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.

James T. Parrish Jr. has a range of development and administrative experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Parrish began his development career in 1990 at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, working with senior class and reunion giving, before moving into corporate and foundation relations. He came to VCU in 1997 to establish VCU’s Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (1997-2000), worked in the nonprofit sector (2000-2004) at the Valentine and ART 180 and then returned to VCU to serve as director of development of the VCU School of Nursing (2004-2013). In 2013, he returned to corporate and foundation relations and currently serves as director of foundation relations.

In addition to being a performer and filmmaker, Parrish has been a leader in Richmond’s arts community, co-founding both the James River Film Society and Bijou Film Center, and he has taught VCU undergraduate classes in filmmaking and film history for the School of the Arts Department of Photography and Film and the School of World Studies. In recognition for his commitment to the Richmond arts community and independent film, Parrish was selected as a Professional Development Fellow for the 57th Robert Flaherty Film Seminar in 2011, honored as one of Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2006 and awarded the Theresa Pollak Prize for Photography/Film in 2005. Parrish earned a B.A. in speech communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989.

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.

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, Nick Georges served as the assistant director of athletic development at the College of William & Mary. Georges received a bachelor's in biology from Roanoke College, where he played soccer, and a Master of Sports Leadership from VCU.  

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.   

Before joining VCU's University Development team, Emily Starks served as the manager of corporate relations for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. She received a bachelor's in economics and politics from Washington & Lee University.

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.