As we look to finish the 2021 calendar year, we want to remind you about gift deadlines and instructions. These details are outlined in the 2021 Calendar Year-End letter.

As a reminder, if a benefactor’s gift is not postmarked by December 31, 2021 or in a University account by December 31, 2021, it cannot be considered a 2021 gift for tax purposes. Please encourage your donor’s to send their gifts early to avoid any unforeseen challenges (i.e. USPS delivery, banking systems, etc.)

Happy Holidays!

We offer our deepest condolences to Wayne Harpenau upon the passing of his mother-in-law Mildred “Millie” Haag, last Friday, December 17th.

The full obituary may be found here.

Please remember to keep Wayne and his wife Julie and their entire family in your prayers.

– The IT&S Team

The Notre Dame UR Family extends its deepest condolences to Dawn Smith. Her grandmother, Patricia Ann Pallo passed away on Monday, December 20th.

You can find Mrs. Pallo’s obituary using this link.

Please keep Mrs. Pallo, Dawn and Gary, and their extended family in your prayers.

-Lana Taylor

Thanks for all the great matching gift questions the last couple of weeks, please keep them coming! As promised, here is an updated list of assigned prospects who made a gift between July 1 and Dec 20 who have not yet made a claim. There are 347 gifts represented for a total of $6.165M in potential matches.

Let me know how I can help. You can check any employer’s matching program details at: https://giving.nd.edu/ways-to-give/matching-gifts/ including deadlines and links directly to employer forms.

Top matching gift companies with a December 31 deadline or other notable deadline for your quick reference.

You can contact me via email at lcurry@nd.edu with any matching gift questions.

-Leslie Curry

Congratulations to Tim Willis on his new grandson! You can see Campbell Timothy Willis with his Mom, Maggie, below. Best wishes to the entire family!

Friends,

I am pleased to announce that Lauren Donahue has joined the NY Metro team as regional director, effective December 13.

For the past three and a half years, Lauren served as the Program Director for New Student Engagement at Notre Dame, where she was a member of Fr. Gerry’s leadership team for student affairs. Lauren provided leadership on matters involving strategic planning, student development, health and well-being, residential life and was the co-director of the Moreau First Year Experience course. From 2014-2018, she served as Rector of Cavanaugh Hall.

I am excited about all that Lauren will bring to our team! Please join me in welcoming her to University Relations.

Thank you,
Ryan

It is my pleasure to welcome Rachel Myers to the Resource Strategy and Administration team as Associate Director of Finance. Rachel’s first day will be Monday, December 20, when she will begin leading our day-to-day finance administration and strategy.

Rachel is a graduate of Purdue with a double major in financial planning and sales management as well as a minor in psychology. In addition, she earned a master’s of education from Valparaiso University.

Rachel brings more than 15 years of experience in financial analysis and operations management to UR. Most recently, Rachel served as Director of Finance and Operations at Andrean High School (Merrillville, IN).

Please join me in welcoming Rachel! And please consider reaching out to Rachel (rmyers24@nd.edu) to introduce yourself. Especially in our hybrid work environment, we appreciate our UR teammates and key partners who take the time to make our newest member feel welcomed and included.

Kathryn Valenti

Team,

I couldn’t be more excited to share the good news that we have a new Senior Director of Communications and Marketing, Digger O’Brien. Digger comes to us after many years working as an Executive Producer and Chief Content Officer for various groups within the NFL. His responsibilities as the Head of Entertainment Marketing included overseeing all content development, creative and brand-alignment strategies for third-party digital, television and film projects in the entertainment industry. In addition, as the Senior Producer of NFL Films, he executed hundreds of hours of large-scale content development and production initiatives at the NFL’s in-house production company. And to top it all off, he is a five-time national Emmy Award winner for editing, directing and writing.

Digger is the author of “Pointing Is Rude: One Father’s Story of Autism, Adoption, and Acceptance.”

A 1989 graduate of Notre Dame, Digger will be joined in South Bend by his wife, Bernadette, and children, Anna (24), Frederick and Grace (19) and Julian (12). He joined us on November 29, splitting time between South Bend and Yardley, PA, until after the holidays.

Please join me in welcoming Digger O’Brien.

All the best,
Dolly

On Thursday, December 16th at noon – Please join THRIVE! for Networking: Basics and Beyond, a 30 min workshop on the fundamentals of networking. Whether or not you are comfortable with the concept of networking, you’ll learn the basics of and best practices for networking, with Associate Director for Mendoza MBA programs, Martin Johnson. Martin will be joined by Tahra Taylor, Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services, and Lindsey McIntyre, Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services (see bios below).

Please click this zoom link to register. https://notredame.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtceyuqjIoGt3EUOlZovsZbauapuYCYvFJ.

Martin C. Johnson is an Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Development and a Career Coach. He joined Notre Dame in 2020. He is responsible for coaching MBA students who are seeking careers in the fields of Corporate Finance and Investment Banking. He also is an advisor to the Finance & Investment Club. Prior to joining Notre Dame, Martin was an Investment Advisor with Morgan Stanley, an Agency Owner with Allstate Insurance, Regional Vice President with US Allianz Investor Services, and Vice President of Sales at Lakeshore Learning Materials. Martin earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from University of The Pacific, a Master Business Administration from California State University East Bay, and a Juris Doctor from John F. Kennedy College of Law. His certifications include RMA – Retirement Management Analyst (RMA®, Enrolled Agent, member CA State Bar.

Tahra Taylor is an Associate Director of Graduate Business Career Services, where she meets with the Mendoza College of Business MBA students one-on-one and in groups to explore, pursue, and obtain their individualized career goals. She also liaises with student clubs in support of student learning opportunities. She has a passion for helping students create strategies for success in the job search process. Prior to joining the University of Notre Dame, Tahra was the Human Resources Director for the National Diversity Council. She built her vast human resources experience with The Dallas Morning News and Fortune 500 companies, including AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Texaco, Inc., and Entergy Services, Inc.

Lindsey McIntyre is Associate Director for Graduate Business Career Development. She joined Mendoza in 2019. She serves as the Career Coach for Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) students in both the on-campus Residential and Chicago programs. In this role, she provides strategic guidance and tactical tools and resources to help each student create a customized job search strategy that supports long-term career success. McIntyre began her career at Notre Dame in 2007, and has served in various research and analysis roles in the Office of Budget & Financial Planning, the College of Engineering, and the Offices of Corporate & Foundation Relations.