Universitywide development and communications staff

Cara Clark, a Raleigh, North Carolina, native, holds a B.F.A. in dance and choreography from VCU and has worked as donor relations coordinator at the Carolina Ballet in Raleigh. She also holds an M.F.A. in film and video production from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has worked as a multimedia specialist at Georgetown University Library's Gelardin New Media Center and as editor and videographer for the American Dance Festival’s video blog.

Before joining VCU, 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.  

T. Greg Prince, Ed.D., CFRE, joined VCU’s College of Health Professions in September 2016. Prince has 25 years of professional experience in university development and advancement. Before coming to VCU, Prince led the advancement effort at Salisbury University, a small public regional institution on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. During his career, Prince has had a track record of initiating new development programs and donor/stewardship initiatives as well as forming volunteer groups.

His work before Salisbury focused on academic medicine development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and at East Carolina University's Medical & Health Sciences Foundation. In December 2015, Prince graduated with his Ed.D. in educational leadership from East Carolina University, and in March 2021, he earned his CFRE designation.

Beth Ayers joined the Department of Health Administration in 2010. She previously served for five years in a similar capacity in the dean’s office of the College of Health Professions. In her current position, she works with the 2,200-plus alumni of the department’s three programs, directs all alumni functions, manages alumni communication and marketing and is involved with donor gifts, stewardship, development and fundraising efforts. Ayers manages all reunions and works closely with the Alumni Advisory Council. Ayers holds a B.S. in business from Belmont University in Nashville and an M.S. from VCU’s School of Education.

Heather Millar holds an undergraduate degree from Randolph-Macon College and an M.B.A. from VCU. Her most successful development experience to date includes the establishment of an institutional advancement office with a 50-year constituent base that had never been cultivated for the Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing. Millar also served as the executive director of a small nonprofit in the Richmond, Virginia, area that supports a local childhood cancer foundation. She has served on several boards, speaks at national conferences and has received various awards and honors, including Richmondmom.com’s April 2011 “Rockstar.”

Mary Riddick joined the College of Humanities and Sciences in August 2021. She previously served as director of development for the VCU School of Social Work team and worked for three years on VCU’s annual giving team. Riddick connects with humanities and sciences alumni, emeriti faculty, community partners and friends to the college to engage them with future initiatives. Riddick earned a B.A. from Virginia Tech and an M.P.A. from Old Dominion University.

Caitlin Hanbury was named the assistant director of community affairs for the College of Humanities and Sciences in July 2018. She earned a B.A. in art history and English language and literature from the University of Virginia in 2005 and an M.A. in art history with a concentration in museum studies from VCU in 2012. She handles reputation management and stakeholder strategic messaging with a focus on alumni, donors, prospects and the larger community for the College of Humanities and Sciences. She previously served as the stewardship manager for the college and, before VCU, served as a development associate for the Maymont Foundation and as a programs and exhibitions manager for the Hermitage Museum & Gardens. 

Alexis Finc is the director of communications for the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences. She is responsible for all internal and external communications, strategic messaging, and creative positioning for the college. Prior to joining VCU, Alexis spent the last six years overseeing communications at two different independent schools, Saint Gertrude High School in Richmond and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in Los Angeles, where she worked on numerous digital and print materials, marketing efforts, web and social media presence, fundraising collateral and overall communications strategy.

Before entering the world of educational communications, Alexis worked as an editor and writer in New York and Los Angeles for such companies as NBC Universal, Seventeen Magazine and Total Beauty Media. Alexis earned her B.A. in women and gender studies and English from Rutgers University and an M.F.A. in creative writing - poetry from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She currently lives in the Museum District with her husband and young son.

Anne Cabot Galeski joined the VCU team in 2019 as a leadership annual giving officer. Before joining VCU, Galeski spent over four years at Randolph-Macon College as assistant director for annual leadership giving and major gift officer. Before her development career, Galeski worked in private wealth management at Scott & Stringfellow in Richmond and Merrill Lynch in Washington, D.C. In 2009, Galeski received a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Virginia, where she was also a member of the field hockey team. She also holds a Certificate of Planned Giving from the University of Richmond and completed the Southeastern Trust School certificate program through Campbell University's Lundy-Fetterman School of Business in 2019.

Michelle Adcock oversees Massey's Community Advisory Board and Massey Alliance Board. Her role is to facilitate strategic engagement of board members through education, communication and participation and ensure they are equipped to be effective fundraisers, friend raisers and advocates for Massey. She has a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Canisius College. She most recently served as director of development for Norfolk Collegiate School in Hampton Roads and has previously served as director of development for Junior Achievement of Western New York and the National Kidney Foundation serving upstate N.Y. She has been with Massey since August 2015.

Margaret Ann Bollmeier provides strategic leadership aimed at strengthening MCV Foundation’s philanthropic efforts and relationships in the community and at Virginia Commonwealth University. A seasoned advancement professional with more than 25 years of experience, including 14 years as a foundation chief executive, Bollmeier has held leadership positions at Cornell University, the University of Virginia, University of Washington, Humanities Washington, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Providence Medical Center Foundation. She received her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law.

Brian Thomas joined VCU in 2005 as vice president for the School of Engineering Foundation before joining the MCV Foundation staff in 2009 as senior executive director of development. He was promoted to vice president and chief development officer of the MCV Foundation in December 2015. Thomas has more than 30 years of fundraising experience and has served in leadership positions in national organizations, including CASE and the ABA Section for Institutional Advancement. Thomas has worked for Hampden-Sydney College, the University of Richmond, Stetson University College of Law and Vanderbilt University. He earned his M.B.A. from the University of Richmond and his B.A. in economics from Hampden-Sydney College. At the MCV Foundation, Thomas works with donors to secure principal, major and planned gifts for the benefit of the MCV Campus, including five health sciences schools, Massey Cancer Center, VCU Health and other centers and programs.

David joined the MCV Foundation in 2018 as chief financial officer. He worked in several operational and financial management positions in the hospitality and property management industries before moving to the higher education and nonprofit sectors in 1997. Since that time, he has worked at several institutions including Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the Catholic University of America, an international microfinance education organization and the University of Maryland College Park, where he served as executive director of financial management for the Division of University Relations and assistant treasurer for the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a CPA. As a key member of the MCV Foundation’s leadership team, David has overall responsibility for accounting, financial management, budgeting, audit, tax, investment and general operations. 

David has a private pilot’s license and usually flies a single engine Cessna aircraft. One of his favorite flying ventures originated in Nags Head, North Carolina, and finally touched down in Ocracoke, North Carolina, after several stops along the Outer Banks.

Eric Peters first came to VCU to work on the MCV Campus in 2011 as a public relations specialist in University Relations. For nearly five years he managed media relations and news content for the health sciences schools and spent time as public relations manager for the VCU Center for Clinical and Translational Research. He returned to the MCV Campus in 2017 after working in the federal government for nearly two years. Peters holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from VCU, a master’s degree in corporate and professional communication from Radford University, a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from VCU and accreditation in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

Laura joined the MCV Foundation in September 2019 as development analyst and gift planning coordinator. In this capacity, she provides data analysis and project management to support development activities for the foundation. Laura has worked in resource development in the nonprofit sector for more than 10 years and brings a breadth of skills and experience to the foundation, including database management, special events, prospect research, analytics and reporting. Laura holds a B.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a certificate in fund development from University of Richmond.

Laura is passionate about the city and lives in the Carillon neighborhood of Byrd Park with her husband Ash and 3-year-old daughter Willow. She spends most of her free time with her family and friends, and enjoys exploring the city, traveling, trying new restaurants, seeing live music and visiting museums.

Crystal Puryear joined the MCV Foundation in November 2017 as the executive assistant to the president. In addition to providing high-level support to the president, she is the primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies and serves as the liaison between foundation staff and the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees. She also plans and facilitates all quarterly board and committee meetings. 

She joined the foundation with more than 10 years of experience supporting C-level executives and senior leadership in the financial services industry and nonprofit sector. Additionally, she played an integral role in the rapid growth of an outreach organization where she amassed a wealth of knowledge in community relations, event planning, volunteer management and marketing. 

Outside of work, Crystal enjoys traveling, hiking and seeing live music with her family.

Amber Yancey joined the foundation’s Development Team as assistant director of donor relations in August 2021.

Prior to this role, she was a development and scholarship specialist at the VCU School of Nursing, where she helped manage the scholarship process, alumni relations and events for the development team. Amber brings a wealth of experience to her role. She previously served as corporate partnerships and events manager with the Richmond Ballet and was a development and special events coordinator for Saint Gertrude High School.

Amber earned a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She also completed a certificate in non-profit marketing from the University of Richmond’s Institute of Philanthropy. She lives in the Northside with her husband, Keith, and their dog, Guapo.

Tracey joined the MCV Foundation in December of 2018 as the administrative assistant and receptionist. Her responsibilities include providing administrative support to the vice president and chief development officer and the director of planned giving. She also supports all functions of the development, communications and finance teams.

Before joining the MCV Foundation, Tracey spent 14 years in the staffing industry where she was responsible for recruiting, account management and sales. She is a graduate of North Country Community College and has associate degrees in business management and math & science.

In her free time, Tracey loves gardening, crafting, following Buffalo sports teams and, above all, spending time with her granddaughter.

Paul Brockwell began as marketing communications manager in July 2019 at the MCV Foundation. Previously, he was a senior communications strategy specialist with the State Corporation Commission and worked nearly six years in higher education communications at the University of Richmond, where his writing earned CASE and PRSA regional recognition. Brockwell earned a master’s in public communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, and a B.A. in religious studies from William & Mary. In the community, he serves on the Library of Virginia board, the W&M Leadership Advisory Council, Omicron Delta Kappa’s National Advisory Council and in various roles at Grace Baptist Church. He loves obsessing about good television/pop culture, trying to read as many books as he can and hiking the James River trails in his spare time. In the past, he has written about Richmond’s food and drink scene for Style Weekly.

Zaynah joined the foundation in November 2021 as a digital engagement manager focusing on social media and digital content strategy. She also contributes writing to the foundation’s magazines and website. Prior to this role, Zaynah led creative development of training and communications for the environmental, health and safety team at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Boston, where she lived for a decade. 

In the community, she serves as a program manager and committee member for the Highlights Foundation Muslim Storytellers Fellowship and co-organized and led marketing for Books for Palestine, a fundraising initiative within the literary community for emergency relief efforts. Her past work includes writing for both higher education institutions and design and branding companies. Zaynah brings experience from publishing and as a freelance writer and publicist.

Zaynah earned her M.F.A. in creative fiction writing at Emerson College. She also graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a bachelor’s degree in English and minors in biology and chemistry. She lives in Richmond and is enjoying the opportunity to get reacquainted with her hometown. In her spare time, she is working on a debut manuscript for a young adult fantasy novel and loves kickboxing, reading and traveling.

Penelope joined the foundation in August 2021 as a design services manager in the Communications Department. Prior to this role, she was the public relations coordinator and later the creative services manager for the American Civil War Museum, where she lead design for the magazine of an award-winning museum dedicated to telling an inclusive history of the Civil War.

An accomplished reporter and storyteller, Penelope won several awards during her time at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she began as a reporter and became editor of an award-winning weekly teen section written by local youth. Later, she also worked as a general assignment features writer and multimedia reporter. In 2008, she received a prestigious fellowship to train at a multimedia reporting and convergence workshop at the University of California Berkeley’s Knight Digital Media Center. In addition to her many skills, she is a talented photographer and runs her own freelance practice. Her photographic work is part of the permanent collections at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children and Family Lifeline.

Penelope earned her B.A. in print journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia. She lives in Short Pump with her two children.

Julie joined the MCV Foundation in 2018 as the controller.  Prior to joining the foundation, she served as accounting manager at DuPont Teijin Films. She brings with her valuable nonprofit experience, having served four years as the associate controller for the International Mission Board, a global nonprofit. 

Julie has handled all aspects of financial management operations during her nearly 25-year career, which has included significant experience in small business accounting throughout the Greater Richmond area.  Julie is a CPA and attended Virginia Commonwealth University and Strayer University, earning a bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. in finance.

As a Richmond native, Julie has a passion for serving urban communities. Her drive for community service began during her first downtown experience in Open High School.  She currently serves as CFO for Beacon Hill Church in the City of Hopewell and leads the church’s Celebrate Recovery program in the Beacon Theatre.

Gina joined the MCV Foundation in February of 2019 as the assistant controller. Prior to joining the foundation, Gina served as accounting manager at St. Joseph’s Villa, the longest continuously operating children’s nonprofit in the United States. Gina's past work experience also includes development, event planning and donor management at the state and national level.  

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Gina received both a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy degree from the VCU School of Business.  

Outside of the office, Gina enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering as the treasurer for the Henrico Police Foundation. She is a member of SEAL Team Physical Training and an avid runner. 

Paula joined the MCV Foundation as a gifts administrator in 2011. She analyzes and processes daily gift deposits, reconciles monthly giving and fees, and provides multiple gift, accounting and audit reports. Her previous accounting experience includes AP, AR, billing, bookkeeping and reconciliation, most recently at Performance Food Group and Christian & Barton.

She graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a bachelor’s degree in statistics and also holds an Accounting Career Studies Certificate.

Cat Vincent began as gifts administration manager on the foundation’s finance team in May 2021.

Prior to joining MCV Foundation Cat worked in the Gifts and Records Management department in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was the Team Lead Transaction Analyst for five years. Prior to her time at VCU, she served with the University of Richmond Advancement Office for 19 years in gifts and records management.

Cat brings more than 23 years of experience in advancement services. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys being in the outdoors, traveling, shopping and trying new restaurants.

Lewis Witcher joined the foundation in November 2021 as a staff accountant with a focus on gifts and accounts receivable.

Prior to this role, he was an accounting research analyst with Apex Systems, a world class technology services business. Lewis has more than seven years of accounting experience including account research, financial analysis, and accounts receivable.

Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., and was a member of the men’s basketball team. Lewis lives in Richmond with his wife and daughter. In his spare time, he likes to watch basketball and football and participates in a kickball league.

Tyler joined the foundation in July 2021 as a digital content manager focusing on videography and photography. Prior to this role, he was a producer and editor with Fourth Line Films, a Richmond-based firm specializing in documentary filmmaking. In his work, he has helped mission-driven organizations such as the Smithsonian Institution and the American Association for the Advancement of Science to tell important stories. Most recently, he produced and edited a feature documentary that was distributed through the Public Broadcasting System as part of the Reel South film series. 

An accomplished visual storyteller, Tyler has taught as an adjunct instructor in filmmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University and Old Dominion University. In the community, he volunteers as sound mixer and archivist for Secretly Y’all, a nonprofit storytelling event group. He also co-founded RVA Documentary as a social and professional forum for documentary storytellers and the Doc’s Addition Screening Series.

Tyler earned his M.F.A. in documentary film and video from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from William & Mary. He lives in Richmond’s Church Hill neighborhood with his wife, Caron, three small and very energetic kids, and a golden doodle named Toby.

Erin Acors joined the MCV Foundation in November 2021 as staff accountant for accounts payable. Prior to this role, she was an accountant at RBI Services in Ashland, Va. She is currently completing her master’s program online in accountancy from Liberty University.

In the community, Erin played collegiate softball as the University of Central Arkansas and has volunteered for several goodwill programs such as the Project Christmas Child. She also volunteers at local sports organizations and is a Two Twelve networking member.

Erin earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas and is currently pursuing her CPA license. She lives in Montpelier, Va., with her family and three French bulldogs. In her spare time, she likes to coach youth league softball and spend time with her parents, sister, and fiancé.

Niles Eggleston joined VCU in April 2020 as the assistant vice president of alumni and development serving VCU Health and the School of Medicine. Most recently he was associate dean of advancement at the University of Virginia, where he led the School of Engineering development team into the Honor the Future Campaign, with three of the largest cumulative fundraising totals in school history. He brings more than 20 years of development experience to VCU, including leading alumni and community development offices at the University of Florida Health Science Center and at the University of Rochester (New York) Medical Center.

 At VCU he leads a team of 20 professionals to secure philanthropic support vital to the medical school and VCU Medical Center and works to engage and connect alumni, friends, corporations and foundations to advance the vision and mission of the academic medical center.

 Niles earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Colorado and his master’s degree in sports management from North Carolina State University. He and his wife, Meghan, their three children, Bo, Grady and Moriah, live in Maidens, Virginia.

Part of the team since 2010, Amy thrives on the new discoveries, new students and new stories that she encounters every day on the MCV Campus. As director of major gifts, her favorite part of fundraising is finding the perfect match — aligning the diverse interests of our alumni and patients with the exceptional developments at our academic medical center. 

 A proud winner of the VCU Development and Alumni Relations Spirit Award, Amy has been with the university since 2004, having first served in VCU’s corporate and foundation relations office for six years. Prior to VCU, Amy held development roles at Reynolds Community College and William & Mary. 

 A native Virginian, Amy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from James Madison University, an M.Ed. from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in higher education from William & Mary.

Nathan Bick joined VCU in 2016. He has enjoyed building philanthropic relationships with distinguished alumni around the nation and is a member of the Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Wellness Center team. 

 Prior to VCU, Nathan was director of development for the Oregon Bach Festival at the University of Oregon. In that role, he led a team that raised more than $20 million in two years and became the first university unit to reach its campaign goal in a $3 billion universitywide campaign. 

 With 13 years of nonprofit development experience encompassing higher education, medicine/health and the arts, he holds an M.B.A. and a master’s degree  in arts administration from the University of Cincinnati, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in voice performance from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Jack Carmichael serves as the director of Annual Giving for the School of Medicine and VCU Health, overseeing direct response campaigns for the medical school’s alumni as well as grateful patients. Jack joined the School of Medicine in 2014 and has served in various roles during his time here, including programming support for Reunion Weekend and front-line leadership of annual giving.

A Richmond native, Jack received his B.A. from Dickinson College, where he majored in English and Spanish. He holds an M.A. in Spanish literature from the University of Málaga, Spain, as well as an M.A. in English from VCU.

Priscilla Cash joined the VCU School of Medicine’s major giving team in 2015. She works with alumni in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and West and with faculty in the Department of Urology.

Priscilla previously served as assistant director of leadership annual giving at VCU Massey Cancer Center. She also served in sales and sales management roles for the pharmaceutical and device-manufacturing companies of Hydro-Photon and Sanofi-Aventis, covering domestic territories in the Northeast as well as in Canada and Mexico. Her fundraising career began in San Francisco with the Pacific Crest Outward Bound school; she spent four years as an alpine mountaineering and rock-climbing instructor for the organization before moving into development.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from Radford University and a nursing degree from the Johns Hopkins University. She also completed a certificate program in fundraising at Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. In her spare time, Cash enjoys the outdoors, music, travel and cooking for family and friends.

Payton Hardinge joined the team in 2017 and oversees capital fundraising initiatives’ timetables, leadership structures and activities, including the strategic master facilities plan. She also develops and implementis strategies, programs including the Community Internship Program and events to identify and integrate new donors and advocates into strategic priorities. Her work ensures that development activities related to medicine and health are strategically directed and generate appropriate return on investment. 

Prior to joining the Medicine and Health team, Payton worked for six years with VCU Massey Cancer Center. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in Spanish from VCU.

Michelle Holder joined the team in 2019 and currently oversees production of acknowledgement letters, pledge reminders and tribute reports.

Prior to VCU, she spent 10 years at UPS Freight serving as both a health and safety supervisor and an employee relations supervisor. Holder’s background in relationship building, data management, investigation and root-cause analysis equipped her with a high-level of expertise in both the human and legal sides of safety and HR compliance.

Michelle earned a diploma from The Braxton School of Business in 1987 as well as master level

Microsoft Office user specialist certification in 2003.

Justin Jannuzzi joined Med-Health Development in 2021. His focus is working with grateful patients of the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center, especially advanced heart failure and surgery, as well as supporting Pauley’s advisory board. Previously, Justin spent 15 years fundraising in college athletics, holding leadership positions at VCU, Old Dominion University, Duke University and James Madison University. Most recently, he worked in health technology sales at Whil, a division of Rethink.

Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wabash College and a master's degree in sport leadership from VCU. He and his wife Jessica both grew up in Richmond and have two daughters, Josephine and Jocelyn.

Erin Lucero loves telling the stories of our alumni, donors, faculty and students. In 19 years as director of development communications, she has produced a variety of collateral pieces that support development and alumni engagement priorities. She has taken three print periodicals from concept to production, including the School of Medicine’s 12th & Marshall alumni magazine, and launched the school’s email newsletter, which, in its 19th year, enjoys a better than 25% open rate. 

 Before joining the School of Medicine in 2001, Erin worked for a decade in what is now the public affairs office on the MCV Campus, coordinating with local, regional and national news organizations for stories about the hospital, Massey Cancer Center and five health science schools. 

 A native Richmonder, Erin holds a bachelor’s degree from Radford University and is an award-winning member of both the Public Relations Society of America and the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Group on Institutional Advancement.

Joy Malkin joined VCU School of Medicine as its first major gift officer in 2006. Joy is a member of the Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Wellness Center team and loves building relationships with donors and helping them meet their philanthropic goals. 

She began her career with the American Cancer Society before moving to the United Way and after that, into higher education advancement. Prior to joining VCU, she worked as a regional gift officer for the University of Kentucky during its first billion-dollar campaign.

Joy earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Kentucky.

Lynn Meyer joined the team in 2015. Her fundraising career spans more than 21 years. Prior to joining VCU, she served as chief development officer at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, completing an $8 million capital campaign. She worked as an associate director for corporate and foundation relations for William & Mary and, before that, worked at Old Dominion University for seven years, first as a grant writer in the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, then as a major gift officer in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. 

Lynn has a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor’s in communications, both from ODU.

With more than 15 years of advancement experience, Carrie Mills joined the VCU Medicine and Health team in 2017. She works with the faculty, grateful patients and donors of the VCU Health Pauley Heart Center and the Department of Surgery. She led the development of the VCU Medical Philanthropy Academy, which trains faculty and staff how best to partner with the development team.

Before joining VCU, Carrie was senior director of development and alumni affairs at the University of Florida, where she led alumni giving and a $30 million scholarship campaign. Prior to that, she worked in community fundraising at the March of Dimes in Jacksonville, Florida.

Carrie has a master’s degree in nonprofit leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in communications with a concentration in nonprofits from Appalachian State University.

Brenna Monk joined the Development team in 2019. She supports the Annual Giving program’s direct response campaigns and travels around Virginia to engage alumni.

Prior to coming to VCU, Brenna served as a development intern with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and as a digital and social media intern at VPM.

Brenna, a Richmond native, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in arts administration and studio art and a minor in leadership.

Bernadette O'Shea joined Med-Health Development in 2021, responsible for leading the Neurosciences team, including neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry divisions. A strategic leader and campaign expert with specialized knowledge in health care and major and principal giving, Bernadette has two decades in fundraising — including roles as a consultant, community hospital C-Suite executive and senior director for the neurosciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Bernadette is on the boards of Keaton's Kids in New York and the Institute of Transactional Philosophy in California.

She is a transplant of Chicago and a lifelong learner pursuing an MBA; she enjoys live comedy, reading, traveling and outdoor adventures. Bernadette and her family look forward to exploring Richmond and meeting the community.  

Polly Roberts joined the School of Medicine in 2016. The opportunity to tell the stories of the medical school and support a $300 million campaign drew her from corporate communications back to VCU, where she had served as web content manager in University Relations from 2006-13. Polly began her career as a journalist with Richmond.com, covering health and education.

 Her responsibilities at VCU have a web focus, including managing the quarterly alumni e-newsletter. She also manages the medical school’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages, which earned an AAMC GIA Bronze Award in Social Media for a Facebook campaign to introduce the Class of 2021. In addition to writing and editing for the website and alumni magazine, Polly also collaborates with university partners to maximize the reach of each story.

 Born in Tennessee and raised in the Richmond area, Polly holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Jodi T. Smith has served as senior development officer and director of constituent relations for the School of Medicine since 2009. She leads Reunion Weekend programming and reunion class giving campaigns. Smith also serves as a major gift officer. From 1999-2005, she was the director of annual giving for the medical school.

A native of Richmond, she received her B.A. from Randolph-Macon College in 1994.

Pam Vaughan joined the team in 2000. She oversees daily activities in the office including processing travel authorizations, reimbursements, purchasing and vendor payments as well as serving as a resource on university policies in these areas. She has served in a number of roles since 2000, including as a special events coordinator for the team.

Prior to joining VCU, Pam spent more than 17 years at AT&T in various positions.

Originally from Emporia, Virginia, Pam earned a certificate in computer programming from ECPI University and attended Virginia State University.

Wren Wyatt joined VCU’s corporate and foundation relations office in 2014 on a graduate fellowship through the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, where much of his research focused on postsecondary education. Before working at VCU, Wyatt attended the University of Virginia, graduating with a degree in international relations. He brings a variety of skills and experiences to the School of Medicine, drawing on previous roles as an English teacher overseas, an attorney liaison for a large Richmond law firm and a variety of defense industry and electrical engineering sales roles.

Laura Renaud joined the team in 2019. Prior to VCU, Laura served as the associate director of development at Johns Hopkins Medicine, fundraising for the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research. She spent six years at Hopkins in both health care and higher education settings. 

Passionate about connecting committed donors with philanthropic opportunities, Laura has spent her entire career in the nonprofit sector. She served on the membership committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Maryland Chapter, and sits on the alumni board of Maryvale Preparatory School in Baltimore. 

She is pursuing a master’s in communication from the Johns Hopkins University and earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Davidson College.

Kelly Kerr joined the VCUarts development team in August 2012, where she serves as director of events and sponsorships. She previously worked for VCU's Office of the President as manager of the Scott House. She earned her M.F.A. in ceramics from James Madison University.

Linda Johnston is proud to have been a part of the VCU Department of Music since 1988. She is an alumna of VCU music with a bachelor's in music education. She also serves as music director/organist at Pine Street Baptist Church, where she has served since 1972. Johnston serves the Department of Music as the fiscal administrator as well as human resources liaison. One of her many responsibilities in the department is to maintain relationships with VCU music alumni and donors. 

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.

From 2012 to 2015, Ed Kardos served as director of development for major gifts at the VCU School of Dentistry, where he secured more than $3.5 million in total donations dedicated to scholarship and professorship endowments. Before joining the School of Dentistry, Kardos served as executive director of development for the VCU School of Nursing, director of development for Benedictine High School and the first full-time annual giving director at James Madison University. He is a Nina Abady Award recipient (2004), the highest award given by the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives for lifetime career excellence.

Louie Correa joined the VCU development team in March 2015. He has 14 years of experience in development and nonprofit management. Before joining VCU, he served as chief executive officer of Project 375 (formerly The Brandon Marshall Foundation) based in Chicago. He also served as an associate consultant for Campbell & Co., a fundraising consulting firm based in Chicago, where he worked with many arts and higher education clients throughout the U.S. Before his time in Chicago, Correa spent nearly a decade in Indianapolis in development roles with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and The TKE Foundation. He has authored articles in Advancing Philanthropy and chapters in Giving USA. He has a master's degree from the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University (2010) and bachelor's degrees in rhetoric and English from the University of Illinois (2002).

Jess Sorensen previously served as development coordinator for VCUarts. After receiving her B.S. in sociology from James Madison University in 2010, she interned for the summer with the VCU donor relations team. She then became the administrative assistant to the dean of external affairs at the VCU School of Business from August 2010 to January 2013. She is a native of Richmond, Virginia.

Katharine Stein is a 2015 VCUarts alumna from the Department of Sculpture. She previously served as a development coordinator at VCUarts before a stint in the development office at the Science Museum of Richmond. 

Geoff LoCicero joined the VCU School of Social Work in July 2019. Previously, he was coordinator of digital marketing and communications for the School of Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi, after serving as the university’s director of web services from 2009-17. He was the first director of web communications at the University of South Carolina from 2005-09.

Before that, LoCicero was a trainer and researcher at the Ifra Newsplex at the University of South Carolina, a public-private partnership that focused on the development of cross-media strategies and training for journalists in the U.S. and abroad.

He also worked as a copy editor and page designer at The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina and as a sports copy editor and designer at the Birmingham Post-Herald.

Antonia F.D. Vassar graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2005 with a B.A. in music. She became interested in fundraising and philanthropy after working in the VCU Libraries Development Office as a student. She enjoys seeing VCU Libraries donors engaged and active in the larger VCU and Richmond communities.