Alex Banayan

Keynote Speaker

“When you change what people believe is possible, you change what becomes possible.” That’s the lesson Alex Banayan learned as he interviewed the world's most successful people over the course of seven years for his bestselling book, The Third Door. He found that all of these leaders, from Bill Gates to Maya Angelou to Warren Buffett to Lady Gaga, found a Third Door to get in to the arena where they eventually excelled. It was almost always an entry they created themselves, that didn’t exist for anyone else. At the conference, Alex will share fascinating Third Door tales. But it’s his own creativity, his focus on origin stories and his insight into the self-made mindset that offer real inspiration for gift planners, who help successful people believe that they can change the world. Banayan has presented the Third Door framework to business conferences and corporate leadership teams around the world, including Apple, Google, Nike, IBM, Salesforce, Disney, and Harvard.

     

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Elizabeth J. Dale 

Luncheon Keynote Speaker

Elizabeth J. Dale is an assistant professor in the Master of Nonprofit Leadership Program at Seattle University. Her research focuses on the philanthropic practices of LGBT individuals and couples, women’s giving and funding for women’s and girls' causes, and the intersection of gender and philanthropy. Elizabeth received her Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies in 2016 from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. CGP attendees will get an early look at important new research from the Giving USA Foundation's new survey of planned gift donors in New Orleans. During the closing plenary, survey director Elizabeth Dale will preview key findings from the study, which will be published in November.
 

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Eric Abramson

Certified Financial Services

Eric L. Abramson is a nationally known estate and charitable planning professional. He is associated with Certified Financial Services in Paramus, NJ. Eric specializes in estate and tax planning, wealth/asset transfer, charitable and philanthropic planning and creative life insurance strategies. His client roster is made up of athletes/entertainers, business owners, entrepreneurs, hedge fund managers, investment bankers, high-net-worth and high-income earners, and affluent, high-net-worth familes. He is also a leading expert on industry affairs and has contributed his knowledge and expertise to the industry. He has served on industry committees and boards, and has often been invited to contribute his knowledge to major financial institutions so that they can better serve their clients. Eric speeks, lectures and trains for industry organizations, families and individuals, law and accounting firms, family offices, nonprofits, insurance firms and producers, throughout the United Sates. He has appeared in national industry forums and in the national media many times. 

     
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Gregory Baker

Executive Vice President, Renaissance Philanthropic Solutions Group

Gregory W. Baker, J.D., ChFC®, CFP®, CAP, is Executive Vice President of Renaissance Philanthropic Solutions Group, the nation’s largest independent charitable gift solutions provider. For the past 29 years, he has provided trust, tax and philanthropic financial planning advice to over 4,000 attorneys and 8,000 development officers, and financial planners in all 50 states regarding more than 20,000 charitable remainder trusts, more than 800 charitable lead trusts and numerous foundations, charitable gift annuities and donor-advised funds. His advice has helped donors contribute over $6 billion to charitable gift plans. Greg is a past Board Member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, a past President of the Charitable Gift Planners Indiana, an Advisory Board Member of the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation at the American College, member of the Financial Planning Association, and the Indiana Bar. Greg was previously VP, Charitable Fiduciary Risk Manager for the Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Management in Princeton, NJ. Greg speaks at national and local conferences for professional advisors, high net worth clients and charities regarding charitable gift planning, asset-allocation, investment modeling, and tax issues.

     
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Kevin Bauman

Directof of Philanthropic, Initiaties Capture

Kevin Bauman is Directof of Philanthropic Initiaties for Capture, a firm that develops sustainable solutions to enrollment and advancement challenges in higher education. Kevin brings a passion for technology and 15 years of advancement experience in annual, major and planned giving. He holds a conviction that technology can provide the necessary advantages for advancement offices to meet aggressive goals with often limited resources. He holds a BS from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBS from the University of Louisville.

     
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Tricia Benson

Senior Director of Planned Giving, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Tricia Benson is the Senior Director of Planned Giving at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, with responsibilities for planned giving, annual fund and direct mail. Prior to the CF Foundation, Tricia was Director of Foundation Relations and Planned Giving at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, DC. A native Tennessean, Tricia is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and has a Master’s Degree in Maternal Child Health from Emory University. She spent several years in clinical and administrative healthcare roles before moving into fundraising and philanthropy. 

     
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Rebecca Bibleheimer

Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Oregon Community Foundation

Rebecca Bibleheimer is a Senior Philanthropic Advisor with the Oregon Community Foundation. She provides gift planning assistance to donors who are interested in supporting charitable initiatives throughout Oregon and serves as an internal technical consultant to all philanthropic advisors throughout the state. Prior to joining OCF, Rebecca worked as a philanthropic advisor and planned giving consultant for US Bank Charitable Services Group and as a trusts and estates attorney for a tax boutique law firm. She has almost twenty years of experience in these fields. Rebecca is a member of the California State Bar and the Oregon State Bar and holds a Legal Letters Master (LLM) in tax law from the University of Florida, Levin School of Law. Rebecca served on the Board of Trustees for the Oregon Humane Society for 6 years and currently serves on a number of planned giving and investment related nonprofit committees in Portland, Oregon where she lives. She is the past President for the Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable and has served on their executive committee for ten years.

     
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Reynolds Cafferata

Partner, Rodriguez Horii Choi & Cafferata

Reynolds is a partner in the Los Angeles firm Rodriguez Horii Choi & Cafferata. His practice is concentrated in the area of nonprofit, tax, estate and trust law. He has experience advising charitable organizations and high net worth individuals regarding:
• Planning complex charitable gifts and charitable trusts,
• Creating and operating donor advised funds, private foundations and support organizations,
• Creating policies for gift acceptance and risk management, unrelated business income taxes, and self-dealing and intermediate sanctions excises taxes, and
• Sophisticated estate planning and wealth transfer planning.
Reynolds is a past board member of NCPG, and served as chair of the 2002 National Conference on Planned Giving. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California and is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.

     
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Stephanie “Stevie” Casteel

Partner, Private Client Services, Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. 

Stevie’s area of expertise is in charitable gift planning and exempt organizations. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America Guide in the areas of both Non-Profit/Charities Law and Trusts & Estates since 2009. Stevie is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC) and is an appointed member of its Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Committee and New Fellows Steering Committee. She serves as Chair of the Legislative and Regulatory Issues Committee of the Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Group of the Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Section of the American Bar Association (ABA), and she serves the ABA as an Associate Probate and Trust Articles Editor for Property & Probate. Stevie also serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the American Law Institute. She has been named a Georgia Super Lawyer by Atlanta Magazine for many years and as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers since 2009. Stevie graduated from Agnes Scott College and she received her law degree from Emory University Law School in 1991.

     
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Jeff Comfort 

Jeff Comfort has 32 years of gift planning experience. He currently is vice president of principal gifts and gift planning at the Oregon State University Foundation, where he provides strategic leadership to the gift planning program and oversees the staff that assists donors in making deferred, assets-based or complex gifts to the university. He spent 18 years at Georgetown University, where he oversaw university-wide gift planning efforts resulting in approximately $500 million of gift commitments and receipts in his tenure. Before arriving at Georgetown in 1995, he spent 11 years in Denver directing the gift planning program for the National Jewish Medical and Research Center. As a volunteer leader of PPP (formerly the National Committee on Planned Giving), Jeff served as president, chaired the 10th National Conference on Planned Giving and was a member of the NCPG board of directors for five years. Additionally, he was a member of the ethics committee and chaired the task force on gift valuation.

 

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Julia Curtis

Gift Planning Advancement Officer, Susquehanna University

Julia Curtis is a Gift Planning Advancement Officer at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. She came to Susquehanna University in May 2018. Prior to joining the team at SU, she worked in annual giving, managing the Phonathon program at a large public university. Julia is passionate about applying her previous career knowledge to a new area of fundraising in a private, liberal arts college setting. She has been integral in making effective changes to improve the planned giving program at Susquehanna University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from University of Rochester, and is currently pursuing her CFRE credential.

     

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Jane Danek

Deputy Director of Gift Planning, Princeton University

Jane Danek enjoys working with interesting people, plans and assets during her 14+ years as a front-line fundraiser in gift planning at Princeton University. In addition to her direct donor work, she manages all gifts of unusual assets, works closely with the Office of Finance and Treasurer, PRINCO, and with the Office of General Counsel on issues relating to charitable split-interest gifts and bequests as well as unusual assets gifts. Jane served as lead staff for Princeton’s Family Philanthropy Initiative, and on several policy and procedures committees. Jane spent nearly 20 years in the trust/financial services industry, working with high net worth individuals and families. She served as Vice President and Director of Morgan Stanley Trust's Philanthropic Services Group, Vice President and Manager with Merrill Lynch Trust, and as a fiduciary in personal and charitable trust planning and administration at various major banks in Boston. Jane is a board member and past president of the New Jersey Council of Charitable Gift Planners and served as Program Chair for their annual conference. She is a member of The NACGP Leadership Institute, where she served as co-chair for the 2014 Leadership Institute Roundtable Sessions. She also served on the advisory board of the 2016 Planned Giving Study published by the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy funded by Pentera. Jane is a magna cum laude graduate of Syracuse University and earned her law degree at Boston University School of Law.

     
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Pamela Davidson

Davidson Gift Design

Pamela Jones Davidson, JD, has been a nationally-recognized speaker in charitable gift planning for decades. She is President of Davidson Gift Design in Bloomington, Indiana, a consulting firm specializing in motivational presentations about all aspects of gift planning, planned giving program design and implementation and training. She is also a Senior Vice President for Thompson & Associates, offering estate planning services to nonprofits. From 1985 through 1996, she was Executive Director of Planned Giving and Associate Counsel for Indiana University Foundation. Pam received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 1975, and graduated  magna cum laude from the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis in 1979. She was an examiner in the Estate and Gift Tax Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and practiced law with an Indianapolis law firm before joining the nonprofit sector in 1985. Pam was the 1999 President of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, after serving on its board for six years. She was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2018, in its second class. She is a past board member and treasurer of the Indiana Chapter of AFP, and a past board member and president of the Planned Giving Group of Indiana. She serves on the Community Advisory Boards of both of her local public radio and television stations and on other local boards.

     
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Shelley De Leon

Manager, Planned Giving Data & Analytics

Shelley De Leon works at City of Hope in the newly created position of Manager, Planned Giving Data & Analytics. Prior to that she worked at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Caltech in their gift planning departments. Before her career in development, Shelley worked at several major law firms including Proskauer and Latham & Watkins doing business development and database management. Shelley received her Bachelors from Brown University and recently received her Masters of Science in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. For her capstone project, she led a team of six data scientists to build 17 predictive models to help guide annual fund, major giving, special events and planned giving efforts.

     
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Laura Dean

Laura Hansen Dean & Associates

An NACGP Hall of Fame inductee (2018) in her 39th year of gift planning, Laura Hansen Dean has led gift planning teams at the University of Texas/Austin and the University of Colorado and at community foundations and academic centers on philanthropy. She has served as chief executive officer of two publicly-supported foundations, and as consultant for multi-year grants funded by some of the country’s largest private foundations. As a national consultant, Laura helped a wide variety of charitable organizations including community foundations, cultural organizations, private and public institutions of higher education, historic preservation organizations, hospitals and healthcare organizations, human service organizations, religious orders and organizations, and retirement communities. She assisted these organizations in designing and implementing gift planning programs; structuring, soliciting, closing and managing complex gifts; and in the management of charitable organizations and foundations. Laura’s total complex and planned gifts closed now exceeds $1 billion.

     
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Claudine Donikian

President/CEO Pentera, Inc.

Claudine A. Donikian is president/CEO and chief marketing officer of Pentera, Inc., and is regarded as a national expert in planned giving marketing. She is a sought-after speaker on the planned giving and AFP circuits and writes and conducts training modules for Pentera training seminars. As Pentera's chief marketing officer, she is editor-in-chief for client marketing content and personally consults with a select group of Pentera's clients on their marketing strategy and execution. One of Claudine's professional areas of expertise is women in philanthropy, and she serves as a member of the advisory board for the prestigious Women's Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also has served as a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP). Claudine oversees all aspects of Pentera's business and marketing strategies  as well as new-product development with an emphasis on digital marketing, and she recently served on the Direct Marketing Association's Digital Innovation Committee. Claudine graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with highest distinction from Indiana University,  received an MA in French from New York University, and holds a JD and an MBA from Boston College. She has served on the board of directors of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York (PPGGNY), the Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund (a child abuse prevention agency), and the Brookview House (which provides housing for homeless women and children). She is an active member of CGP, PGGNE, and PPGGNY.

     
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Erik Dryburgh

Partner, Adler & Colvin

Erik Dryburgh is a principal in the law firm of Adler & Colvin, which specializes in representing nonprofit organizations and their donors. Erik’s areas of expertise include charitable gift planning, nonprofit organizations, donor advised funds and endowments. Erik authored the chapter “Charitable Remainder Trusts,” in California Estate Planning, Continuing Education of the Bar (2002) and has published numerous articles on charitable gift planning. He is the past Chair of the Charitable Planning and Exempt Organizations Committee of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and a member of the American Bar Association’s Real Property, Trust and Estate Section. He is a past board member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, the San Francisco Estate Planning Council and the Northern California Planned Giving Council. Erik received the 2005 Phil Hoffmire Service Award from the Northern California Planned Giving Council. Erik earned an undergraduate business degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and his JD at the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).

     
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Rebekah Gans

Development Director, Early Connections Learning Centers

Rebekah Gans is the Development Director for Early Connections Learning Centers. In her role, Rebekah leads the Community Engagement Department’s fundraising efforts and works to develop a clear plan to translate the organizations’ purpose into sustainable action and effective fund development. Rebekah has served on numerous community boards and committees and is currently the President of the Junior League of Colorado Springs. She has 7 years’ experience in nonprofit fund development, nonprofit leadership and public relations. Prior to joining Early Connections, Rebekah worked as the Development Director for Children’s Literacy Center and was part of the management team for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Colorado. She holds a bachelor’s in Biological Anthropology from Colorado College.

     
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Joe Hancock

Vice President and General Counsel, HighGround Advisors

As Vice President and General Counsel of HighGround Advisors, Joe Hancock has more than 24 years’ experience as a legal expert in areas of nonprofit, trust, estate and charitable tax law and is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from trust law to estate planning to charitable giving and nonprofit law. At HighGround Advisors, Joe counsels institutional clients regarding matters of charitable law, gift requirements and issues affecting nonprofit status. For individual donors, Joe guides them through charitable gift giving and tax and estate planning. He also monitors state and federal legislation that may impact nonprofit organizations and educates clients regarding applicable regulations. Joe holds a BBA from Baylor University and MBA and JD degrees from the University of Arkansas.

     
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Paul Hansen

Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley

As a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley, Paul has over 30 years experience in financial services. He received his MBA from Rutgers University prior to earning certificates including: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®), Charter Financial Consultant, (ChFC®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, (CAP®), and Chartered Life Underwriter, (CLU®). Paul has a diverse background in financial and estate planning as he has worked at Lutheran Brotherhood, Fidelity Investments and Merrill Lynch Trust Company prior to coming to Morgan Stanley. At Merrill Lynch, he was a Senior Philanthropic Consultant assisting Financial Advisors design charitable strategies for their clients. Additionally, he spent 12 years as host and co-producer of a cable show he created, You and Your Money, which was broadcast throughout New Jersey. Paul is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the Estate Planning Council of New York City, the Society of Trust and Estate Practioners, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, New Jersey Association of Fundraising Professionals and the New York State Society of CPAs. He has been an Associate Trustee of the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, and board member of the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey. Paul has his BS in Civil Engineering from Valparaiso University.

     
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Johni Hays

Senior Vice President, Thompson & Associates

Johni is Senior Vice President with Thompson & Associates. She served as the president of the Charitable Estate Planning Institute and she is the author of the book, Essentials of Annuities and co-author of the book, The Tools and Techniques of Charitable Planning. Johni serves on the Smithsonian’s Legacy Council in Washington, DC. She served on the Editorial Advisory Board for the books Tax Facts on Investments and Tax Facts on Insurance and Employee Benefits. She also served on the board of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and serves as a founding charitable planning author of Steve Leimberg’s electronic newsletter service, LISI. Johni is in demand as a national lecturer on estate and charitable planning, probate, living wills, annuities, life insurance, retirement planning and IRAs, as well as income, estate and gift taxation. Johni has been engaged in the practice of law with an emphasis in charitable and estate planning since graduating cum laude with a Juris Doctor degree from Drake Law School in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1993. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Drake University and graduated magna cum laude in 1988. Johni has been a member of both the Iowa Bar and the Florida Bar since 1993.

     
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Robert Hofmann

Senior Development Officer, University of Minnesota Duluth, School of Fine Arts

Robert Hofmann is a native of the Twin Cities. For the past twelve years, Mr. Hofmann has worked at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) as Senior Development Officer with the UMD School of Fine Arts. At UMD, he has helped to raise more than $20 M for student scholarships and programs. He is one of only 5,000 worldwide Certified Fund Raising Executives (CFRE), an internationally recognized credential within the fundraising profession. Mr. Hofmann serves on the board of directors of the Depot Foundation in Duluth, MN, a six million dollar grant making charitable organization, where he is immediate past chair. Before coming to UMD, Mr. Hofmann was involved in tall ships maritime education from 1997 through 2006 as executive director of the Providence Maritime Heritage Foundation that operated the tall ship Continental Sloop Providence. Hofmann was pivotal in spearheading the Foundations development and delivery of exceptional shipboard education programs that were recognized as a model partnership with Providence, RI, Public Schools by Cambridge, MA based Abt Associates in 2002. While executive director he successfully negotiated with the Walt Disney Co. to have his vessel and crew appear in two of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hofmann worked in Boston, Minneapolis and elsewhere as a professional actor appearing on stage and screen. He remains a proud member of Actors Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. He appeared as a guest Equity artist in Duluth Playhouse production of Good People in January of 2014.

     
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Bill Knox

Director of Technical Consulting, TIAA Kaspick

Bill Knox is the Director of Technical Consulting for TIAA Kaspick. He provides expert tax and technical advice to Kaspick and its clients on all aspects of charitable organizations, estate planning, charitable giving and gift administration. Bill has worked in the field of philanthropy for more than 15 years and regularly presents on a variety of estate and gift planning topics at both regional and national events. Bill has a BA from the California State University, Chico. He received his JD from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and his LL.M in Tax from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA.

     
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Chase Magnuson

Director, Realty Gift Fund

Chase V. Magnuson has over 20 years of substantial experience across the spectrum of real estate transactions, including land development, commercial and residential sales, commercial leasing and property management. He currently is serving as a Director for Realty Gift Fund located in Santa Fe, NM, a qualified 501(c)3, which facilitates gifts of real estate and providing education to other non-profits on techniques used to complete the process. As a consultant he has successfully guided the donations and liquidation of corporate surplus properties to fund various charities and his portfolio of completed transactions includes the exchange of real estate equities for Charitable Gift Annuities, Charitable Remainder Trusts, Bargain Sales, Donor Advised Funds and Retained Life Estates. Chase was previously the Director for Planned Giving, Real Estate, at the George Washington University’s Division of Development. Mr. Magnuson earned a BS from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He holds the elite designation of CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member), he is a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Corporate Real Estate Network.

     
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Tracy Malloy-Curtis

Legacy Giving Director, Mal Warwick Donordigital

Tracy Malloy-Curtis is Legacy Giving Director at Mal Warwick Donordigital, where she helps clients create integrated multichannel planned giving marketing programs. She has 20 years of experience in direct fundraising for advocacy and social justice organizations, including the ACLU, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and International Rescue Committee, with a primary focus on planned giving and major gifts. She has a J.D. cum laude from Case Western Reserve School of Law, where she was the publisher of the Law Review, and a BS in political science from Southern Connecticut State University. She is currently a member of the board of directors of the Orange County New York Arts County and the advisory board of the Institute for Humane Education. She lives in the Hudson Valley, New York, with her family and a menagerie of rescued companion animals.

     
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Edie Matulka

Senior Consultant, PG Calc

As Senior Consultant at PG Calc, Edith (Edie) Matulka works with charitable organizations across the country, providing assistance on both gift-specific questions and issues relating to operation of their planned giving programs. Edie also helps charities comply with state regulations for issuance of gift annuities and is a contributing author for Charitable Gift Annuities: The Complete Resource Manual. Edie has spoken at American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) conferences, local planned giving councils, and to varying groups within charitable organizations (including Boards, staff, and donors). She is a past member of the ACGA Board. A member of the Washington State Bar Association, Edie graduated from Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington. Edie joined Planned Giving Services, a Seattle-based consulting firm started and led by Frank Minton, in 1997. PG Calc acquired Planned Giving Services in August, 2005. In addition to the practice of law, Edie’s background includes work in government, public, and nonprofit settings.

     
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Michele McKinnon

Partner, McGuire Woods

Michele serves as the chair of the firm's nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations practice team. With more than 33 years of experience, she routinely represents many public charities, major colleges and universities, supporting organizations, large private foundations, and charitable trusts on a variety of federal tax and governance matters. She assists tax-exempt organizations in all aspects of compliance with the federal tax laws, as well as with governance, endowment and investment matters. Her practice includes advice on compliance with the excess benefit transaction rules and the private foundation rules, including self-dealing, excess business holding, and taxable expenditure issues, participation in joint ventures, and consequences of unrelated trade or business activities. She also assists these organizations in dealing with the IRS in tax controversy matters and compliance audits. Her work also includes structuring planned gifts to charitable organizations, including the use of charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, charitable gift annuities and conservation easements. She also works in the areas of estate planning, and estate and trust administration, handling the administration of large complex estates, fiduciary income tax matters, fiduciary litigation, and risk management for corporate trust departments. Michele is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and previously served as its Virginia State Chair. She also currently serves as Vice Chair of its Charitable Planning & Exempt Organizations Committee and will become Chair of that Committee in March 2019. She is also a member of the Fiduciary Income Tax Committee of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association. She is a former chair of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Virginia State Bar.

     

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Anne Morgan

Director of Estate and Planned Giving, Field Museum of Natural History

Anne M. Morgan, JD, LLM, Director of Estate and Planned Giving at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, is a sought-after trainer and presenter in the areas of planned giving, nonprofit law and tax law. She has worked for a variety of organizations, such as Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN, Northern Arizona University and the Salvation Army, to successfully grow their planned giving programs. Focusing on the practical aspects of building a planned giving program for a strong return on investment, Ms. Morgan takes a donor-centric approach to fundraising and relationship building. She is on the board of the Chicago Council on Planned Giving and licensed to practice law in Missouri and Indiana.

     

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Marcia Inger Navrátil

Director of Gift Planning Services, University of Texas System

Marcia Inger Navrátil has served as the Director of Gift Planning Services for University of Texas System since November 2015. In her current role, she collaborates with, advises, and trains advancement colleagues across 14 U.T. academic and health institutions, in their work on planned and complex gifts. Marcia brings nearly 20 years of development experience to her current role. Prior to joining UT System, she spent 10 years working in development at The University of Texas at Austin, including as Director and Interim Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning. Marcia has also held development positions at University of Virginia and Virginia Opera. Marcia derives great satisfaction from working with development officers, donors, and professional advisors to craft charitable gift plans that allow donors to achieve their philanthropic, personal, and financial goals. Marcia is a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and currently serves as President of the Austin chapter. She has presented on charitable and estate planning at organizations including the NACGP National Conference, NACGP chapters across the country, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the CASE District IV Conference, and the Big XII Development Conference, and has contributed to publications on philanthropy. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Art History and law degree and from the University of Virginia. She lives in Austin with her husband Paul, and when not working can be found running on trails in the woods with her two rescue dogs.

     

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Tammy Ozlanski

Director of Gift Planning, Susquehanna University

Tammy Ozlanski is the Director of Gift Planning at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. She entered gift planning as a third career several years ago, and has enjoyed applying her skills and experiences to the world of philanthropy. Changing lives for the better has always been the central theme and goal of all of her endeavors, and having the opportunity to do so at her alma mater has been a truly wonderful experience. Tammy’s previous career as a mental health therapist in a variety of states and settings has shaped her perspectives and approaches in the gift planning world. She has served as an outpatient and in-home therapist, as well as a behavioral specialist in schools and home settings. Under Tammy’s direction, the gift planning program at Susquehanna has had its most successful year in history. Tammy serves on the Executive Board of the Planned Giving Council of Central Pennsylvania, and is also on the Board of Directors for SUMMIT Early Learning in Mifflinburg, PA. Tammy has previously presented at the Case District II Conference on “How to Leverage Psychology and Analytics to Raise More Dollars.” She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Susquehanna University, and a Master of Science in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. She also holds a graduate certificate in Infant Mental Health from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA, and has specialized graduate training in human behavior. Tammy is currently pursuing her CAP and CFRE credentials.

     
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Kimberley Pittman-Schulz

Planned Giving Advisor, Compassion & Choices

Kimberley Pittman-Schulz is stunned to realize she has 30+ years’ experience in charitable gift planning, nonprofit program leadership and advising individuals from all walks of life who want change the world through their philanthropy. She currently serves as Planned Giving Advisor for Compassion & Choices, a national nonprofit and advocacy organization that improves care, expands options and empowers everyone to chart their own end-of-life journey. She previously served as Executive Director of Philanthropy as well as Director of Planned Giving for Humboldt State University, where social justice and environmental responsibility are core to students’ learning. Prior to that appointment, she was a Development Team Leader and Philanthropy & Planned Giving Advisor for ChildFund International, working in 31 countries to help communities create better lives for vulnerable and impoverished children. She’s held additional roles as a community foundation CEO and helped donors make major and planned gifts in the fields of Alaska conservation, human services and veterinary medicine. She volunteers with Hospice of Humboldt, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of Humboldt State University, CASA of Humboldt, the Humboldt Breast and GYN Program, the University of Washington Coastal Observation and Seabird Study Team (COASST), and is a member of WE Rotary, a virtual Rotary Club, with members around the country and the globe, focusing on peace-building initiatives. A poet and creative nonfiction writer, a hiker, and a sea-kayaker, she lives with her wildlife-biologist husband and calico along Northern California’s redwood coast. 

     
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James Preston

Assistant Executive Director, Office of Gift Planning and Regional Advancement University of Missouri

James Preston is an Assistant Executive Director for the Office of Gift Planning and Regional Advancement at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. He has been with the University since 2005. Preston has worked with planned giving donors and directed related marketing programs for a number of organizations over the years. James has a background in public relations, marketing, publication design and development in a variety of settings and has served in numerous leadership roles in higher education and church-related organizations. James holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in advertising design from Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri. Preston lives in Jefferson City, Missouri, with his wife, Rachael. They have three adult children.

     
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Philip Purcell

Senior Counsel for Philanthropy Fellowship of Catholic University Students

Phil Purcell currently serves as Senior Counsel for Philanthropy on behalf of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students where he assists a development team engaged in a $250 million campaign including a $100 million goal for planned giving. Formerly, he served as Vice-President for Planned Giving and Endowment Stewardship at the Ball State University Foundation where he assisted with the successful completion of a $200 million campaign, of which $65 million in planned gifts was raised. Phil teaches courses on law and philanthropy, nonprofit organization law and planned giving as adjunct faculty for the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy and Fundraising School. Phil serves as a member of the Tax-Exempt Organization Advisory Council for the Internal Revenue Service (Great Lakes states) and Vice Chair of the Legislation Committee of the American Bar Association’s Charitable Group. He currently serves on the board of directors of the American Council on Gift Annuities and formerly served on the board of directors for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (past secretary), Charitable Gift Planning Group of Indiana (past president), Association of Fundraising Professionals - Indiana Chapter (past president). Phil also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for Planned Giving Today.  Phil received his BA degree from Wabash College ( magna cum laude) and his J.D. and M.P.A. degrees ( with honors) from Indiana University.

     
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Andy Ragone

Integrated Marketing Representative, Crescendo Interactive

Making connections and building trust best describes Andy’s passion as a writer, speaker, leader, husband and father. Andy has diverse executive and digital-marketing background in the nonprofit arena. Having worked with three larger churches over the past 20+ years, Andy has appreciated the challenges of growing organizations—including the development of staff and culture, fund raising, volunteer coordination and marketing systems. Andy brings a big-picture perspective that brings vision, volunteerism and fund development together. Upon earning his M.Div. (Master of Divinity) from Phoenix Seminary in 1998, Andy ventured out to learn the ins and outs of pastoring—leading people forward in their connection with God and helping them develop in their capacity to care. This required finding the right people for the right roles, creating pathways to greater involvement and volunteerism, and developing future leaders for future expansion. Andy loves spending his downtime with family, writing and is ever in search of the ultimate espresso shot. 

     
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Ngan Raskin

Senior Planned Gift Technical Consultant, TIAA Kaspick

Prior to joining TIAA Kaspick in 2011, Ngan was a planned giving consultant and a registered tax preparer specializing in high net worth clients. She previously practiced law in the areas of trust and estate planning, immigration and family law. Ngan is currently President of the Northern California Planned Giving Council and a member of the Bay Area Tax Lawyers Association. She received a JD from the University of San Francisco, School of Law and a Masters of Law in Taxation from Boston University School of Law.

     
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Jill Rode

Chief Development Officer, Channel Islands YMCA

Jill Rode, CFRE, has 30 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. She has raised funds for many nonprofits in the Central Coast, California area including the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Alzheimer’s Association, American Heart Association, Girl Scouts, Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Zoo, Direct Relief, and American Red Cross. She currently serves as the Chief Development Officer of the Channel Islands YMCA and supervises and supports the fundraising of the seven branches of the Y. Jill also serves as the principal in her consulting firm, Fundraising360, which helps smaller nonprofits to become more efficient and effective in their fundraising. She has a BS in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) in 2000 and was recognized as the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Fundraiser of the Year in 2004. A dedicated volunteer, she has served as President of the Junior League of Santa Barbara and President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter. She is currently on the board of National Charity League, serves as the secretary of San Marcos High School PTSA, and volunteers with the Dream Foundation making bouquets for youth with cancer and terminally ill adults. Jill lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and two teen daughters. She has been a member of the Y since 2004 when she joined to support her cancer recovery.

     
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William Samers

Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments UJA-Federation of New York

William D. Samers is Vice President of Planned Giving and Endowments at UJA-Federation of New York, the largest local not-for-profit in the country, where he leads an 15 person gift planning department. Before UJA-Federation, he worked for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science (ACWIS) most recently as the Vice President of Gift Planning and Compliance. He is a past president of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York and served on the Executive Committee of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning as Secretary and Chair of the Investment Committee. Bill has presented at the AFP International Conference; the National Conference on Planned Giving; the Planned Giving Councils of New York, New England, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Palm Beach, Houston, and San Francisco as well as to the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been published in the Journal of Gift Planning and the Conference Proceedings for the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning National Conference. Bill has been quoted in many publications including the New York Times, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the Non Profit Times. Bill graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received his J.D. from Boston University Law School.

     
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Gordon Smith

Associate Vice President for Development, Planned Gifts National Jewish Health

Gordon Smith was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Before going into planned giving, Gordon worked as a financial consultant, where he obtained experience in estate planning, business succession planning, insurance and investment management. This provided a wonderful springboard to planned giving and the work he does for National Jewish Health, where he has been since September of 1995. As the Associate Vice President for Development, Planned Gifts, Gordon is responsible for planned and major gifts. This includes cultivating relationships from marketing through stewardship with expertise in the areas of charitable trusts, gift annuities, bequests and gifts of complex assets. He works with supporters throughout the country. Gordon has spoken throughout the country on various gift planning topics. He completed two terms on the board of Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable and one term as a board member of The National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, including serving as the Conference Chair in 2018. Gordon is also a member of the NACGP Leadership Institute.

     
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Aleksandra Stankovic

Associate Director, Loyal Donor Program, The Nature Conservancy

Aleksandra Stankovic is an Associate Director of the Loyal Donor Program at The Nature Conservancy. Aleks’ 18-year tenure with the Conservancy includes raising funds for Caribbean, Central America and Mexico conservation programs, leading the organization’s fundraising goal setting process, and providing guidelines, reports, and consulting to support management of fundraising teams and donor portfolios. Aleks' fundraising experience at the Conservancy and prior organizations includes major gift fundraising, capital campaigns, corporate/foundation relations, working with board members and direct mail. Aleks lives in Arlington, Virginia, and manages 8 fundraisers throughout the U.S.

     
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Nathan Stelter

Vice President, The Stelter Company

Nathan Stelter is vice president for The Stelter Company, a leading source for gift planning marketing solutions for the nonprofit community that partners with more than 1,500 organizations nationally. While Nathan wears many hats at Stelter, his primary concentrations and passions include overseeing Stelter's consulting and marketing teams while working with his amazing leadership team to forge the way with new research, new innovations and smarter ways for charities to raise planned gifts. Over Nathan’s 18-year career in planned giving, he’s been fortunate to speak at over 100 national and regional industry meetings on gift planning marketing trends and cutting-edge donor and fundraising research. He’s been quoted in Planned Giving Today, Advancing Philanthropy and other trade publications and currently authors the Stelter Insights blog. Nathan serves on the board for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, he’s a past board member of the National Capital Gift Planning Council (Washington, DC) and a current member of the Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Council.

     
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Allen Thomas

President, Thomas Charitable Advisors, LLC

Allen Thomas has served for the past 34 years as a senior executive in the nonprofit community. Allen is President of Thomas Charitable Advisors, LLC, consulting with numerous charitable organizations, providing real estate expertise at both the gift policy level and on a property transactional basis. He previously served The American College as Vice President of Advancement and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health as Vice President of Planned Giving and Real Estate. Mr. Thomas served as the Planned Giving Officer responsible for all trusts and estates-related gifts and all real estate gifts. Prior to joining Devereux, he worked in the real estate finance groups of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and Aetna Life and Casualty Company. Mr. Thomas is a frequent speaker/lecturer on the underutilized gift of real property.Mr. Thomas received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his Juris Doctor from Western New England University, School of Law, also in Springfield. He is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy.

     
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Liz Thompson

Director, Loyal Donor Program, The Nature Conservancy

Liz Thompson is the Director of The Loyal Donor Program at The Nature Conservancy and has been with the organization for 8 years. Liz’s previous experience at the Conservancy includes serving as Director of Planning & Operations and as a project manager, both in Gift Planning. Prior to coming to the Conservancy, Liz managed conservation land acquisition, event planning, and community relations as a project manager for Alachua Conservation Trust, a regional land trust in Gainesville, Florida. She has an MA and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Florida. Liz currently lives with her family in Olympia, Washington, and her team is located in more than 15 states across the U.S.

     
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Jeffrey Thede

Partner, Thede Culpepper Moore Munro & Silliman LLP

Jeff’s practice emphasizes estate and trust planning and administration, charitable planning, and tax-exempt organizations. He is admitted to practice in Oregon and Washington. Jeff is a member and past president of the Estate Planning Council of Portland, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of the College’s national Charitable Planning Committee, a member of the Legislative and Legal Affairs Team of the Council on Foundations’ Committee on Community Foundations, and a member of the Northwest Planned Giving Roundtable. Jeff volunteers with a variety of charitable organizations, including colleges, foundations, and land trusts. He is a director and past president of Portland Opera Association and a director of the ACTEC Foundation. He is also a member of the planned giving advisory committees of Oregon Health & Science University Foundation and Providence Foundations — Oregon. Jeff is also a past president of Oswego Lake Country Club. Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon and his law degree at Willamette University College of Law.

 

     
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Jonathan Tidd

 

Jonathan Tidd is a leading lawyer whose practice is specialized in advising organizations on charitable gift planning issues. His clients include a wide range of educational, healthcare, arts, human rights and social service organizations. Jonathan's articles on charitable gift planning have appeared in the Journal of Taxation; Estate Planning; Taxes, The Tax Magazine; Trusts & Estates, and other professional journals. Formerly, Jonathan served as Planned Giving Director for New York University. Jonathan is a member of the Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, and New York Bars.

 

     
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Rebecca Watkins

Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving, North Carolina Symphony

Rebecca Campbell Watkins is currently Director of Major Gifts & Planned Giving at the North Carolina Symphony. After a brief career in the corporate world, she transitioned into the nonprofit field and hasn’t looked back. She earned a master’s degree in arts management from American University and has worked in individual giving for arts organizations for over ten years. Her career has included development positions at the Smithsonian Institution, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. A self-proclaimed “art nerd,” she also enjoys any activity that gets her outside, baseball, travel and puppies.

     
     
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Robert E. Wahlers

President of PEAK Philanthropic LLC

Robert E. Wahlers, MS, CFRE, is the president of PEAK Philanthropic LLC, a gift planning coaching and consulting firm. He previously served Meridian Health Affiliated as the Senior Director of Development & Gift Planning and then as Vice President of Development. His career in nonprofit fundraising also included positions with the Boy Scouts of America, the American Cancer Society and Virtua Foundation. Robert is on the faculty at Columbia University for their Master of Science program in Nonprofit Management. He coauthored The Philanthropic Planning Companion: The Fundraisers’ and Professional Advisors’ Guide to Charitable Gift Planning with Brian Sagrestano. That book received the AFP/Skystone Partners Research Award in 2013. The two have also coauthored Getting Started in Charitable Gift Planning and Getting Started in Charitable Gift Planning Workbook, published by Charity Channel.

Robert has served as a President on the board of the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, on the Committee on Directorship for AFP, as a Board Member of the Gift Planning Council of New Jersey, and as a national board member with the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (now the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners). He holds a masters degree in Human Development & Leadership with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Murray State University and a bachelors degree in psychology from Muhlenberg College.

     
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Fredrick Weber

Director, Central Region Estate Settlement Services, Northern Trust Company Wealth Management

Fred Weber leads the Central Region Estate Settlement Services Practice for Northern Trust Company’s Wealth Management business. Based in Chicago, Fred’s team handles death-related administration of estates and trusts when Northern Trust acts as a fiduciary for clients who have died. Fred previously worked for another corporate fiduciary, and spent several years in private law practice as a trust, estate and probate attorney. Fred has also worked as a planned giving officer for a public charity. Before law school, Fred worked in Washington, DC, as an aide to the late U.S. Senator Paul D. Wellstone (D-MN). Fred has presented to the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE), the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), and the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners. Fred also served as an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School where he developed and taught a course on death-related administration of estates and trusts. Fred currently serves on the board of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, and he is also a board member and past president of Shalva: A Response to Domestic Abuse in Jewish Homes. Fred received his BA from the University of Minnesota and his J.D. from DePaul University. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois, and he resides in Chicago with his wife and three sons.

     
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Kent Weimer

Director of Trusts, Estates & Gift Planning, Parkland Foundation

Kent is Director of Trusts, Estates & Gift Planning at Parkland Foundation where he works with donors and their advisors to make estate gifts, create endowments or make donations with assets other than cash. His extensive expertise in institutional advancement comes from 40 years of experience in community-based health care, higher education, cultural institutions, international healthcare, youth development and social service organizations. Kent has been actively involved in CGP for 17 years including leadership roles at the Chicago Council of Planned Giving and the Dallas Council of CGP, where he is a past president. He is currently chair-elect of the national CGP Board of Directors.

     
     
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Craig Wruck

Craig Wruck’s experience in charitable giving spans more than 30 years in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. He has served at the University of Minnesota, Humboldt State University, Minnesota State University, and the Saint Paul Community Foundation. In addition, he has worked for U.S. Trust Company, US Bank, and Kaspick & Company.

Craig is past president of the National Committee on Planned Giving (now the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners) and has served as a member of its board of directors and as chair of its government relations committee. He received the Distinguished Service Award from NCPG in 2002. Craig is the author of Planned Giving in a Nutshell, a practical guide to planned giving for development generalists. He earned his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Utah.
 

     
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Bill Zook

Principal, Evergreen Planned Giving, LLC

Bill is the principal of Evergreen Planned Giving, LLC, which was formed in 2016. Now in his third decade as a planned giving consultant, he has served hundreds of clients throughout the U.S. Bill worked initially with Planned Giving Services, Inc., and its founder, Frank Minton, beginning in 1996 and then with planned giving software and services company PG Calc Incorporated from 2005 to 2015. Over the years, Bill has given well over 100 presentations to diverse groups on a wide range of planned giving topics and has also published dozens of articles. A former president of the Washington Planned Giving Council, Bill is also a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (as well as its Leadership Institute), the Seattle Estate Planning Council, the East King County Estate Planning Council and the Washington State Bar Association. Prior to becoming a consultant, Bill practiced estate planning law and spent the better part of a decade in the field of alternative dispute resolution entailing arbitration, mediation and conciliation of customer-business disputes; arbitration of labor-management disputes; and teaching a community college course for paralegals. He received his BA in religious studies from the University of Virginia and his JD from the University of Washington School of Law. Bill’s current community involvement focuses on alleviating homelessness.