Colleagues,

Please note that as of July 7th, Anna McKeever will no longer be with the Annual Giving team. If you were working with Anna on any projects, please contact Katie Kerby for a transition plan. The role of Associate Director, Law and Graduate Business Annual Giving will be posted on jobs.nd.edu shortly.

We are grateful for Anna’s many contributions to our team, including breaking all-time unrestricted fundraising records for the Notre Dame Law School and the Mendoza College of Business. Anna will assume the role of Advisor to Fr. Dan Groody, Vice President and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. Please join us in congratulating Anna on her move and wishing her success in this next chapter in her life and career!

Thank you,
Katie

Dear Colleagues,

I am excited to announce that Erin Newkirk will serve as the Fundraiser Training Specialist. Prior to joining Development, Erin worked for Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI/ACE). At IEI, she supported the Institute director in day-to-day operations and strategic planning efforts as well as supporting the Institute’s stewardship efforts. During her time at IEI, Erin also worked as a member of the ACE Teaching Fellows pastoral team, managing the programmatic and formation efforts of the Teaching Fellows program while working closely with ACE teachers across the country. As an ACE teacher, she taught middle school math and science at Sacred Heart Catholic Schools in Oklahoma City, Okla. She graduated from Notre Dame in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Pre-Med. She earned her master’s degree in education in 2015. She and her husband, Will, live in South Bend – though they find their way up to Lake Michigan as often as possible! Her first day with Development will be July 17.

Please join me in welcoming Erin to the Development Department.

– Jerry Barca

Colleagues and friends,

I am excited to announce effective July 1, Brandon Tabor will assume the role of Associate Vice President for Development, leading our Annual Giving, Stewardship and Storytelling teams. Brandon brings a strong track record of innovation and leadership along with over ten years experience in Annual Giving and Storytelling.

Most recently, Brandon managed Annual Giving as Senior Director, leading the team to all-time records in giving society production, annual donor count and Notre Dame Day gifts and production. He led changes to our online marketing and fundraising technologies, generating $104 million in online gifts over the past four years.

Previously, Brandon served as Associate Director for Storytelling and Engagement during the Boldly Notre Dame Campaign, developing inspiring content across multiple mediums. Prior to his time at Notre Dame, Brandon was Director of Sales and Marketing for Souldier/Goodship, Inc. and Lead Designer for Firevine Advertising. Most importantly, Brandon brings humility and hunger to his work and his teams.

Brandon’s current position as Senior Director for Annual Giving will post in the coming days. If you are interested, or know of individuals who could serve in this role, please contact Adria Logan. For now, please join me in congratulating Brandon and welcoming him to this new role.

Many thanks, Lou

A warm and enthusiastic welcome to Scott Berry, who joined the Storytelling & Engagement team on June 12! Scott comes to us most recently from La Lumiere School, where he was an English teacher. Prior to that, he was Associate Director of Gift Agreements and Acknowledgments and Grant and Development Writer at Miami University; Director of Community Outreach and Engagement and Grant Writer at Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton, Ohio; Volunteer Coordinator at Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly; and Teaching Assistant at Perkins School for the Blind in Boston.

Scott graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame in 2006 with a BA in English, and he holds an MA in English from Wake Forest. He also participated in Notre Dame’s IRISH Seminar in 2011.

Scott and his wife, Kelly, live in Mishawaka with their three daughters. They love doing things as a family, including playing board games, going on bike rides, eating Indian food, and taking long road trips.

Friends and Colleagues,

I write to you all today to share the truly bittersweet news that Ray Herring will leave Notre Dame on July 17th to take on an incredible new opportunity at Rutgers University as their Assistant Vice President for Athletics Development and Senior Associate Athletics Director. In this role, Ray will lead a team of 12 and will oversee the University’s athletics fundraising efforts.

Ray and I started together as Tier 1 fundraisers six years ago, and he’s been a phenomenal fundraiser, teammate, leader, and friend every step of the way. In service of Our Lady, he’s raised over $43M, and his efforts will leave a legacy for years to come.

Please join me in congratulating Ray on this exciting new opportunity and in expressing my gratitude for all he’s done for our department and the University at large.

Riley

I’d like you all to welcome our new Law School Academic Advancement Director, Jason Stoller! Jason is local to the Mishawaka area and joins us from LaVine Restorations in Nappanee, Indiana, where he has worked for the past 8 years as co-owner, automotive restoration advisor, and in-house counsel.

He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Notre Dame in 2008 while at the same time getting his B.S. in Math and Physics from Bethel College. Jason went on to get his J.D. from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2012. His background in international law (including time working in Germany) and client experience will serve him well in this role.

As the Law School AAD, Jason will be responsible for driving philanthropy to the Law School, working closely with Joseph A. Matson, Dean and Professor of Law, G. Marcus Cole. This position has been vacant since Kate Mueller began as the AAD for ND Research, the Graduate School, and the IDEA Center in November 2022. Jason’s first day in Development will be Wednesday, July 5, 2023. We have space reserved for him in the AAD Huddle Rooms at ESC (3262 & 3264) for his first few weeks, so please stop by and say hello.

We are thrilled to have Jason join the team! And I do mean thrilled!!!

KO

Dear Colleagues,

I’m excited to announce that Molly Cosby will be our new Program Director, Athletics Advancement. In this role, Molly will oversee the strategic development and implementation of our marketing collateral, stewardship programming, donor experiences (events & tours), and – in conjunction with myself – will help partner with and serve our field fundraising team.

Molly has been with Notre Dame since 2021, working as a Program Director for University Enterprises & Events. In her role, she served as the lead events partner for the Athletics Advancement team, playing an instrumental role in both Sports Summit events and countless others.

We could not be more thrilled to have her as a full-time member of the Athletics Advancement Team and I know you will all enjoy partnering with her in the weeks and months to come.

Athletics Advancement Contact Cheat Sheet:

• Donor Strategies, Proposals, Priority questions, etc. = Riley AND Molly
• Stewardship = Molly
• Donor Experiences, Events, & Tours = Molly
• Rockne Athletics Fund = William Mitchell AND Shannon Longo

Note: You can reach out to any of us above with any questions and we’ll always get you pointed in the right direction and help however we can.

Riley

Friends and Colleagues,

Dear Colleagues,

Please review these important deadlines for closing the FY 23 books. We appreciate your partnership!

-Amy Schell

Dear Colleagues,

I’m excited to introduce Carly Harmon as our newest Development Coordinator (DC) team member. Carly will partner with Shaheen Goldrick, Ken Johnson and Mark Helmke.

Carly began her tenure on Monday, June 19th but is no stranger to the South Bend community, She most recently assisted patrons with technology and provided great customer service for the St. Joseph County Public Library, Francis Branch.

Carly received her BA in English from Bryn Mawr College in 2020. She enjoys creative writing, playing D&D, reading “awful romance” books (her words, not mine!), and playing video games.

Please join me to welcome Carly to University Relations!

Deena Chamberlin
Lori Tinkey

UR Team,

Please note that Friday, July 7, will be Jim Hill’s last day on the Marketing Operations, Annual Giving team. Jim will be heading to Philly and is taking his experience and journalism background to Villanova, his alma mater, and will serve as their new Public Relations Associate.

Jim has been such a rockstar on our team the past year and a half and we’re thankful for how he has elevated our communications, tested and reported out on our work, and improved processes for our team. Beyond his work efforts, we will miss his abundant coffee refills and his ever present can-do attitude.

If you were working with Jim directly on any projects, please contact me for a plan of transition. The role of the Content Marketing Specialist will be posted on jobs.nd.edu in the coming week. We will release further information regarding this vacancy as it becomes available.

Please join us in congratulating Jim and wishing him all the best in this next chapter of his career!

-Lauren Dolzan

After more than 27 years of gracious service to Our Lady’s University, our dear friend and colleague Eileen Gieselman will retire effective June 30th.

Eileen began in Regional Development in the Atlanta regional office in 1996, working as a Regional Associate. Eileen’s knowledge of the region’s benefactors, and the relationships she helped to cultivate alongside fundraisers Tim Rippinger, Chris Bonwit, Bill Doyle, and others, will continue to garner benefaction for Notre Dame and Her students for generations to come.

Following the closure of the Atlanta regional office in 2017, Eileen joined the Stewardship & Donor Relations team where she has served as Sr. Coordinator for the University Stewardship Initiatives team. In this capacity, Eileen has played a significant role in the annual endowment reporting process, handled the University’s suspense fund reporting, served as a writer and editor to the team, partnered with Notre Dame International on their stewardship efforts, and researched gifts and documentation for the team, among many other responsibilities.

Eileen enjoyed celebrating her retirement with members of the Stewardship & Donor Relations team, former colleagues, and lifelong friends during a recent campus visit. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Eileen for her many years at Notre Dame, and wishing her all the best in this next chapter.

With gratitude,
Cristi Ganyard

I am pleased to share the birth of Bobby (Robert Michael) Knapke on Wednesday, July 14. Bobby is a healthy baby weighing 9 lbs 9 oz, and is 20 inches long. Bobby is the third child of Kyle and Colleen Bailey-Knapke. Both Bobby and Colleen are doing great and will be welcomed home by big brother PJ and big sister Maggie.

-Amy Schell

Dear Colleagues,

Please help us welcome Arlia Delphonse to Regional Development as a Development Coordinator (DC). Arlia is moving to South Bend from Largo, Florida, having most recently worked as an Administrative Assistant for her family’s business.

Arlia graduated from Notre Dame in 2016 with a major in Japanese and a minor in Gender Studies. During that time, she worked as a Japanese language tutor as well as a writing tutor. She obtained her MS in Library and Information Science from Catholic University in 2020 and has worked as a library assistant at the Largo Public Library as well as a library technician at the National Gallery of Art. Arlia enjoys birdwatching, playing video games, and studying the Japanese language.

Arlia’s tech and organizational skills, in addition to her commitment to the University’s mission, will undoubtedly help advance our team’s work and culture.

Welcome to Development, Arlia!

Angie Dennig

Lori Tinkey

Come join the UR (and friends) Softball team! If you would like to join “The Benchwarmers”, please email Maureen Daday. The Benchwarmers will play Tuesday June 13th at either 6:30, June 20th at 7:30, with playoffs to follow. We would love to add more players/substitutes to our roster. We are very inclusive, so please join us, even if just to watch! Questions, click to email Maureen Daday. Please spread the word!

If you are interested in joining us for our next UR Walks, please fill out this form. We will meet this Thursday, June 15th, at 11:45AM at Grace Hall by the 11th Floor Elevators. Brian Diss will be leading the walk. As there may be some non-pavement, trail walking, we advise that appropriate footwear be considered. Interested in learning more about the health benefits of walking? Check out this article.

Happy birthday to all our UR employees celebrating their special days in June! Time for some fun in the sun!

6/1—Rebecca Lane
6/2—Joe Sheehan
6/3—Cristi Ganyard
6/3—Pier White
6/4—Kelsey Forry
6/5—Courtney Quinlan
6/8—Megan Andedo
6/8—Maureen Daday
6/8—Sharon Keane
6/8—Matthew LaFlash
6/8—Dawn McGrath
6/10—Danielle Filgueira
6/11—Bill Ribera
6/12—Carolyn Lax
6/16—Lauren Imfeld
6/16—Rich Reynolds
6/18—Jason Stoller
6/19—William Mitchell
6/21—Brigette Kinney
6/22—Annie Envall-Latowski
6/28—Monica May
6/29—Mark Witucki
6/30—Sara Aycock
6/30—Tarrez Clark
6/30—Jessica Witous

All,

I would like to welcome our newest regional director, Brandon Williamson, to the SouthBest team. Brandon, a Bethel University grad (BS and MBA), joins us from Flagstar Bank, where he served as a senior mortgage loan officer.

He previously held other banking and insurance roles at First State Bank, Gibbson Insurance, and United Federal Credit Union. Brandon also serves on the boards at Friends of the St. Joseph County Parks, Junior Achievement, and South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Brandon lives locally with his wife, Stephanie, and his 1-year-old son, Huxley. Brandon’s first day will be Monday, June 5. He will be working with families in Arizona.

Please join me in welcoming Brandon to the Notre Dame family!

Best, Shelby

Colleagues,

I write to share bittersweet news that Kasey O’Connor ‘12 will leave Notre Dame on June 30 and return home to New York where she’ll be near her family and continue her career with the USTA Foundation.

Kasey is a 2012 graduate of Notre Dame and a four-year softball monogram winner who has served in roles in Athletics and Development, most recently as Director, Annual Giving.

Throughout her time with us, Kasey has consistently demonstrated qualities that have inspired us all: grit, optimism, and fearlessness in her commitment to serving Notre Dame’s mission. She has been a true warrior, tirelessly advocating for Notre Dame Athletics—especially female student-athletes—and putting our Leadership Annual Giving fundraisers in a position to win.

Kasey has made a lasting impact on our team, department, and Notre Dame. I speak on behalf of many who feel privileged to have been a small part of her incredible journey.

Please stop by Kasey’s office and wish her well as we close out the fiscal year!

-Brandon Tabor

All,

It is bittersweet to announce that Darius Walker will be leaving the University to take on other amazing opportunities in Los Angeles. His last day will be July 1. We are grateful for Darius’ many contributions to Our Lady’s University and her students.

During his five years as a regional director in the Los Angeles area, Darius raised $25M in production to areas including Mendoza, the Law School, Student Affairs, and DPAC, and over $3M in mission giving. These gifts have impacted hundreds of ND students and the ripple effects will be immeasurable.

Thank you, Darius, for being a great teammate, partner, and representative of Notre Dame.

Please join me in congratulating Darius on all he has accomplished and wishing him well during this next phase of his career!

Best, Shelby

Dear Colleagues,

Please join us in celebrating Stephanie Washington as she transitions to her new role of Associate Director, Learning and Organizational Development.

Stephanie’s contributions to Notre Dame began 5 years ago in her Alumni Association role of Marketing and Communications Coordinator. In 2021, Stephanie joined the fundraising arm of University Relations in the role of Development Coordinator. Since that time, she’s cultivated successful fundraising partnerships with Shaheen Goldrick, Tom Cummings, Ken Johnson, and Mitch Dansky. She has also spearheaded the DC Team’s unique DEIU efforts, serving as a hub for diversity resources, creating a book club, and infusing our interview process with targeted diversity questions. Stephanie concurrently served as a Diversity Catalyst for UR hiring. She will continue to be a leader For Good in our DEIU efforts within UR and across campus. We’re extremely grateful for her impact on our team, as well as on a personal level. Thank you, Stephanie! You will be missed!

In her new role, Stephanie will lead the evergreen and ever-evolving UR onboarding program, co-produce venues of ongoing professional development for all of our colleagues, and contribute towards division-wide strategic projects like the UR Internship Program. She will continue to serve as a key stakeholder in DEIU initiatives. A graduate of Purdue University, Stephanie will bring her wealth of knowledge, relationships, and experience from Regional Development Administration to immediately benefit the expanding team in Learning and Organizational Development. She will transition to her new role on Monday, June 12.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

Deena Chamberlain, Lori Tinkey and Bryan Reaume