Conference Chair

Gail A. Ferris
Director, Technology and Information Services, Office of Development and Alumni Relations
American University

In January of this year, Gail Ferris assumed the duties of director of technology and information services at American University. As the advancement information manager for the university, he oversees biographic records maintenance, gift processing, fundraising reporting, and the implementation of the university's Colleague Advancement information management system.

From 2008 through 2011, Ferris served as director of development services at the Catholic University of America. As director, he supervised the university's alumni records, gift processing, and prospect research and management, as well as the university's Millennium development information management system.

In 2006 and 2007, Ferris was director of development systems at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. There he had responsibility for maintaining the database tracking the museum's 200,000 members and the processing of all gifts to the museum. In February, 2007, he assumed responsibility for budget for the Development division, as well as interaction with the museum's information technology, operations, legal and human resources areas.

Previously, Ferris served as director of development operations at the World Wildlife Fund- U.S., where he was responsible for biographic and gift records, including prospect research and management, budget and human resources. He also served as executive director for advancement records at The George Washington University; as a consultant-in-residence at GW for Systems and Computer Technology Corporation; as director of information management in Georgetown University's office of alumni and university relations; and as director of alumni records at Yale University.

Active in CASE, he has served as faculty member and chair for several CASE conferences and as chair of the Matching Gifts Advisory Council. He is the recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for teaching excellence.

Discussion Leaders

Deborah Bryant Miller
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services
Appalachian State University

Debbie Miller is a nationally recognized expert in prospect identification, screening and analytics; prospect management; fundraising accountability systems and campaign planning and implementation. She has more than 20 years of development experience in both the higher education and nonprofit sectors, including international philanthropy, and has worked on over a dozen comprehensive campaigns ranging in size from $50M-$5B.

She currently serves as assistant vice chancellor for advancement services at Appalachian State University. Previously she was assistant vice president for prospect development at Wake Forest University, director of prospect development for The Nature Conservancy and director of development research at her alma mater, Virginia Tech. As managing partner of Philanthropy INC., she also has extensive experience as a fundraising consultant to numerous universities, nonprofits and corporations.

Miller is former president of the Virginia chapter of APRA and a member of APRA's National Board. She also served on the editorial board for APRA's Connections journal, and as a member of Taft Publication Inc.'s Advisory Board. She has been a faculty member for CASE's Conference for Development Researchers, and created the program for the Research Track of CASE's Campaign Strategies Conference which she chaired from 2003-2005. She is a frequent speaker at other professional meetings including APRA, AFP, Academic Impressions, CARA, and SCT/ Banner.

She holds a master's degree in sociology and a master's degree in business administration from Virginia Tech and has completed course work toward her doctorate in public administration.

John Taylor
Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services
North Carolina State University

John Taylor is the associate vice chancellor for advancement services at North Carolina State University. Previously, he was the principal for Advancement Solutions Consulting Group, a firm he launched in December 2004 focusing on nonprofit infrastructure issues. He has also served as vice president for research and data services at CASE—a position he held from its inception in late 2002. Prior to that, he was the director of alumni and development records at Duke University for nearly 15 years, where he guided advancement services processes to an industry benchmark of efficiency and accuracy.

His published works include: Advancement Services: A Foundation for Fund Raising (2007); CASE Management and Reporting Standards, 3rd edition (2003); Handbook of Institutional Advancement (2000); and Advancement Services: Research and Technology Support for Fund Raising (1999).

Taylor is a frequent contributor to The Major Gift Report and Successful Fundraising, and occasional contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and CURRENTS magazine. He formed one of the largest advancement-related listservs in the world, FundSvcs, now with more than 2,400 subscribers, and a companion website: www.FundSvcs.org. He has spoken at hundreds of conferences across the country, receiving the CASE Crystal Apple Award for outstanding teaching. He is founder and president of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals. He consults for educational institutions, foundations and other nonprofit organizations focusing on the areas of systems, policies and procedures, IRS and accounting regulations, board development, alumni relations and general advancement issues.

He holds a bachelor's degree in mass communications and socio-political change from Vanderbilt University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

Jon Thorsen
Director of Advancement Services
The Nature Conservancy

Jon Thorsen is director of advancement services at The Nature Conservancy, where he oversees the areas of Business Information & Analytics, Fundraising Systems, Prospect Development and Prospect Management. A former university librarian and instructor, he joined the development profession in 1987 and has led research and advancement services operations for Princeton University and the American Red Cross.

A former president of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, Thorsen received the association's Distinguished Service Award in 1999. He currently serves as a consultant to the board of directors of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals and chair of that organization's Best Practices committee. He received AASP's Volunteer of the Year award in 2010.

Thorsen has given presentations on many facets of the development profession at conferences for AASP, APRA, ADRP, AFP, CASE and other organizations. His articles on the advancement services profession have appeared in numerous publications, and he has contributed to the books Constituent Relationship Management: The New Little Black Book of Politics and People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities.

Speakers

Fred Weiss
President
imodules

Fred Weiss is a leader in the higher education advancement community with more than 20 years' experience. He brings significant product strategy, sales, professional services, general management and leadership skills to his role as president of iModules.

As senior vice president at SunGard Higher Education, he oversaw a technology portfolio which included advancement, business intelligence, admissions and recruiting, student retention and success, and several platforms such as portals and mobile. Weiss has also served in a variety of volunteer capacities with CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

He earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in English literature from Boston University.

CASE Crystal Apple award winner for excellence in teaching.