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CCPG Annual Symposium
Speaker Bios
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Textiles as a Cultural Storyteller and the Planned Giving Approach That Makes it Possible
Melinda Watt, Chair, Textiles, Art Institute of Chicago
Christa Mayer Thurman, Curator, Textiles, Art Institute of Chicago
James Allan, Executive Director, Philanthropy, Art Institute of Chicago
Sewing Life Insurance and Charitable Giving Together
Speaker: David Simon, Insuring A Better World Fund
David B. Simon is an attorney and the co-founder and president of Insuring A Better World Fund. The Fund allows donors to transform unneeded life insurance policies to their philanthropic ideals and support the charities of their choice at no cost to the donor or charity. David is a dynamic and engaging presenter who has spoken at numerous webinars and conferences for both financial and planned giving professionals. David is published in ThinkAdvisor on the 10 Top Ways to Use Life Insurance in Charitable Giving.
Navigating the 'Bias Seam'
Speakers: tbd
Improving Donor Conversations with Investment Knowledge and Next Level Charitable CGA Strategies
Speaker: Colin Connolly, VP, Senior Planned Giving Investment Specialist Colin is a senior planned giving investment specialist for PNC Institutional Asset Management®. He coordinates the delivery of investment solutions for Planned Giving client portfolios. His key responsibilities include: maintaining strong relationships with clients by providing thought leadership, education and insights; managing portfolios in accordance with the client’s investment objectives and applicable state annuity regulations; providing recommendations to allocations based upon the client’s needs; and supporting the development of new business relationships. His area of focus is investment programs designed for charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and pooled income funds.
Speaker: Chris McGurn, Senior Vice President, Director, Planned Giving Services Group, PNC Institutional Asset Management
Chris is the director of planned giving group. His responsibilities include oversight of a team of Planned Giving relationship managers and investment professionals and ensuring that there is a consistent delivery of investment advice, administration and education to PNC’s local and national Planned Giving clients. His team provides insight in the areas of life-income gift administration and investments for charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and pooled income funds and works with clients to create specific administrative and investment programs designed to help meet their needs.
The Black Bequest Gap: Research Highlights, and How This Can Transform our Legacies and Values
Speaker: Jennifer Lehman, Ph.D., J.D., CFP®, CAP®, Program Director, Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®, Wallace Chair of Learning and Professionalism in Philanthropy and Assistant Professor of Philanthropy | Academics, The American College of Financial Services
Jennifer Lehman earned her PhD in personal financial planning from Texas Tech University; Russell James was her dissertation chair. She also earned law and MPA degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Bachelor of Science from TCU, and CFP® and CAP® credentials. Dr. Lehman has published research in several different peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been quoted on charitable and financial issues in a variety of news sources. Prior experience includes university teaching in various formats (online, hybrid, and face to face), research, financial planning, planned giving for a university, career services for a law school, and appellate prosecution. Hobbies include hiking, yoga, and road trips, and she has traveled to all 50 U.S. states.
2023 Study: Charitable Giving by Affluent Households
Speaker: Anna Pruitt, Ph.D. Associate Director of Research at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Anna Pruitt, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of Research at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where she leads research on charitable giving trends over time, giving to equitable causes, generational giving differences, and donor-advised funds, among other topics. She also serves as the Managing Editor of Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy, the longest-running annual report on charitable giving in the United States. Anna has a special perspective on today’s giving landscape as well as the most important trends on the horizon.
Why Bequest Commitments Fail
Speaker: Lisa Smith, Hadassah, The Women's Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
Lisa Smith is Deputy Chief Planned Giving & Estates Officer for Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc. Lisa oversees Hadassah’s legacy society of 1500 members and cultivates future bequest gifts through donor stewardship and marketing initiatives. She also leads a team that handles the administration of 500 open estates. Before working in the nonprofit sector, Lisa was an attorney for a large law firm and for the Federal Communications Commission. Lisa serves on the executive committee of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School.
It's a Stitch Working with Women: Trends, Do's, and Don'ts for Working with Philanthropic Women
Speaker: Jill Doherty, Senior Director of Gift Planning, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Jill is the Senior Director of Gift Planning for Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She works with alumni and other donors in the RFU community who are considering or have made planned gifts, as well as blended, donor advised fund grants and IRA gifts. Prior to joining RFU, she led the individual giving program for NorthShore University HealthSystem, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine individual giving program, and was a gift officer for the UChicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Previously, Jill had a successful career as a corporate banker for JPMorgan Chase and Northern Trust as well as Bank of Boston. She has structured financings for Rush University Health System, Advocate Health, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the Overture Center in Madison, WI, and other healthcare and nonprofit institutions across the US.
Speaker: Lauren Janus, COO and Director, Phila Engaged Giving
Lauren Janus is the Chief Operating Officer and Director of Phīla Engaged Giving, the nation's premier philanthropic advisory firm serving ultra high-net wealth families and individuals. Lauren leads client engagements with a focus on uncovering philanthropic values, relationships with wealth and addressing family dynamics that can affect the development of a meaningful philanthropic strategy. A native of the nonprofit sector, Lauren has held every seat at the nonprofit table from fundraiser to senior leadership roles and has a keen understanding of the unique challenges and critical role of nonprofit organizations and giving trends around the world. Professionally, Lauren serves on committees for PEAK Grantmaking and the Chicago Council on Planned Giving. She has an MBA from the University of California, Davis and a BA from Carleton College.
Stitch Together More Gifts with this One Important Thread
Speaker: Wayne Olson, Senior Director of Planned Giving, Shriners Children's
Wayne Olson is the Senior Director of Planned Giving for Shriners Children's. He heads the planned giving effort for the international healthcare system that provides hope and healing to children - at no cost to them. Wayne is the author of six books and many articles and podcasts on fundraising, donor relations and customer service. He has held fundraising roles with the American Cancer Society, The Trust Company of Virginia, The University of the South, and others. He is an Eagle Scout, and the father of two Eagle Scouts..
Six Types of Private Equity
Speaker: Matthias Mackay, Regional Director of Development - Midwest, National Philanthropic Trust
Matthias Mackay has a financial advising background with deep knowledge of the markets, financial planning and storytelling sales strategies. He has years of experience developing strong client relationships built on follow-through and customized solutions.
Matthias is a Regional Director at National Philanthropic Trust, the nation’s largest independent DAF sponsor, where he supports donors and their financial advisors in 10 states across the Midwest. Prior to joining NPT, Matthias was Branch Manager for TD Ameritrade, with a range of responsibilities from managing award-winning teams and regional sales strategies to conducting large educational seminars. Previously, he was Manager, Financial Services at Prudential, where he was consistently recognized for high results; he has also worked with advisors and institutional clients providing research and software solutions for Morningstar.
The Warp and Weft of Donor Advised Funds
Speaker: Ianna Kachoris, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy, The Chicago Community Trust
Understanding the Essential Elements of a Successful Planned Giving Program
Speaker: Katrina Pipasts, Senior Vice President | Director of Planned Giving Services | Foundation & Institutional Advisors, Northern Trust
Katrina Pipasts is the National Director of Planned Giving Services at Northern Trust and is responsible for the gift administration and investment strategy implementation for charitable gift annuity funds and charitable remainder trusts for institutional clients. She joined Northern Trust in 1998 as a Senior Equity Index Portfolio Manager and started her professional career in 1988 as ANB Investment Management & Trust Company. Katrina holds a M.A. in philanthropy and nonprofit development from the University of Northern Iowa, a B.B.A. in accountancy from Western Michigan University, a B.S. in mathematics and statistics from the University of Western Ontario and the Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) designation from California State University Long Beach. She is an active member of the Chicago Council on Planned Giving, Board President of Apollo's Fire Chicago and Board Treasurer of the Latvian Foundation.
Stitching Together a Campaign Strategy that Drives PG Success
Speaker: Kelsey Nelson, Senior Consultant, Campbell & Company
In her seven years with Campbell & Company, Kelsey has worked with a broad range of human services, education, and arts organizations on capital, programmatic, and endowment fundraising initiatives. Kelsey’s passion for nonprofits drives her efforts to help them achieve and sustain growth through the power of philanthropy. She enjoys partnering with organizations on strategic goal setting and intentional relationship building, always looking for opportunities to leverage their existing strengths. Prior to joining Campbell & Company in 2016, Kelsey worked as Assistant Director of Annual Giving in the University of Michigan’s central development office. She began her career in philanthropy at the Adler Planetarium, where she worked closely with the Board of Trustees and oversaw special events, publications, and partnerships designed to advance the Adler’s mission. 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 as Treasurer on the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Chicago.
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