Conference Chair

Jennifer Bowie
Executive Director of Development
Ohio University

Jennifer Bowie has been an executive director of development at Ohio University since March of 2011. Prior to that she served as the director of development for annual giving and communications. She is responsible for development and campaign-related marketing and communication as well as for the university's annual giving tools (direct mail, phone, email, web and leadership annual giving.)

She began her career in development in 1999 at Ohio University as a major gifts officer. In 2001 she became the director of development communications. In that role, she had primary responsibility for all of the university's fundraising communications, including major gift proposals, case statements and collateral material, gift announcements and other media relations, and special event materials.

Bowie is a two-time Ohio University graduate, having earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism in 1994 and her master's degree in communication in 1999.

While pursuing her master's, she taught a number of courses in the Scripps School, including feature writing and essential college grammar.

Prior to beginning work on her master's in 1997, and embarking on a career in higher education, Bowie worked in healthcare communications for Deaconess Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Faculty

Deborah Feldman
Director of Communications
Northeastern University School of Law

Deborah Feldman is the director of communications for Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. Her responsibilities include communicating the law school's mission and activities to an external audience of graduates, prospective students, legal professionals, media and the academic community.

She is chief strategist, editor and head writer for all law school publications, including admissions, alumni and development collateral. She developed the award-winning Northeastern Law Magazine, and makes all decisions regarding magazine content, budget and standards, and manages editorial and production staff, including hiring and supervising freelance writers.

Feldman's responsibilities also including supervising the law school's website and managing social media strategy.

She holds a bachelor's degree in European history from Mills College and a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.

Matthew L. Honeycutt
Director of Development
The Wooster School

Matt Honeycutt is the director of development for the Wooster School in Danbury, Ct. He—and a dedicated team of three—manage all of the school's annual and capital campaign initiatives, coordinate alumni programming and campus events, and publish an array of print and electronic constituent communications each year. In addition to fundraising, he serves as the primary speech writer for the head of school and teaches 12th grade English in the Upper School.

Prior to his work at Wooster, Honeycutt served as director of development at Saddle River Day School in New Jersey. Prior to his move to Connecticut, he worked as the vice president of development for the National MS Society, Mid-Atlantic Chapter in Charlotte, N.C. Along with overseeing a family of special events, he developed the chapter's major gift program and secured the organization's first $1 million research gift.

Honeycutt is a graduate of Winthrop University where he earned his bachelor's degree in English and creative writing and a master's degree in English literature. 

David Jones
Senior Director for Development, Annual Giving and Donor Services
University of Georgia

David S. Jones has built a twenty-year career in higher education and served in advancement roles for the majority of that time. He began his work experience as director of student activities at Gordon College, a small two-year school in Barnesville, Ga. Returning to his alma mater with a deeper understanding of the student experience influence on philanthropic support, he then coordinated the alumni and development programs for the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources. Jones transitioned to the university's central advancement office in 1998 overseeing the annual giving programs for the institution. The Georgia Fund presently raises more than $12 million through an integrated phone, mail and online campaign. Jones led Georgia's annual giving programs through several strategic transitions including multiple-ask strategies and a shift from alumni dues to charitable giving.

Jones' latest professional opportunity is in providing leadership for annual and special giving, donor relations and the advancement research/prospect management units at Georgia. Bridging the flow between annual giving cycles, recognition programs and the systems for prospect identification and management, he welcomes this new learning opportunity for himself and the organization.

Jones is a "double dog" alumnus of Georgia, with an undergraduate degree in public relations from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and a master's degree in organizational development from the College of Education. A CASE Crystal Apple award recipient for excellence in teaching, he is a frequent presenter and facilitator at professional regional and national conferences including Persuasive Development Writing and the CASE Summer Institute in Educational Fundraising.

Tracey Palmer
Principal/Writer/Editor
Palmer Communications

Tracey Palmer is an award-winning marketing and development communications professional with 20 years' experience. She specializes in writing, editing and project management for education clients, healthcare organizations and other nonprofits.

Formerly, she was senior university writer and magazine editor for Suffolk University; director of publications, public relations and advertising for Curry College; and marketing associate for an international academic publisher.

A highly rated workshop leader and writing coach, Palmer is passionate about helping others write better. A longtime CASE faculty member and volunteer, she regularly presents at district conferences and workshops, judges publications contests and serves on conference committees. She has been on the Persuasive Development Writing Conference faculty since 2004. That same year, she founded Chicks Who Write—now a 130-member professional networking group for women who freelance in greater Boston.

Palmer has a bachelor's degree in American literature from The George Washington University and a master's degree in communication (PR and advertising) from Suffolk University, and studied in the U.K. at the University of East Anglia.

Maura King Scully
Principal
MKS Communication

Maura King Scully is an industrial-strength marketing communications professional and freelance writer. In 1999, she formed her own consulting business, MKS Communication, specializing in writing, editing and project management for a variety of nonprofit and educational clients.

Her previous professional positions include director of development communications for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, director of communications at the Boston College Alumni Association and assistant director for special events at the Boston College Alumni Association. She began her career in public relations.

Scully is active in professional organizations, including CASE, both at the district and national levels. Over the past decade, she has served on the faculty for CASE's Persuasive Development Writing, presented conference sessions at a number of CASE district conferences, chaired workshops, judged publications contests and served on conference committees. In 2009, she received CASE's Crystal Apple award for teaching excellence.

She holds a bachelor's degree in communications and a master's degree in administration from Boston College. She recently served on the gift committee for her 25th reunion from BC.

Robin Torbron Warde
Director of Alumni Relations
Bryant University

Robin Torbron Warde has been in college and university fundraising for the past 26 years and has been a regular contributing faculty for the Persuasive Development Writing seminar for eight years.

In 2001, Warde joined Bryant University as director of development for institutional programs, overseeing corporate and foundation relations, the annual fund, the alumni database and gift processing. In that position, and as interim executive director of development in 2002-2003, she worked to meet Bryant's campaign goal of $35 million 15 months ahead of schedule. Currently, as Bryant gears up for a new campaign, Warde is serving as director of alumni relations as well as carrying a major gift prospect pool for the development department.

Prior to joining Bryant, Warde served as director of corporate and foundation relations for Brown Medical School. She has also worked at Wheaton College as director of corporate and foundation relations, at Brown University as associate director of corporate and foundation relations and at Columbia University and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center as associate director of corporate relations.

Warde graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in applied music and received a master's degree from Columbia University.

Outside of higher education, she is immediate past president of the International Institute of Rhode Island, a nonprofit agency serving the needs of immigrants and refugees throughout southeastern New England. She also sits on the board of the International Charter School, a dual language (Spanish and Portuguese) K-5 school serving students throughout Rhode Island.

Marilyn Woodman
Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Smith College

Marilyn Woodman is the director of corporate and foundation relations at Smith College. She  began her career at Smith 18 years ago as the staff writer in the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (and has worked in several capacities in Development over the years.) Since 2005, she has managed the Corporate and Foundation Relations Department. She focuses primarily on overall strategic planning, developing and sustaining partnerships with corporations and foundations, promoting internal and external collaborations, writing proposals, and making visits.

Prior to working at Smith, Woodman held positions at the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities, Amherst College and the Williston Northampton School.

She received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Antioch College and completed a master's degree in arts and teaching, with a focus on English, at Rhode Island College. In addition to her responsibilities at Smith, Woodman has been teaching writing and English courses at a local community college for the last 25 years.

She is active in professional and volunteer organizations, currently serving on the Smith College United Way committee and the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity board. She has been a faculty member of the CASE Persuasive Development Writing conference for eight years.

Crystal Apple Winner for teaching excellence