Message From Your Chair

The global economic crisis has forced advancement teams to adjust to new realities and increasing expectations. Immediate need and constrained budgets make every dollar, and decision, count. This conference will provide you with the tools to frame critical issues, identify opportunities and implement strategies to successfully lead in this new environment.

CONFERENCE CHAIR

Susan Cruse
Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Emory University

 Susan Cruse is the senior vice president for development and alumni relations at Emory University. She leads the fundraising, alumni relations and related activities for Emory University and is a member of the President's Cabinet. Emory is in the midst of a $1.6 billion campaign which was announced in September of 2008.

Prior to joining Emory, she was the assistant vice president for development and alumni relations at the Johns Hopkins Institutions, Johns Hopkins Medicine and a member of the Johns Hopkins University senior leadership team. She held several development and leadership positions at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She also spent two years at TRW working with research universities in public-private partnerships to advance research and accelerate technology transfer.

Cruse has been active with CASE and has written and lectured extensively on a broad variety of business and education topics.

DISCUSSION LEADERS

Constance French
Senior Vice President
Oregon Health & Science University Foundation

 Constance French is the senior vice president of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Foundation. Oregon Health & Science University is the state's sole academic health center and includes schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy as well as two teaching hospitals. Last year, the foundation raised over $151 million in support for the university. French manages a small principal gift prospect pool, serves as chief operating officer, manages the operational management team and leads the foundation in campaign planning. The foundation employs nearly 100 people.

Prior to joining the OHSU Foundation in 2007, French was a director at The Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine (FJHM). She oversaw development offices for the school of medicine and the brain sciences (neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and the basic sciences) and led alumni relations for the school of medicine. In her tenure, FJHM surpassed their campaign goal of $2 billion and giving increased in all departments she oversaw. Additionally, she focused on developing talent with numerous staff members promoted internally.

Previously, she served as director of capital programs and major gifts at Smith College, and as associate director of development, associate director of major gifts, director of regional campaigns, director of annual and special gifts, and assistant director of annual giving at Trinity College.

French has been active with CASE and the STAFF and MAGIC Conference groups.

Pamela Hillman
Vice President for University Advancement
California State University, Fullerton

 Pamela Hillman joined Cal State Fullerton as vice president for university advancement in February 2003. In this role, she is responsible for providing leadership for the university's comprehensive fundraising program, alumni relations, strategic communications, public affairs, government and community relations, special events, advancement services and oversight of the Philanthropic Foundation. Additionally, she serves on CSUF's President's Advisory Board.

Prior to joining CSU, Fullerton, Hillman was associate vice chancellor for development at UC Riverside. As AVC, she was responsible for leading and coordinating the fundraising efforts throughout UCR. Working with academic and foundation trustee leadership, she was responsible for designing UCR's first comprehensive campaign. As president of the UC Riverside Foundation Board of Trustees, she worked closely with the chair and Executive Committee to facilitate productive goal setting, meetings of the foundation board and foundation committees, and all events associated with the foundation. Hillman also served as vice president for institutional advancement at Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, where she implemented and directed a successful $40 million capital campaign; as director of development for the UCLA's Anderson Graduate School of Management School and as director of annual giving at California Institute of Technology.

She has been an active member of CASE. She served on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of CASE District VII and as chair of its Senior Professional Committee and past chair of its Opportunity and Equity Committee.

Julia Beyer Houpt
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Denison University

Julie Beyer Houpt, alumna from the class of 1975, has been Denison's vice president for university resources and public affairs since her appointment to the post in September of 2000.

Houpt came to Denison from Friends' Central School, where she served as director of development for three years. Prior to assuming her position at Friends' Central, she served as director of major gifts at the University of Pennsylvania (1995-97) and as director of Stanford University's Southern California major gifts program (1991-94).

An art history major at Denison, Houpt served as a head resident and was active in both the Denison Community Association and Delta Delta Delta sorority. She completed graduate work in art at the University of Minnesota before earning her law degree from the University of Southern California. As an attorney in Los Angeles for eight years, she was associated with two Southern California law firms before entering the field of university development.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

John T. Engelen
Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Office of Government and Community Relations
Emory University

John T. Engelen joined Emory as its first vice president of governmental affairs in 2007. His charter is to advance Emory's policy interests as a leading academic and health care institution at the federal, state and local levels. Prior to joining Emory, Engelen was the director of federal relations at the University of Minnesota, where he created and implemented a unified federal relations agenda and communications plan and built awareness in Washington, D.C. He began his career in 1981 as a legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. David Durenberger of Minnesota, and as staff member of the U.S. Senate Government Affairs Committee. He served subsequently in top governmental relations positions for Associated Builders and Contractors and American Cyanamid Inc. in Washington, D.C., and Ecolab Inc. in St. Paul, Minn.

He has held leadership positions in the Association of American Universities; the Science Coalition, a consortium of research universities; and other national and regional higher education associations. In 2002 he was recognized as one of the "Top Ten Most Effective Lobbyists in D.C." by the Minneapolis Star.

Anthony D. Owens
Senior Strategic Consultant
Virilion

Anthony D. Owens currently serves as senior strategic consultant for Virilion, a full-service interactive agency that for more than ten years has helped major organizations, institutions and corporations transform their communication and marketing goals into results through digital media.

Owens recently served as senior director of partnerships and communications at Sodexo where he was responsible for managing Sodexo's partnerships with NGO's, Community-Based Organizations and governmental agencies dealing with sustainability, wellness and community development. He also served as director of media relations and issues management for Sodexo.

He is a highly recognized keynote speaker and has been featured in several national publications. He has over 20 years of communications experience with companies such as Nike, Inc., Malcolm X College and United Way of the National Capital Area where he played a major visible role in reshaping the organization's image. He also has served as vice president of marketing and promotions with Edelman Worldwide, the largest privately owned public relations company in the world.

Owens holds a master's degree in marketing from DePaul University. He is an activist in the fight of equality in education for youth and is a founding board member of Real Fathers Real Men.