Conference Chair

Susan H. Peirce
Executive Director of Development
Nova Southeastern University

Susan Peirce is enjoying a career in university advancement that includes annual giving, major and leadership gift fundraising, campaign management, athletic fundraising, and the development and management of comprehensive advancement programs.

Peirce joined Nova Southeastern University in 2009 as the executive director of development to provide leadership to NSU's first comprehensive capital campaign. Her advancement career began as supervisor of the student telemarketing program at West Virginia University. Promoted to director of annual giving at WVU, she later joined the Pennsylvania State University to lead the annual giving component of Penn State's first campaign and was later promoted to associate director of major gifts. She returned to her alma mater Chatham College as the director of institutional advancement, overseeing development and alumnae relations. She then joined Villanova University to direct its first comprehensive campaign. Peirce also helped in restructuring the development program as assistant vice president at Northern Illinois University and led Florida Atlantic University's first campaign as associate vice president. As vice president for university advancement at Saint Leo University, she strengthened alumni relations, public relations and fundraising programs to lead the university's first campaign.

Peirce earned her bachelor's degree in communication from Chatham College and her master's degree in educational leadership and educational policy studies from Northern Illinois University. She served as a member of the CASE Philanthropy Commission and is a recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence.

Faculty

Stephanie Buckley
Associate Vice Chancellor, Center for Estate and Gift Planning
Pepperdine University

As the associate vice chancellor for the center for estate and gift planning at Pepperdine University, Stephanie Buckley works with current and prospective donors raising planned and major gifts on behalf of the university. She assists donors with the preparation of their estate plan including identifying and creating estate and financial planning tools specific to donors' needs. Buckley organizes various planned giving and estate planning presentations on behalf of Pepperdine University and assists with training for all of Pepperdine's fundraisers. Buckley earned her law degree from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law with a specialization in taxation and business law. She completed her LL.M. in taxation with honors at Loyola Law School. She currently serves as a trustee for the Heifer International Foundation and is a past president for both the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Greater Los Angeles and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning of Ventura County. She has served as an instructor for the planned giving course offered through UCLA Extension and currently serves on the editorial advisory board for Planned Giving Today. Buckley is a member of the State Bar of California.

Wayne Combs
Associate Dean, Advancement Operations and Constituent Programs
USC Dornsife Office of Advancement University of Southern California

Wayne Combs is the associate dean of advancement operations and constituent programs for USC's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Most recently, he served as the director of advancement services and information management at Occidental College. Prior to Oxy, Combs served as the manager of gift, data and record services at UC, San Diego.

As campaign operations manager, he oversaw a three-year strategic plan for advancement services in support of the University of Washington's $2.5 billion campaign. Combs began his career in higher education at UCLA training advancement staff in the use of software and fundraising technology to prepare for a $3 billion campaign.

He received his bachelor's degree in economics and public policy from Pomona College. He received his MBA in innovation and a master's degree in management in technology from the University of Washington. He is actively involved in the Association of Advancement Services Professionals and CASE.

Tilghman H. Moyer
Associate Vice President for Development
Temple University

As the associate vice president for development, Tilghman Moyer manages Temple University's school, college, and unit based advancement programs. In addition, he manges the centerally based annual giving, gift planning, leadership giving and corporate and foundation relation operations.

Prior to Temple, Moyer was at Muhlenberg College as the vice president for development and alumni relations. He served as the director of annual giving, director of development services and the Muhlenberg Fund, associate vice president for development and director of capital projects. At Muhlenberg, he was responsible for implementation and coordination of all fund raising and alumni relation activity at Muhlenberg and lead the largest comprehensive campaign in the college's history.

Moyer received his bacehlor's degree from Pennsylvania State University and has earned a master's degree in philanthropy and development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.