Congratulations to Kat Gardner and her husband Wills on the addition of a second son to their family! Robert “Bobby” Neuet Gardner, whose first and middle names are both in honor of beloved family members, came into the world at 7:52 a.m. on Tuesday, January 18th. Bobby was 20.5 inches long and weighed in at 7 lbs. and 5 ounces. Kat reports that Bobby, big brother Liam (almost 3), and parents are all doing well! Our best wishes to Kat and the entire Gardner family!

Cristi Ganyard
Stewardship & Donor Relations

Today we offer our prayers and condolences to Angel Hess and her family, following the passing of her father on Friday, January 28. Joseph Chamberlain of Mishawaka, Indiana was 86. A full obituary can be found here.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, February 2, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 225 S. Mill Street, Mishawaka. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery with military honors by VFW 360 / American Legion 161 Burial Squad.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 pm on Tuesday at Goethals & Wells Funeral Home, 503 W. 3rd Street, Mishawaka.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Pendle Home, 19303 Pendle Road, South Bend, IN 46637.

Team,

Melissa will be transitioning from her current role of Communication and Data Analyst in Gift Management to Gift and Biographic Analyst in Advancement Records. The Advancement Records team couldn’t be more excited to have Mel transition to the squad recognizing the incredible work she has done while in her role in Gift Management. Mel’s first day with the team will be February 1st however she will continue to ensure continuity in the acknowledgment and pledge reminder processes until a replacement for that role is found.

Welcome to the team Mel!

-Patty

Team,

Please join in congratulating Sara Munoz and Matt Futa and big brother Teddy as they welcome Charlotte Elaine Rose Futa! Charlotte arrived on January 24th at 10:01 am weighing 8lbs 4oz and is 20 inches long. She is absolutely beautiful!

-Stacy Koebel

It is my pleasure to welcome Patrick Charles to the Southwest team as a regional director of development. Patrick’s first day will be on January 24, and he will serve benefactors in southern California.

Since 2016, Patrick has been the co-founder of Wonderspaces, Inc., a company that creates immersive and interactive art experiences in Philadelphia, Scottsdale, and Austin. Prior to this, he was a senior innovation manager for TomorrowLab where he managed multiple consulting projects across multiple industries. He has also worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as an associate for supply-chain and logistics analytics. Patrick served our country in San Diego and Iraq in the Marine Corps as an operations planning and training officer, where he received an achievement award for managing the largest Marine Corps tactical communications network ever created.

Patrick graduated from the University of Scranton with a degree in Accounting, Peking University in Beijing with a certificate in business, Vlerick Business School in Brussels with his MBA, and finally, the University of Notre Dame with his Master of Science in Business Analytics. Patrick is originally from Pennsylvania but is going to be moving to South Bend in a few weeks from Phoenix, Arizona.

I am thrilled to welcome Patrick to the Notre Dame family and the Southwest team. Please join me in welcoming him to the UR team and thanking him for his service!

Shelby

Kathy Wadolowski ’16, ’17 MSM is going to New York University!

Please help us wish Kathy a fond farewell as she embarks upon her new position as Communications Specialist for the Stern School of Business at New York University. Kathy, a Double Domer, joined the Storytelling and Engagement team in July 2017. We’ve had the joy of seeing Kathy grow throughout her career here, and she has become an integral member of our team.

Kathy has worked on countless storytelling proposals, including some of the most challenging ones our team has ever taken on. Juggling details, numbers, photos, personalities, and often arcane particulars is not for the faint of heart. Kathy always got the job done—and she did it well! She wrote more than $1 billion in fundraising proposals during her tenure, in addition to hours of scriptwriting, producing and voiceover work for Notre Dame Day, Here Come the Irish football show, and many other productions.

Kathy’s last day will be January 28. We bid her a heartfelt adieu, but not a goodbye, for Notre Dame will forever be part of her, and she a part of us.

Thank you, Kathy!

-David Chaudoir

It is our pleasure to welcome both Danielle Filgueira and Paul Hernandez as Associate Directors, Leadership Annual Giving, where they will add to growing unrestricted and giving society membership and continue to cultivate benefactors across the country. Their first day will be Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

Danielle is a double domer, having graduated in 2011 before recently receiving her Master’s in Nonprofit Administration this past year. A Miami native, she is surprisingly excited to once again experience all four seasons the Midwest has to offer! Danielle has grown in her professional career with HH Construction Group INC. where she exemplified her growth mindset and ability to develop business relationships. Her competitive nature and love for her alma mater will serve the team well as she joins the Sorin Society team!

Paul is a two time graduate of St. Francis University, graduating in 2011 and completing his Master’s in Organizational Leadership – Higher Education Administration in 2018. Prior to joining Development, Paul served as Employer Engagement Manager, for the University’s Center for Career Development, where he fostered key relationships and developed new relationships with recruiters and C-suite level leadership in a variety of companies and industries. Paul also has experience working in higher education admissions serving as Associate Director of Admissions at the Mendoza College of Business and Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of St. Francis. We cannot be more thrilled to welcome Paul to the Academic and Athletics Giving team!

Please join us in welcoming Danielle and Paul who will be primarily serving benefactors in the Southwest region, New England, and the greater Chicago area this year!

Thanks,
Kasey O’Connor and Pablo Martínez

Dear Colleagues,

Please join me in wishing Darlean Vance the best of luck as she departs the University this weekend. As many of you know, Dar has the incredible opportunity to be in the Indianapolis metro area with her family, especially her grandson, Bennett, as he receives treatment. A true testament to Dar, her offer to be there for her family exemplifies how she has been one of the most selfless, caring, and compassionate members of our UR Family and to say she will be sorely missed is an understatement!

Dar’s work building relationships with our giving society members for the past nine years, as well as her gracious offer to work in Gift Management through the calendar year end, will be missed by both benefactors and colleagues alike. She has been the voice of Notre Dame to many of our members, and we are grateful for all of her hard work, joyful nature, and dedication to our mission.

Please join me in wishing Dar and her family all the best in the future. Please feel free to stay in touch with Dar at vanjdka1@att.net.

Dar – you will always have your Notre Dame family here for you when you need it!

– Annual Giving and Gift Management

It is my pleasure to welcome Chris Liberto to the Northwest team as Regional Director. Chris’ first day will be 1/18/2022, and he will be working with constituents in Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota.

Chris Liberto is a proud graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but as an Irish Catholic, he’d tell you his true passion and values most closely align with those of Our Lady’s University.

Chris is thrilled to join the Notre Dame family following a successful career as the Executive Director for Camp High Hopes, a non-profit camp in western Iowa aimed at providing unique camping experiences for kids, teens and adults with special needs and chronic illness. Chris spent the majority of his professional career in broadcast journalism where he spent 10 years as a news and sports anchor for ABC covering Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Chris’s passion for helping others has shown in his volunteer work, creating two non-profit organizations in Sioux City and serving on multiple Boards of Directors.

Chris and his wife Jenna are looking forward to joining the South Bend/Michiana community after spending nearly two decades in Sioux City. Chris and Jenna have three very energetic kids, Hunter (10 years old), Quinn (7 years old) and Kennedy (4 years), and a mini-golden doodle named Rosie. The family enjoys walks, bike rides, movies and plans to be regulars at Notre Dame sporting events, cheering on the Irish!

Please join me in welcoming Chris Liberto to the team!

Sean Sharpe

Join the Google First Wizarding College

The Office of Information Technologies (OIT) has launched a new initiative to improve campus awareness and expand use of all the various Google tools at our disposal. To this end, they have designed the Google First Wizarding College – a fun, educational game designed to promote and teach the use of Google collaboration tools such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Chat.

The program is intended for staff and faculty, is self-guided, and takes 30-60 minutes per level to complete. The first level opens January 18 and the program continues through the spring semester. There are wizard prizes for each level, too!

Learn more or sign up for the Google First Wizarding College at https://go.nd.edu/googlefirst/

For 24/7 self-service assistance including the virtual agent, go to: servicenow.nd.edu, or contact the OIT Help Desk during business hours at 574-631-8111 or oithelp@nd.edu.

Dear UR colleagues,

The office of Gift and Data Management will be closed on Friday, January 14, 2022 for the team to enjoy a well-deserved long weekend after working over the University holiday break. Therefore, there will be no gift processing completed and the reports for Saturday will not differ from the reports on Friday. Someone will be answering the general phone line and email box for benefactors who need assistance.

The team did an excellent job of answering benefactor and internal partner questions, sending tax receipts, preparing and processing gifts, bio updates and partnering with the Controller’s office to execute a very smooth and efficient calendar year end! Thank you for all your partnership and support!

Amy Schell

It is my pleasure to welcome Betsy Hughes to the Southwest team as a regional director of development. Betsy’s first day will be on January 18, and she will serve benefactors in Arizona.

Betsy has spent her career in fundraising for numerous non-profit organizations throughout the country. Most recently, she served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for United Way of Metro Chicago, where she secured the organization’s first 8-figure gift for community development. She also served for 15 years as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Illinois Institute of Technology

Betsy graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a degree in Communication. She is from Pennsylvania but has spent the past 30 years in Chicago with her husband, Lyle, and two daughters.

I am thrilled to welcome Betsy to the Notre Dame family and the Southwest team. Please join me in welcoming her to the UR team!

Shelby

Today, we offer our deepest condolences to Larry Helmsing upon the passing of his mother, Katherine (Kathy) Helmsing, on Tuesday, January 4 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The full obituary may be found here.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 am, Friday, January 14 at St Peter’s Catholic Church, 518 East Dewald Street, Fort Wayne with calling one hour prior. Calling will also be held from 5 to 8 pm on Thursday, January 13, at D.O. McComb and Sons Covington Knolls Funeral Home in Fort Wayne.

Please keep Larry and his entire family in your prayers.

~IT&S Team

We are writing to update you on the job responsibilities of Angel Hess:

Angel has transitioned to a role supporting Kim Borza Donaldson, in addition to Melissa Lechlitner-Lewis and Mike Brown. In addition to this support, Angel will continue to manage communications with the Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete, Athletics leadership gift acknowledgments, and Athletics Advancement office operations. She also assists with Athletics gift reporting, Athletics Department communications, and event management for Athletics Advancement and the Monogram Club.

Angel is a wonderful member of the Athletics Advancement team, and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on Athletics priorities!

– Kim Borza Donaldson & Brian Powell

Congratulations to Dawn Smith on her new grandson! Greyson Lawrence Danley was born on Monday, January 10th weighing in at 7lbs 3oz. Mom (Dawn’s daughter) Lexy, Dad Philip, and big brother Delcan are all doing great!

Best wishes to their whole family!

After six and a half years, Megan Macri has announced her resignation from the University and her role as a fundraiser with the Illinois Team.

Megan has been a valuable teammate. Her fundraising acumen along with her leadership and team-focused approach will be missed. The Freehold, N.J. native consistently developed strong relationships with her benefactors. Her work will have a lasting impact on Notre Dame and the students the university serves.

The 2005 ND graduate will join the Chicago-based private equity firm TJM Capital Partners as a Principal. In her new role, Megan will focus on investor relations, fundraising, and cultivating key relationships within portfolio companies.

We wish her well and look forward to seeing her, Matt and their children Amelia, Kate and Maeve back on campus when they visit.

Congratulations Megan and thank you for your service to Our Lady’s Mission.

Megan’s last day will be Jan. 26.

Please join us in welcoming Sean Cuneo and Jim Hill to the Marketing Operations, Annual Giving team as Content Marketing Specialists!

In these roles, Sean and Jim will use their creativity and writing skills to produce persuasive, emotionally evocative multichannel fundraising campaigns that raise critical funds that empower Notre Dame students to be forces for good in the world.

Sean Cuneo graduated from Notre Dame in 2012 and comes to us from Mercyhurst University where he served as the Director of Marketing & Brand Management. His robust experience as a writer, creative, and digital marketer will be a great addition to our team. Sean’s first day is Tuesday, January 4th.

Jim Hill graduated from Boston College and Villanova University and comes to us from Villanova’s Office of Grants and Contracts where he served as a Grants and Contracts Assistant. Jim has unique experience in writing, directing his own short films, and in working as a Logistics Management Specialist for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command. Jim’s first week is remote beginning on Tuesday, January 11th and he will join us in the office on January 18th.

Please join us in welcoming Sean and Jim to the UR Family!

Lauren Dolzan and Brandon Tabor

Happy birthday to all our UR colleagues celebrating their special days in January! We hope this new year brings you new joy!

1/1 – Stacy Koebel
1/3 – Andrea Swanagan
1/3 – Eileen Gieselman
1/5 – Nancy Cole
1/6 – Dylan Reed
1/7 – Drew Buscareno
1/11 – Colleen Bailey-Knapke
1/11 – Stu Fortener
1/12 – James Riley
1/13 – Laura Walker
1/17 – Anne Overly
1/19 – Jeff Fersch
1/19 – Jay McAllister
1/21 – Matthew McVeigh
1/23 – Heather Christophersen
1/23 – Nadia Erickson
1/24 – Melissa Lechlitner
1/24 – Suzanne DeGuilio
1/25 – Kelly Courington
1/25 – Lou Nanni
1/26 – Chris Baguer
1/26 – Joanne Norell
1/29 – Chris Palmquist
1/30 – Geoff Stookey
1/31 – Bryan Reaume

More on masking: 

• Throughout the Spring Semester, those who are not fully vaccinated—having not received the original vaccine and the booster—will be required to mask indoors and test weekly.
• The current indoor masking requirement applies in all campus buildings, including in classrooms, laboratories and studios. When the campus-wide masking requirement is lifted, faculty may continue to require students to mask in these instructional spaces.
• Visitors are required to wear masks inside campus buildings at all times until further notice.
• While the current masking requirement is in effect, students, faculty and staff are required to wear masks at all times inside South Dining Hall, North Dining Hall, Duncan Student Center, LaFortune and other eateries except when actively eating or drinking.
• Throughout the semester, we urge anyone experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms to stay at home, call their medical provider, and, as appropriate, get tested. Even if you are negative for COVID, please wear your mask indoors on campus while symptoms persist to avoid spreading illness.
• Finally, as has been true throughout the pandemic, we strongly encourage anyone who feels more comfortable masking—for any reason and without needing to offer an explanation—to do so.