Sarah Sims, CFRE, brings more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, donor engagement, communications, and higher education leadership to her role as Vice President for University Advancement at the University of North Texas at Dallas. Known as a builder, Sarah has developed and led advancement strategies that strengthen fundraising performance, deepen constituent engagement, and create the systems, experiences, and partnerships needed to grow philanthropic support.

Her strategic, metrics-driven approach has helped increase donor retention, expand alumni and donor participation, support major and principal gift strategy, and connect donors more meaningfully to institutional priorities. Prior to joining UNT Dallas, Sarah served as Associate Vice President of Donor Engagement at Texas State University, where she led enterprise-wide strategies that elevated donor and alumni engagement and contributed to a stronger culture of philanthropy.

Sarah holds the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential, actively volunteers with CASE, and is a frequent national speaker and consultant in the advancement profession.

Elena A. Hawthorne serves as the Director of Advancement Communications at Sam Houston State University, leading University Advancement communications strategies. She crafts narratives and builds engagement plans that connect alumni, donors, and friends to the university’s mission and philanthropic goals. Her work drives annual giving, alumni and donor engagement, development, and the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, strengthening how Sam Houston State communicates impact, fosters relationships, and promotes a culture of giving.

With nearly two decades in higher education advancement and military service, Elena brings a pragmatic, strategic, and systems-oriented perspective to communications and donor engagement. Most recently, she served as Senior Director of Donor Relations at the Purdue for Life Foundation, where she oversaw stewardship and donor experience strategies across Purdue University. She led a donor relations team that supported multiple colleges and units, delivering scalable, engaging programs that fostered lasting philanthropic partnerships.

Previously, Elena was Executive Director for Advancement and Alumni Communications at the University of Houston, leading fundraising messaging, advancing alumni engagement, and partnering with donor relations and advancement teams to enhance philanthropic storytelling, strengthen engagement, and support university priorities.

Before transitioning to higher education, Elena spent 12 years in the U.S. Navy in Public Affairs, managing communications and media relations for senior leaders and major operations. She holds a Master of Science in Integrated Communication and Marketing from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Southern New Hampshire University.

Russel Heskin has spent his entire career in higher education advancement in Los Angeles County. After graduating from UCLA, he worked in alumni relations for more than two decades at his alma mater, Pomona College, and Western University of Health Sciences. While at WesternU, he transitioned to a “special projects” role within advancement that was focused mainly on donor relations and stewardship. He led the implementation of a scholarship award platform, created the university’s first donor impact reports, and reactivated more than $1 million in dormant scholarship funds. Russel is now the director of donor relations at the University of La Verne, where he is responsible for gift agreements, donor impact reports, and other donor engagement initiatives. 

Russel has been active with CASE as the District VII Advisor for CASE’s Affiliated Student Advancement Programs (ASAP) from 2000 to 2002, chairing CASE’s Young Alumni and Student Programs Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in 2005, serving on the District VII Board/Cabinet from 2015-2025, and representing District VII on the CASE Legacy Fund Committee from 2020-2025. 

Russel lives in Claremont, California with his wife, Nicki, a fellow Bruin. The couple has two children, a recent UCSD graduate and an Occidental College freshman. 

Eliza McNulty is Senior Director of Donor Relations at Stanford University. She leads the university’s 18-person central donor relations team and works with senior development staff and colleagues across campus to shape the vision for comprehensive donor relations at Stanford. Prior to Stanford, Eliza held donor relations, communications, and development positions at YMCA of the USA, Loyola University Health System, and the Elks National Foundation. 

Eliza is Past President of the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP). While serving ADRP, she advocated for and promoted the donor relations profession, representing the association’s nearly 1,800 international members. Eliza shares her passion for gratitude by speaking, writing, and presenting on effective practices in donor relations and stewardship. She has 25 years fundraising experience in healthcare, university, and national membership offices.

A native Tennessean, Laura has worked at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for 12 years. She is a two-time UTC alum, earning an undergraduate degree in Marketing followed by an MBA. After working in University Events for over 8 years, she transitioned to Advancement in 2022 to oversee events and stewardship. Laura’s passions for all things logistics and people have led her to a career of high-level event planning, relationship building, and community relations. Laura and her husband, Phil, enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, and exploring their downtown Chattanooga neighborhood with their dog, Sophie.