He prides himself on providing clients with excellent customer service, while partnering with them to help achieve and exceed their organizational fundraising goals. In Matt’s tenure, he has achieved Sales Person of the Year eight times and regularly speaks at conferences on different annual giving and direct mail topics.
Ryan Talbert 🍎
Ryan Talbert is Chief Growth Officer at Excalibur Direct Marketing, where he leads sales and marketing and provides consultative marketing and data services to non-profit and higher education clients. He designs and coordinates comprehensive campaigns spanning print, direct mail, and digital outreach, and uses AI tools and digital micro-modeling to identify high-potential prospects and improve fundraising ROI. Prior to Excalibur, Ryan spent 11 years with Apple, Inc. in B2B sales. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Studio Arts from Solent University and brings his creative background into strategic communication planning. Outside of work, he enjoys running with his wife and spending time with their three pugs.
Amanda Talbot 🍎
Amanda Talbot serves as Assistant Director of Annual Leadership Giving for the Brown Annual Fund at Brown University. In her work, she solicits, increases and maintains gifts from alumni that qualify for the Carrie Tower Society, Brown’s recognition giving society. Amanda has cut her teeth in fundraising at Brown, spending the last seven years working with student giving to class-based giving and then leadership and major giving. She received a B.S. in Business Management and Theater Arts at Providence College. Amanda has lived in Rhode Island since 2011.
Alexis Watts 🍏
Conference Committee
Alexis Watts is Senior Director of Communications with the University of South Carolina Alumni Association.
Harold Williams 🍎
Conference Committee
Harold Williams began his career in higher education as an Admissions Counselor for his alma mater Old Dominion University 10 years ago. Since then, his career track includes alum relations and, most recently, as ODU’s Director of Annual Giving. As the Director of Annual Giving, he established digital giving and the current annual gift data collection while leading fundraising events and campaigns. In addition, his experiences have allowed him to lead the University’s strategic planning efforts as part of the brand and marketing committee and the University’s AP Faculty Senate Planning Committee. Outside of the University, he is an active volunteer of the ODU Alumni Association, leading the silent auction efforts of the United Negro College Fund’s Mayor’s Ball, volunteering with the local YMCA, and advising student organizations. Harold holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from ODU and is currently working on his Ph.D. at Hampton University.