Development staff directory

Magnus Johnsson joined VCU in 2007 as executive director of external relations and development for the School of Education before taking on his current role in February 2015. 

Johnsson brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience and has served volunteer leadership roles as past president of the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Central Virginia Chapter. His work experience includes senior leadership roles at UMFS and the United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg. Johnsson received his Certified Fund Raising Executive credentials in 2004 and is a member of the 2015 Class of Leadership Metro Richmond. 

He earned a M.P.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.S. in public administration from James Madison University. 

As senior associate vice president for development, Johnsson oversees the areas of principal giving, regional giving and corporate and foundation relations.

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.
 

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 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. 

Brian Campbell joined VCU in 2018 as the leader of the fundraising program for the VCU College of Engineering, coordinating major gift and annual fund strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Averett University and a master’s from the University of Virginia.

During his lengthy career in higher education administration, Campbell has served in similar roles at the North Carolina State University, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Pennsylvania, the Nevada System of Higher Education, Iowa State University and the University of Virginia.

Campbell was a member of the Virginia State Board of Social Services from 1994 to 2001. He also served as a member of the 1^st Tactical Fighter Wing of the United States Air Force from 1980 to 1986, participating in contingency operations in Egypt, Panama, Germany and Honduras.

Ariana Bracalante 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.

Molly Oudekerk joined the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations in 2021. She has an M.P.A. and postbaccalaureate certificate in nonprofit management from VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech.

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.

Before joining the University Development team, Rich Spain (M.Ed.'13/E) worked primarily with the VCU Honors College leading the development and alumni relations efforts. Before coming home to VCU, he worked at Rice University and University of Virginia. Spain earned his B.S. in business administration from East Carolina University, where he ran track, and a Master of Sport Leadership from VCU.

Robert Chisley joined the University Development team in 2021 as an engagement officer. He previously served as the annual fund assistant for the Iron Dukes at Duke Athletics. Robert earned his B.S. in exercise science from VCU in 2014 and his master’s in sport leadership from VCU in 2019.

Before joining VCU, Jayla Gilliam worked on various political campaigns locally and throughout the east coast. She earned her B.A. in political science at VCU and is currently pursuing her M.P.A. at VCU as well.

Before joining VCU's University Development team as an engagement officer, Matt Rowe served as a case manager and student advocate in the Dean of Students office at Virginia Tech. He earned his bachelor's degree in agribusiness management from Virginia Tech and a Master of Education in higher education from the University of Virginia.

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.

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.

Trevor Worden started his fundraising career in the nonprofit and arts communities. He moved into higher education at VCU in 2018, joining the College of Health Professions. Trevor joined University Development in 2021 as a university gift officer.

Before joining VCU's University Development team, Joycelyn Mahone was assistant director of leadership annual giving at the University of South Florida. Mahone earned a B.A. in legal studies from the University of Central Florida and a master's in organizational leadership from Brenau University.

Before joining VCU's University Development team, Ashley Hanel served as an annual giving officer at Virginia Tech. She received a bachelor's in public health from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Arts in higher education from the University of Mississippi.