The Office of Gift Planning will be closed this Friday, January 17 in recognition of our team’s work during the year end!

After sixteen years of dedicated service to Notre Dame Development, our friend and colleague Dawn McGrath has made the tough decision to retire from ND. Over the years, Dawn has played a critical role in our team’s success and has formed valuable relationships across campus and with many of our largest benefactors. Dawn started in Gift Planning and partnered on the inception of numerous initiatives (Gift Planning Advancement Committee, Love Thee Notre Dame, and Provost Leadership Group to name a few), worked through three campaigns, and has managed the seating of the President’s Suite since 2017 – all ultimately helping to advance the Notre Dame mission. I am personally grateful for her partnership over the past three years. Dawn has provided critical support to Stu, me, and our donors. Dawn’s last day in the office will be January 23, 2025. Please join me in offering her our heartfelt thanks and blessings as she embarks on the next chapter of her journey: spending quality time with her 90-year-old mom, and focusing on their kids and ten grandkids, in southern Indiana!

You and your family are invited to join us for the 2025 UR Winter Family Event on Saturday, February 22, 2025. From 12-2 pm, we will enjoy crafts, face painting, and more fun before cheering on our men’s basketball team against Pitt at 2:15 pm!

You may sign up for tickets to the Men’s Basketball game vs. Pitt by completing this form. This will be the Irish Wear Green game, so come dressed in your best gear!

If you have questions, please contact Lana Taylor, Iliana Contreras, or James Riley.

Dear Team,

It is with deep sadness that I share the news of the passing of Bob Morton’s mother, Debra Morton Cook, on January 10, 2025.

Let us come together to extend our condolences to Bob, Heather, and their family, and continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

As additional information becomes available regarding arrangements, we will share those details in accordance with Bob’s wishes.

Thank you, for your prayers and support.

With gratitude,

Nadia

Below, you will find a personal note from Bob in memory of his beloved mother, Debra:

“Friends, It is with immense pride in a race well run that I share that at 11:50 PM on January 10th, my mother, Debra Morton Cook, crossed the threshold between Heaven and Earth and went home to Jesus. Her final breath came upon the end of the first verse of Go Rest High Upon the Mountain, fitting as she chose that very song to say goodbye to my father just over 18 years ago. She will be remembered as a loving wife, a devoted mother, a fun and rebellious grandmother, a rambunctious youngest sister, a doted-upon third child, and a special lady to all who met her. Just yesterday, she was visited by dozens of the staff at Brentwood, arriving on their days off or staying late after their shift, to share stories and express their profound love for her. In a life cut undeservedly short by the devastatingly long goodbye of dementia, she still found a way to leave her mark on friends, her family, and anyone else who found her as irresistible as the rest of us. And it was my absolute honor to help her transition from this life to the next.”

I am thrilled to share that Anneliese Hammer will be stepping into the Director of Marketing & Operations position on the Annual Giving team effective today.

Anneliese is a 2004 graduate of Saint Mary’s College with a BA in English Writing. She has over a decade of marketing-specific experience working with small and large organizations on strategic initiatives to drive revenue. She spent 9 years working at Pathfinders Advertising as an Account Director launching B2C crowdfunding campaigns, re-engaging dormant clients, supervising high-performing teams, and managing relationships with large clients. Most recently, she worked with SIREN Creative to launch 35 brands and campaigns across many industries. Anneliese brings a wealth of marketing, leadership, and operational knowledge to our team and we can’t wait to work alongside her.

Welcome to the team, Anneliese!

-Katie Kerby

The DC team is excited to welcome Josh Crudup to University Relations! As a recent graduate from Indiana University with a degree in Public Policy Analysis, Josh is returning home to the Notre Dame community. Josh grew up participating in the youth programs at the Robinson Community Learning Center and later served as an AmeriCorps member there prior to attending IU. Josh is looking forward to contributing to Notre Dame’s faith-based mission and connecting with everyone here in University Relations!

Josh will begin working as a Development Coordinator with Athletics starting today, January 13th.

Please join me in welcoming Josh!

-Michelle Jones

Hi UR team,

Brook will be joining the Alumni Association on Monday, January 13, as our digital marketing specialist. She will create compelling content and manage our digital presence with a special emphasis on social media. Over time, she will also serve as a strategic partner with all of you to advise us on best practices in digital engagement.

Brook comes to us after several years “behind the scenes” in the newsroom at WRTV in Indianapolis. There, she was a news producer responsible for all elements of the television news broadcast. I am excited to see her translate this valuable experience into new digital storytelling ideas for the NDAA.

A bit more about Brook: She has 2 cats, Kipper and Scout, who she found as stray kittens back when she was in eighth grade. She is originally from Petoskey, Michigan, and looks forward to the holiday season every year when family from around the country gather back up north. Donuts from the local bakery is a family tradition on Christmas morning! 🍩 As someone new to the South Bend area, Brook asked for recommendations on the best pizza place in town…I’ve warned her she’ll get a long list of conflicting opinions on this one!

Please join me in welcoming Brook to the team. Her email is: btracy2@nd.edu

-Ti Lavers

Friends,

I’m ​thrilled to share ​that Paul Hernandez and his wife, Kelly, welcomed ​their 4th baby​ boy into the world​ on December 30, 2024. ​Enzo James is 8 lbs, 9 ounces, 21 inches. Both Kelly and the baby​ are healthy and doing wonderfully. Please join us in congratulating Paul and his family on this joyful addition to their lives!

Jerry

Friends,

I’m very pleased to share the wonderful news that Colleen Bailey-Knapke and her husband Kyle welcomed their 4th child, son Charles Louis (Charlie) (7 lbs, 11 ounces and 20″) on December 29! Charlie and the whole family are doing well. Colleen is away on maternity leave but I’m sure she would welcome your prayers, well-wishes, and words of congratulation for their growing family.

TJ

Dear Team,

Our deepest condolences are with Jasher Cox and his family following the passing of his father,  Ruben Cox, on December 28th.

Please join us in extending our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Jasher and his family during this time of loss. Your support and kindness will mean a great deal as they navigate the days ahead.

Sincerely,
Jerry