Team,

I am pleased to share that Patty Kokesh will be promoted to the role of Executive Director, IT and Financial Administration effective Monday, March 3. In this role, Patty will lead the strategy and deployment behind the technology, analytics, and financial resources for our division in support of our fundraising goals. This promotion makes permanent the oversight Patty has provided to the IT and Analytics team on an interim basis since Carleen Quinlan’s retirement in early December. In addition, Patty will continue to provide leadership to the Financial Administration and Strategy team.

We are blessed to have Patty as a member of our Advancement Services and Development leadership teams, and grateful to her for so eagerly taking on this new opportunity. Patty joined University Relations in June 2017 as Associate Director of Data and Analytics in support of the Annual Giving team. Since that time, she has built strong partnerships with leaders throughout the division and the university while taking on roles of increasing responsibility. Patty was promoted to the role of Senior Director of Financial Administration and Strategy in February 2023. She and her husband, Ryan, are the proud parents of two young sons, Marty and Jamie.

Additionally, I’d like to thank the leadership of the IT and Analytics teams (Andrew Yocum, Dean Ernzen, Rose Michalski, Matt LaFlash, Mayuri Changede, and Tracey Mulherin) for their leadership during this interim time and for their input and feedback as we evaluated the future of this critical team and function. They and their teams provide incredibly impactful work for our division and they each will be an asset to Patty as she moves forward in this role.

Please join me in thanking Patty for her continued leadership and congratulating her on her new role!

Brian

Hello! I’m writing to share a few updates for the Annual Giving Programs team:

 

• We are renaming the team Annual Giving Campaigns & Initiatives to better describe the work this team accomplishes and align with industry standards. 

 

• Meredith Sharwarko, the current Director of the team, has decided to move on from her position. Her last day will be February 28th. Meredith has served in this position for two years and in that time has led every one of the 12 programs and initiatives on this team to see incredible growth! Two of her most notable accomplishments include achieving record-breaking numbers on Notre Dame Day two years in a row and leading our most successful Calendar Year-End campaign ever this past December. Meredith is a very strategic thinker and we will greatly miss her wisdom and leadership. We wish you the best, Meredith!

 

• Wendy Garcia Sigala has been promoted to Associate Director! Her expanded responsibilities include leading ND Listens while continuing her work with peer-to-peer outreach. Additional responsibilities include ND Loyal Student Ambassadors, student philanthropy education, stewardship campaigns for Annual Giving donors, and senior class giving. I can’t imagine a more perfect person to lead our ND Listens students. Congratulations, Wendy!

 

• Leslie Curry will take on an expanded role leading and executing our large-scale campaigns. Still leading our Notre Dame Fund, Renewals, and Matching Gifts strategy.

 

We are in the middle of the hiring process for the Director, Annual Giving Campaigns & Initiatives position and will soon post Wendy’s former role of Assistant Director, Annual Giving Campaigns & Initiatives. 

 

Please reach out to Katie Kerby if you have any additional questions. Thank you!

Dear Team –

I’m excited to announce that Kamil Kosidlak will be joining the NDAA IT team as our new Data and Systems Specialist on Monday, February 24.  While he’s new to the NDAA, Kamil has been working on campus since 2017, spending time in Development, OIT, and his current position supporting IT in Mendoza College of Business.

Originally from Poland, Kamil grew up in the South Bend area.  He completed his Bachelor’s degree from IUSB and this past December completed his Masters in Data Science from IU-Bloomington.  He thrives on the thrill of the challenge and loves solving complex problems and navigating unique situations.

While Kamil’s first day with the team isn’t until the 24th, you may see him around before then as we work on his onboarding.  When you see him, make sure to give him a great, big NDAA welcome!

John

UR Friends,

I’m very excited to share the news that Sarah and Erick Wodrich welcomed their second child, Bowen Charles Wodrich, at 12:21 pm on January 27! Sarah and Bowen are doing well, and Cal is loving his new role as “big brother”.

While Sarah is on maternity leave, I know she would welcome your prayers and well wishes! Congratulations to the Wodrich family!

Jessica

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.

A visitation to honor Debbie’s life will be held on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Brown Funeral Home, 521 E. Main Street, Niles.

Memorial contributions in Debbie’s memory may be made to the Debra Morton Cook Memorial Fund at the University of Notre Dame. Gifts can be made:

• Online: giving.nd.edu/morton-cook-memorial
• By Phone: (574) 631-5150
• By Mail: University of Notre Dame, Department of Development, 1100 Grace Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556

In lieu of a contribution, Debbie would have deeply appreciated your support for your local humane society.

To read the full, beautiful obituary written by Bob, please visit this site.

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.”

Dear Colleagues,

We hope this message finds you well. We write to inform you that Pier White is no longer with the University of Notre Dame. His last day was Monday, January 27, 2025.

Pier has served as a Regional Director since 2012. We are grateful for his 13 years of service to the mission of Notre Dame and the relationships he fostered with our incredible families.

We wish him well in this next chapter and in his future endeavors.

Thank you,

East Coast Region

Dear Colleagues,

Today, we will send 2024 Cumulative Statements electronically. This population is roughly 22,000. We have individually receipted all legal donors already, this cumulative statement is a courtesy. Questions or donor comments should be sent directly to givegift@nd.edu.

Details of the send:
Subject line: 2024 Charitable Giving Tax Statement: University of Notre Dame
Sender: givegift@nd.edu
To: Individual deemed head of household

FAQs can be found here.

This annual project is huge undertaking for my team. While we continue to improve every year, we welcome your feedback! Thank you for your partnership.

Thanks,
Alyssa

Please join me in congratulating Ben Nowalk on his promotion to Senior Director of Leadership Events. Ben succeeds Ashley Bennett who transitioned to a new role in the Keough School of Global Affairs late last year. Ben transitioned to this role at the beginning of January and definitely experienced “baptism by fire” as he led the execution of our events throughout the College Football Playoff!

In his new role, Ben will provide oversight of the Leadership Events team within UOES in the planning and execution of events across Development functions, in addition to events for the Board of Trustees and the Offices of the President, Provost, and Executive Vice President.

Ben has been a member of the Leadership Events team for three years and most recently has been the lead on events for Advisory Councils, Friends of Ted and Ned, Cavanaugh Council, and President’s Circle. A native of Culver, Indiana, Ben received his Bachelor’s Degree at Purdue University. He and his wife, Anna, have three children: Annemarie, Harrison, and Caroline.

I know Ben looks forward to working more closely with colleagues across Development in this new role. Please join me on congratulating Ben on this promotion and on a successful run through the CFP!

Best,
Brian

After nearly eight years working at Notre Dame, Paige has decided to return home to Detriot to pursue a new opportunity and be closer to her family. We are grateful for Paige’s impact on our team, our Law School and Graduate Business benefactors, and the University through her previous work in the Division of Student Affairs. Her last day will be February 3. Please join me in wishing Paige all the best!

If you have any ongoing projects with Paige, please contact me for assistance. We will post this role soon. In the meantime, please refer any potential candidates to me.

Thank you,

Conor

I am so excited to share that Brooke and her husband Mitch and big brother Joey welcomed Dylan Michael Speer on 1/11/25 at 5:38pm, 7lbs 10oz. Brooke and Dylan are doing well! Please join me in congratulating them on the wonderful addition to their lives!

-Conor Montijo