Development staff directory

Presidential and University Philanthropy

Magnus H. Johnsson (M.P.A.’10; Cert.’10)

Magnus H. Johnsson (M.P.A.’10; Cert.’10)

Senior Associate Vice President, Presidential and University Philanthropy

Phone: (804) 827-1363

Email: johnssonm@vcu.edu

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Magnus Johnsson is senior associate vice president of presidential and university philanthropy. In this role, Magnus oversees DAR's efforts in principal giving, presidential engagement, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, leadership annual giving, and regional major gifts.

Johnsson brings 30 years of fundraising experience and has served in volunteer leadership roles as past president of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Virginia Chapter. First joining VCU in 2007 as executive director of external relations and development in the School of Education his previous work experience includes senior leadership roles at UMFS and the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. He received his credential in 2004 as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Magnus is also a member of the 2015 class of Leadership Metro Richmond. 

Magnus holds an M.P.A. with a focus in nonprofit management from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. in public administration from James Madison University. 

 
Traci Craig

Traci Craig

Senior Project Coordinator

Email: craigt@vcu.edu

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Katie Ferguson (M.S.’18)

Katie Ferguson (M.S.’18)

Director of Corporate Relations

Email: fergusonkj2@vcu.edu

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Ann Deppman

Ann Deppman

Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning

Phone: (804) 828-7370

Email: deppmana@vcu.edu

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Ann Deppman became assistant vice president of gift planning for VCU in 2021 after previous serving as director of gift planning for the MCV Foundation. She oversees and coordinates gift planning across the university.

Ann brings more than 13 years of leadership experience, most recently as director of gift planning for Oberlin College, where she led successful efforts to increase institutional support through outright and planned gifts.

Ann is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College, and she earned her law degree from Vermont Law School.

Ann and her husband, Vance, have four grown sons. In their spare time, they enjoy biking and walking their two small dogs in addition to sharpening their skills as amateur home baker (Ann) and chef (Vance). They look forward to getting to know the Richmond community, especially the local restaurants and parks.
 

 
Laura K. Dickinson

Laura K. Dickinson

Planned Giving Specialist

Phone: (804) 828-4240

Email: dickinsonlk2@vcu.edu

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Jason Chestnutt

Jason Chestnutt

Executive Director of Planned Giving, MCV Campus

Phone: (804) 828-1671

Email: chestnuttjr@vcu.edu

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Pamela Colker

Pamela Colker

Executive Director of Planned Giving, Monroe Park Campus

Phone: (804) 827-2376

Email: colkerp@vcu.edu

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Anne Hoffler

Anne Hoffler

Executive Director, Principal Giving Stewardship

Phone: (804) 828-3383

Email: aahoffle@vcu.edu

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A member of the VCU team since 1999, Anne Hoffler has a B.A. and an M.Ed., both from the College of William & Mary. She has 25 years of experience in stewardship, donor relations and university special events.

 
Stephanie Monn (M.B.A.’19)

Stephanie Monn (M.B.A.’19)

Associate Director of Engagement Programs

Phone: (804) 827-8247

Email: smonn@vcu.edu

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Stephanie Monn plans regional and presidential-level salon events with regional giving, principal giving and VCU Alumni. She comes from the VCU School of Pharmacy, where she had served as gift stewardship and special events coordinator since 2016. She has worked in nonprofit business strategy, marketing and customer service for more than 10 years. She holds an M.B.A. from VCU and holds a B.S. in marketing and management from Portland State University. 

 

Corporate and Foundation Relations

Ariana Bracalente

Ariana Bracalente

Director of Philanthropic Grants

Phone: (804) 828-1230

Email: abracalente@vcu.edu

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Ariana Bracalente has been with VCU since 1987 and a part of Development and Alumni Relations team since 1998.

She has worked in corporate and foundation relations for nearly 20 years, focusing on grant development and management, identifying potential funding matches for university priorities, and building relationships with corporate and foundation partners. Her greatest joy is working with faculty and colleagues to develop and craft successful corporate and foundation proposals. She hails from the College of William and Mary but calls VCU her home team.

 
Frannie Noble

Frannie Noble

Associate Director

Email: noblesf@vcu.edu

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Suzannah Stora

Suzannah Stora

Assistant Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Phone: (804) 828-0880

Email: storasb@vcu.edu

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Courtney Hammack

Courtney Hammack

Associate Director of Corporate Relations

Phone: (804) 828-2905

Email: hammackcc@vcu.edu

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University Development

Chad Krouse, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’18)

Chad Krouse, Ed.D. (Ed.D.’18)

Assistant Vice President for University Development

Phone: (804) 828-2346

Email: cmkrouse@vcu.edu

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Chad Krouse joined VCU in 2012 as a regional major gift officer after several years of annual giving and major gift work at Hampden-Sydney College. In 2015, he was promoted to oversee VCU’s regional giving program for the university in conjunction with the Make It Real Campaign for VCU.

 

Krouse earned his Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College in 2002, and a Master of Divinity from Sewanee: The University of the South in 2010. In 2018, Krouse earned his Doctor of Education in Leadership from the VCU School of Education. Krouse serves on the advisory boards for the VCU Rams in Recovery program as well as the CX Certificate program at the School of Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond. Krouse is an adjunct professor at the William & Mary School of Education and the VCU Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

 

 
Corey Humphrey

Corey Humphrey

University Development Officer

Phone: (804) 827-9344

Email: schumphrey@vcu.edu

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Corey Humphrey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Wooster in Ohio. Prior to joining the University Development team, he worked as a leadership annual giving officer at the VCU School of Education, and from 2014-17 as the director of development for MENTOR Virginia.

 
Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones

University Development Officer

Phone: (804) 828-0880

Email: jonesa56@vcu.edu

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James Wasilewski, CFRE

James Wasilewski, CFRE

Executive Director of Leadership Annual Giving

Phone: (804) 827-3896

Email: wasilewskijr@vcu.edu

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James Wasilewski has served in various fundraising, constituent engagement and student recruitment roles in higher education for 20 years. He currently serves as senior director of University Development, leading a university gift officer team for engagement and gift interest as well as working with talent management in the areas of fundraising and leadership training for development. At VCU, he has also served in prior roles as director of annual giving for VCU Massey Cancer Center and director of development and alumni engagement for the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.

Additionally, James facilitates workshops and is a presenter at conferences about fundraising practices and other soft skill development and application.

He is a community advocate, including volunteer board service and leadership for the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives, Central Virginia chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and more. In 2015, he was recognized in the Richmond publication Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 for his work in fundraising, volunteer service and improv comedy in the community.

He earned his B.S. in accounting with a minor in speech communications from Randolph-Macon College and his M.B.A. from the University of Central Florida.

 
Raaj Parmar

Raaj Parmar

Leadership Annual Giving Officer, School of Business and College of Engineering

Phone: (804) 828-3758

Email: parmarr@vcu.edu

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Katy Beisheim

Katy Beisheim

Leadership Annual Giving Officer, School of Business

Phone: (804) 827-0075

Email: kbeisheim@vcu.edu

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Cristina Cruz

Cristina Cruz

Director of Development, School of Dentistry and College of Health Professions

Phone: (804) 828-2931

Email: cmcruz@vcu.edu

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Cristina Cruz serves as the assistant director of development communications and special events at the VCU School of Dentistry. She manages the school's donor relations efforts, including alumni engagement and stewardship events, and coordinates alumni and donor communications. She has worked in development at the School of Dentistry since 2010 and has a background in public relations and event management. Cruz is a 2006 graduate of James Madison University with a B.A. in public relations and Spanish.

 
Anna Givens

Anna Givens

Leadership Annual Giving Officer, School of Education, School of Social Work and Wilder School

Phone: (804) 828-0154

Email: givensa3@vcu.edu

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Laura Keller

Laura Keller

Leadership Annual Giving Officer, School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy

Phone: (804) 828-3881

Email: kellerl3@vcu.edu

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Gabrielle (Gabby) Payton

Gabrielle (Gabby) Payton

Leadership Annual Giving Officer, VCU Libraries

Phone: (804) 827-3616

Email: paytong@vcu.edu

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