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CCPG Annual Symposium
Speaker Bios
KEYNOTE
Navigating Philanthropic Trends: Data-Driven Strategies for Planned Giving Success
Courtney Labetti, CFRE, MSM, CAP, Vice President, CCS Fundraising
For over eleven years, Courtney Labetti has dedicated her professional and personal life to supporting nonprofit organizations in furthering their missions and elevating their fundraising capacity by fostering collaboration and facilitating thought leadership. Courtney brings extensive experience in strategic fundraising, principal and major gifts, corporate and community engagement, individual giving, donor relations, marketing and communications, and capital campaigns. Courtney’s broad experience across sectors provides her with a strong understanding of complex organizations, including the competing priorities of multiple divisions and a variety of development disciplines. Courtney holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential and the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) designation. She earned her BA in Strategic Communications from Butler University and Masters in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago Liautaud Graduate School of Business.
Empowering Philanthropy: How Women Leaders are Shaping the Future of Fundraising
Valerie Sherman, Assistant Vice President, Major and Planned Giving, Colby College
Valerie Sherman is a Chicago area native with 13 years of experience in gift planning. She currently leads a team of giving fundraisers at Colby College (including planned giving, central major gifts, athletics, families, and the Colby Museum of Art) working toward $1B in the Dare Northward campaign. Previously she served as the Director of Gift Planning at Saint Mary's College, a women's liberal arts college in Indiana. She began her gift planning career at Northwestern University's team during the $6B We Will campaign.
As a first generation college student, Valerie has loved serving educational institutions throughout her career. Valerie earned a JD from DePaul University College of Law and a bachelor of arts from Illinois State University.
Valerie inherited her mother's legacy of volunteer service. She currently serves as treasurer of the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, a member of the strategic planning committee of the Planned Giving Group of New England, and leads the development committee of the South Side Giving Circle of the Chicago Foundation for Women. She currently lives in Maine with her husband.
Keenya Lambert, President and CEO, Chicago Foundation for Women
Keenya Lambert is the President & CEO of the Chicago Foundation for Women. She leads with over 20 years of successful nonprofit experience in fundraising, advocacy, direct service, and executive leadership. As the CDO of Nourishing Hope, she exceeded revenue goals, earned the $1M Northern Trust Award, and managed 6,700 volunteers to provide millions of meals annually.
Keenya led the development operations for the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. She completed fundraising and advocacy-related campaigns and engaged national celebrities as ambassadors. Her leadership advanced laws and policies that promoted economic and racial justice, equitable housing, and healthcare access.
Keenya earned a master’s from Columbia College Chicago and a BA from Wheaton College.
Post-Death Estate and Trust Litigation: Navigating Legal and Other Challenges for Charities
Andrew Fussner, National Vice President of Estate Settlement, American Heart Association
Andrew oversees the administration of $80 to $110 million in bequest assets annually for the organization. He is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. Before assuming his current position, he served in a variety of planned giving roles for the AHA. Prior to joining the AHA, Mr. Fussner was an attorney with the Tampa office of a national law firm. He specialized in estate planning, probate/trust administration, and tax law. He has a J.D., a B.S. in Accounting, and a B.A. in Political Science, all from the University of Florida.
Fred Weber, Counsel in the Private Clients, Trusts & Estates Group, ArentFox Schiff LLP
Fred represents fiduciaries on post-death matters, and he helps prepare families for post-death administration before a death occurs. Fred previously worked in private wealth management as a professional fiduciary, as a gift planner for a public charity, and as an aide to a U.S. Senator. He is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and the Professional Advisory Committee to the Chicago Jewish Federation. An Illinois licensed attorney, Fred holds a J.D. from DePaul University, and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Minnesota.
How to Mature Your Planned Giving Program—With or Without Outside Help
Kelsey Nelson, Vice President, Campbell & Company
During her eight years at Campbell & Company, Kelsey has worked with more than 50 nonprofit organizations, many of them located in Chicagoland or other parts of the Midwest. In addition to leading campaign planning and counsel projects, Kelsey helps clients build their major donor pipeline through enhanced engagement opportunities and more tailored communications and stewardship. As part of this work, she regularly assists nonprofits in creating robust planned giving programs that respond to their donors’ needs while advancing the organization’s financial sustainability and strategic vision. Prior to joining Campbell & Company in 2016, Kelsey worked in the University of Michigan’s central development office, and she began her career in philanthropy at the Adler Planetarium. Kelsey holds an MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in History of Art & Architecture and French from Middlebury College. She serves on the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago's Board of Directors as President Elect.
How to Excel in Cross-Generational Communications
Janine MacLachlan, CEO, Leadership Communication Strategist, Janine M. Maclachlan LLC
I'm your secret weapon to craft messages that inspire audiences, transform presentations into memorable experiences, turn your team into communication rockstars. I arrived in my current advisory role after years creating battle-tested strategies in the trenches with iconic brands that include Quaker, Sargento and Procter & Gamble products through leadership roles at global agencies. In 2020, I launched my own consultancy using techniques from journalism, neuroscience and design thinking. I bring deep expertise with boards and volunteer leaders in addition to working with corporations, non-profits and non-governmental organizations. To keep my finger on the pulse of what's new and exciting, I serve as an editorial expert in Fast Company and Forbes.
Beth Lye, Director of Gift Planning, University of Illinois Foundation
Beth Lye loves to help people experience the joy of giving. She has worked in various development roles for over 20 years, mostly in human service organizations. Beth currently serves as Director of Gift Planning at University of Illinois Foundation where she works with colleagues across departments to raise planned and outright gifts, while also working with donors to help them create a lasting legacy. Previously, she worked at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, where she co-facilitated the organization's first Legacy Challenge and DAF Challenge. Both campaigns were wildly successful and a whole lot of fun. Beth also is a former CCPG scholar, during which time she proudly started Cara Chicago’s planned giving program and Legacy Society, and raised the seed gift that started the organization’s endowment. Originally from Western Colorado, Beth now lives in Logan Square with her husband and daughter. When not working, she enjoys walks on the Bloomingdale Trail and riding bikes on any trail available.
The Power of Non-Cash Gifts: Tax-Smart Philanthropy
Ruby Pediangco, Senior Manager, Charitable Strategies Group, DAFgiving360™
Ruby educates advisors and donors on tax and legal issues associated with complex gifts, and conducts the due diligence review of donated assets. Complementing her donor-advised fund knowledge is her two decades of charitable planning experience in both the nonprofit and financial services industries. She has expertise in planned giving, private foundations, wealth planning, and business exit strategies and is a frequent speaker on these topics.
Ruby earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Irvine and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law and is a member of the California and Washington state bars. She actively volunteers with the Minnesota Gift Planning Association and is a member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.
Chris Boyce, Senior Manager of Charitable Consulting, DAFgiving360™
Chris supports independent wealth advisors, family offices, and donor communities within the Central region of the US. In his role, Chris provides advisors and their clients with innovative solutions for integrating charitable planning into wealth management strategies. Prior to joining DAFgiving360, he worked in the financial services industry for more than 25 years in senior business development roles at BNY Mellon/Pershing, The CFA Institute and Millennium Trust, Inc. Chris earned a Bachelor in Business Administration Finance, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Securing the Future: Navigating New Horizons in Tax-Exempt and Estate Planning Law
Jesse Roberts, Of Counsel, Michael Best
Jesse serves as a trusted advisor and outside general counsel to nonprofit organizations across various sectors, including charities, schools, private foundations, churches and religious organizations, nonprofit medical organizations, and trade associations. He provides strategic counsel on issues pertinent to nonprofit clients, including corporate structuring and tax compliance, legal audits, nonprofit startups and tax exemption applications, fiscal sponsorship arrangements, state charity and fundraising registration, donor management, grantmaking, mergers and acquisitions, IRS audits, and state investigations.
Prior to joining Michael Best, Jesse served as in-house counsel for a committee within the U.S. House of Representatives, providing legal and ethical guidance, drafting legislation, and leading congressional oversight efforts of federal agencies.
Eric Sanderson, Partner, Michael Best
Eric is a seasoned legal and financial professional with a wealth of experience spanning over two decades. Eric dedicates his experience to overseeing legal, tax, trust, and financial strategies tailored for high-net-worth families. His multifaceted skillset encompasses a broad spectrum of complex legal and financial issues, making him a trusted advisor for his clients.
With a robust background as an attorney since 1994, Eric has honed his craft in contracts law, business transactions, estate and trust planning and administration, tax law, mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, philanthropy, aviation, and corporate finance. He adeptly drafts contracts, leases, wills, trusts, and loan documents and other agreements across diverse business sectors.
Prior to joining Michael Best, Eric served as senior managing director of family office services at one of the largest banking institutions in the U.S. His responsibilities included overseeing CFO services, wealth strategy, leadership and legacy planning, and philanthropic impact initiatives. Eric played a pivotal role in enhancing core private banking and wealth management services by integrating holistic planning, reporting, family governance, and education.
Prior to his role at the bank, Eric held the position of Head of Global Wealth Planning and Family Enterprise Solutions at another financial institution. In this capacity, he delivered tailored wealth management solutions for multinational clients, focusing on international tax strategies for European families.
Rethinking the Philanthropic Paradigm: Why UHNW Donors Think "Investment" Rather Than "Gift"
Nicholas Tyszka, Of Counsel, Handler Law, LLP
Nicholas Tyszka is an attorney at Handler Law, LLP, an internationally acclaimed private client law firm in Chicago. He focuses his practice primarily on advanced planning for family offices and their businesses, with an emphasis on governance and family dynamics -- with an increasing interest in how ultra-high-net-worth families structure their philanthropic efforts.
Using a Service Provider Mindset to Cultivate Strong Gift Planning/Major Giving Relationships
Jason James Shuba, JD, Director of Gift Planning, Denison University
Based in Chicago, Jason leads Denison University’s gift planning effort assisting alumni and friends with deferred, non-cash, and complex gifts to benefit the university. He previously served as a Director of Gift Planning at the University of Illinois Foundation where he helped facilitate over $120 million in new or additional gift commitments, created the Illinois Legacy Challenge to separately record over $60 million in planned gifts via a leveraged $1 million matching pool, and provided his advancement colleagues with an internally-developed, best-in-class gift planning resource suite. Jason earlier worked as a Senior Gift Planning Officer with the American National Red Cross where he reinvigorated the organization’s dormant Greater Chicago gift planning program. He arrived in gift planning after managing the advancement vertical for Academic Impressions, a Denver-based higher-education professional development company. Jason earned a JD from Case Western Reserve University in addition to a BA cum laude from Denison. He keeps an active Illinois law license, runs six days a week, and really wants to talk with you about the "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" movie.
Helping Donors Give More Without Worry: A Deep Dive Into The Deferred Charitable Gift Annuity
Jessie Pridie, Relationship Manager, TIAA Kaspick
Jessie joined TIAA Kaspick as a Relationship Manager in 2022. In this role she works with planned giving programs on complex gift arrangements and program oversight. Previously, Jessie spent 14 years with Mayo Clinic working in planned giving fundraising and marketing. She holds a BA in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Sioux Falls and an MA in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary's University.
Katie Pfeiffer, Director, Marketing and Client Communications, TIAA Kaspick
Prior to joining TIAA Kaspick in 2013, Katie served as Director of Communications for Marin Academy, a private high school in San Rafael, CA. Previously, she served as Director of Communications for the Haas Center for Public Service and Graphic Designer and Publicist for the Department of Theater and Performance Studies, both at Stanford University. Katie has a BA in Art History from Stanford University and an MBA from Santa Clara University.
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