Colleagues-

As our collective team and goals grow, so does our commitment to providing ongoing education, training, and professional development. Accordingly, Sara Liebscher, Brian Diss, and I have been collaborating to expand the capacity and influence of the Learning and Organizational Development (LOD) team.

I am pleased to announce two job postings:

Fundraiser Training Specialist (new role)

Associate Director, LOD
(role currently held by Mary Flynt) See previous announcement about transition.

I gladly welcome all applications, interest, referrals, and questions.

For Notre Dame,

Bryan Reaume

It is my pleasure to welcome Nicole Konieczny (pronounced Kah-nez-nee) to the Prospect & Research Strategy team as Research Analyst, effective April 12. In her new role, Nicole will be working with the Research team to provide quality research to fundraisers and help identify process improvement opportunities in our recurring project-based work.

Nicole was a Division I Women’s Basketball player at Valparaiso University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She then went on to Stephen F. Austin State University, where she continued to play while earning her Master of Business Administration.

We are excited to see the impact Nicole’s skills and energy will have on our team. Please consider reaching out to Nicole at nkoniecz@nd.edu to introduce yourself.

Welcome Nicole!
Christina Ryan
Director, Prospect Research

I am pleased to announce a new member of the NDAA IT Team will be joining us on Monday, April 17, just in time for our Spring Board Meeting and Leadership Conference!

Anuoluwapo (Anu) Osinubi will be joining the NDAA IT Team as our new Email Communications Analyst next Monday. Anu is multi-talented and comes to Notre Dame with a background in email communications and web development and design. He was most recently working with Beacon Health. On the side he has been building Kwikapay—a startup fintech based in his home country, Nigeria. Anu is looking forward to the opportunity to learn, grow, and meet new people as he comes into his new role working with our email communications here in the NDAA.

When you see him next week, please take a moment to welcome him to the team.

John

Friends and Colleagues,

I am very pleased to introduce you to our newest Gift Planning Officer, Mary Lake (’91). Mary earned her Bachelor of Arts from Fordham University and her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School. For years following law school, Mary served as Managing Partner of Lake & Lake, a law practice in LaPorte County where Mary represented clients in matters that included estate planning and real estate, and she later served as Deputy Public Defender in LaPorte County. For the past four years Mary has worked as Chief of Staff for the LaPorte County Prosecuting Attorney, leading a team of more than forty employees.

Mary and her husband John (’88) are the proud parents of seven children, including one Notre Dame graduate and two other current Notre Dame students. Mary’s first day is Monday, April 3, and her regional assignment will be determined and effective as of the start of the new fiscal year. Please come say hello to Mary next week (she will be sharing office space with Sarah Wodrich) and give her a warm welcome to Development!

TJ

Dear Colleagues,

Please join us in congratulating Jeff Fersch on his transition to the Prospect & Research Strategy team as a Research Analyst!

Jeff has been with Development since 2005, when he worked as a Development Assistant. In 2014, he became a fundraiser for what was then the Midwest Region. He continued with the Illinois Region and worked with donors in the Chicagoland area. Jeff has been a prolific mission-giving fundraiser — consistently posting $1 million-plus in unrestricted — along with hitting his tier target in six of the last seven years. More than the numbers, Jeff is known for the consummate care he shows donors and his teammates. The Chicago team wishes him great success as he continues to serve Our Lady’s mission.

In his new role, Jeff will be working with the Research team to provide quality research to fundraisers and help identify process improvement opportunities in our recurring project-based work. We’re excited to gain Jeff’s unique insight as a long-standing member of the Development family. Jeff will make his transition to the team on April 17th.

Again, please join us in congratulating Jeff on his new role!

Jerry Barca & Christina Ryan

I am excited to announce that John Cunningham has joined the Chicago team as a regional director. John (’18, ’20 M.Ed) was born in South Bend, but after various moves during his childhood, his family has called Chapel Hill, North Carolina home for the last twelve years.

While a student at Notre Dame, John worked as a manager for the men’s basketball program under Coach Mike Brey. After graduation John taught middle school social studies for two years at Our Lady of Sorrows School in McAllen, Texas, as part of the ACE Teaching Fellows Program.

After a stint working with the Advancement Team at Saint Joseph High School in South Bend, John was the Facility Operations Manager for the Kansas City Current, a soccer team in the NWSL, for the past two years. John joined the KC Current during its inaugural season in 2021 and worked on a number of projects including the building process of the team’s training facility.

John has always been around sports, and enjoys playing and watching any game and spending time with family and friends.

His first day in the office is Wednesday, March 29.

– Jerry Barca

Dear Colleagues,

Please help us welcome Emily Naff to Regional Development as a Development Coordinator (DC). Emily’s first day will be Monday, March 27th.

Emily is no stranger to Notre Dame! She comes to us from the Main Building where she has worked for the past year as a Marketing and Design Specialist for our Marketing Department. Prior to that, she was in Grace Hall working as a People Services Associate in our Human Resources Department. Before joining the Notre Dame family in 2020, Emily held HR and Marketing positions at Talent Source in Mishawaka and Mahoney Family Dentistry in South Bend.

Emily received her BS in Marketing from Indiana University South Bend.

Emily’s experience, skillset, and commitment to the mission of Our Lady’s University will no doubt help advance our team’s work and culture. Development is lucky to have her!

Please consider reaching out to Emily at eknouse@nd.edu to introduce yourself.

Welcome to Development, Emily!

Anita Sareen

Lori Tinkey

In full support of our trusted colleague Mary Flynt, I inform you of her decision:

“After careful thought and consideration, I’ve decided to step back from work to focus on our family during this current season of life. I’ve been inspired, encouraged, supported, and loved by the UR team since even before I joined it, so this departure is bittersweet in many ways. My last day isn’t for a few months yet so I’m confident there will be many more memories made, people to onboard, and opportunities to connect before I depart.”

Mary will continue her model service to our mission until July 1.
Please join me in celebrating her in the coming months.
True to above-and-beyond form, Mary’s thoughtful notice propels effective continuation of her impact.

Also, I am pleased to share that Sara Liebscher, Brian Diss, and I have been collaborating to expand the capacity and influence of the Learning and Organizational Development (LOD) team. Stay tuned for additional news and postings in the coming weeks.

For Notre Dame,

Bryan Reaume