Faculty
Meet Your Chair
Amy Bronson
A national leader and award-winning pioneer in the field of Talent Management, Amy has spent 25 plus years contributing to the success of fundraising both on the frontline and behind the scenes. She has a remarkable ability to help development professionals make the right career moves and achieve success for their organization's mission. She has touched the lives of hundreds of professionals, and her impact can be seen by the increasing level of professionalism in the advancement industry as well as through the success of the institutions that she's worked for, which include Harvard Law School and Boston College. Currently managing talent, finance, and operations for a team of 270, Amy has served in leadership roles and presented at numerous conferences and other professional organizations both locally and nationally. She helped create the award winning Amplify Gender & Equity Leadership Initiative, CASE’s Competencies Model, and the CASE Academy. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she lives in Milton, MA.
Faculty
Jan Abernathy
Jan Abernathy is the Chief Communications Officer at The Browning School, a K-12 boys' school in New York City, and has presented at various independent school industry conferences sponsored by New York Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, the Association of Independent Schools Admissions Professionals, the Enrollment Management Association, Niche, and VirCon. In addition to chairing the CASE-NAIS Conference in 2022 and co-chairing the NYSAIS Institutional Advancement Conference in 2022 and 2023, she is president of New York City Independent Schools Communications Professionals, and the co-founder of Black Advancement Networking Group, which works to gain further representation and greater professional growth of Black professionals in advancement roles in independent schools. She is also a member of the CASE Commission on Communications and Marketing, which advises that organization on those areas of the advancement profession.
She has written for NAIS’ Independent School Magazine on crisis communications, the "Black at" movement, Head/board chair communications, and diversity on boards of trustees, and for Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education's Connections Quarterly on building transformative alumni relationships. A Northwestern University graduate, Jan is currently a trustee at Grace Church School, and Tessa International School in Hoboken, NJ. She was on the board of Stevens Cooperative School, also in Hoboken, for 13 years, spending six years as chair. Her consulting firm, Jan Abernathy Strategic Communications, provides communications and DEI counsel for educational institutions and non-profits. Jan and her husband Jerome are parents of a daughter, Noe, and a son, Sam, both graduates of Stevens Cooperative School and the Dalton School.
Marc A. Barnes
Marc A. Barnes serves as Senior Vice President, Principal Gifts and Strategic Impact Investment at UNCF where he works directly with the President & CEO to strengthen financial support for strategic impact initiatives. In this capacity, he is responsible for the president’s strategic fundraising activities and leading a team to identify opportunities to broaden UNCF’s philanthropic revenue.
Barnes is an accomplished fund development officer who has more than two decades of experience in higher education and nonprofit management. Throughout his career, he has been an asset to leadership, having worked closely with university presidents, executives, and governing boards to raise capital for strategic goals and initiatives.
Prior to joining UNCF, Barnes served as Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Dillard University, one of UNCF’s 37 historically Black college and university (HBCU) member institutions. While at Dillard, Barnes directed strategic planning and operations for fundraising, public relations, community relations, marketing and communications and strategic alumni giving initiatives from. Under his leadership, the university raised over $150 million, increased the alumni giving rate to 23%, secured the largest alumni donation on record in the amount of $1 million, and received more than $10 million from private individuals for strategic initiatives. In previous roles, Barnes served Dillard as Assistant President for Development and Alumni Relations and Director of Major Gifts.
During his term as Director of Development for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival & Foundation, Barnes helped to create and deploy a growth-focused development program and capital campaign. His leadership garnered over $8 million to complete a capital campaign dedicated to building the George & Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, stimulated fundraising by more than 200%, and increased annual gala net revenue by 400%.
Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing at Xavier University of Louisiana, a master of arts in philanthropy & development at LaGrange College, and a doctorate in urban higher education administration at Jackson State University. He is also a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).
He is a past recipient of the Fr. Charles Hall Award (Alumnus of the Year) at St. Augustine High School, and has been recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Greater New Orleans Chapter and HBCU Grow for his fundraising leadership and innovation.
Barnes serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Commission on Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Greater New Orleans Chapter Board of Directors, and the St. Augustine High School Board of Directors. He also co-chairs the CASE Advanced Development Strategies Conference and serves on the faculty for the CASE Conference on Leadership Development. He and his wife, Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes, have two children, Caitlin and Marc, Jr.
Chris Cox
Chris joined the University of Edinburgh in February 2016, following ten years in his previous role as Director of Development at The University of Manchester, and earlier roles in alumni Relations abs fundraising at UCL and Newcastle University.
He has been active with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), as a previous European representative on their US-based Commission on Alumni Relations, and as a Faculty member at Institutes for Educational fund-raising in Europe and Africa. He chaired the CASE Europe Conference for Educational Advancement in Brussels in 2016 and Birmingham in 2017. He was Chair of the Ross Group of UK Higher Education Development Directors in 2011 and 2012 and was a member of the Education Task Force for the UK Government’s Giving Summit in 2012. He is currently co-chairing the CASE Atlas Advisory Board - an international initiative to develop the first global survey with consistent metrics for educational fundraising, alumni relations, and communications and marketing.
He holds a BA in History from UCL and an MA in International Political Economy from Newcastle University. He has been a Board member at the Royal Northern College of Music since 2013.
Lee Fertig
Lee is currently the Head of School at Nueva School in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has more than 30 years of school leadership and teaching experience in a wide variety of educational settings including five international schools (in Ethiopia, Brazil, Spain, and Belgium), an independent school in New York City, and a voluntary integration public magnet school in Minneapolis. Lee is a trainer for the Principals’ Training Center (PTC), has taught in the College of Education at the University of Minnesota, and is a guest speaker on contemporary educational issues at a wide variety of community events. He provides consulting services for schools and educational organizations around the world in the areas of governance, development and fundraising, learning innovation, and school-based continuous improvement.
Lee currently serves on the global board of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and he is a former trustee of the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE), the Global Issues Network (GIN), and the Sao Paulo Education Foundation (SPEF).
John Feudo
John Feudo is Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, leading a team of nearly 50 talented and dedicated staff members through the university’s first-ever campaign. UMass Lowell achieved its public goal nearly two years ahead of schedule. With three decades of experience in development and nonprofit management, John is an internationally-respected fundraising and engagement professional. John is formerly Senior Vice President of Development and Chief Development Officer for United Way of Massachusetts Bay, one of the top organizations within the global network of United Way affiliates. Prior to arriving at United Way, John spent eight years at Boston College, first as Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, and later as Senior Development Officer. From 1999-2006, John served as Executive Director of the University of Connecticut Alumni Association, where he also built and led the Association’s capital campaign. Prior to his arrival at UConn, John spent six years as the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and Executive Director of the UMass Alumni Association.
John previously worked in the alumni office at Tufts University, and has been active in the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE), the Council of Alumni Association Executives (CAAE), and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). He has chaired several conferences and has presented educational sessions on numerous occasions. In 2013, CASE District I honored John with the Eleanor Collier Award for distinguished service to the advancement profession.
John was selected by CASE to lead several international webinars on Advancement issues, all of which attracted hundreds of participants. He has served the advancement profession as a member of the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations, and the CAAE Board of Directors. He was program chair for CASE's 2005 Annual Assembly in Miami Beach, and chaired the 2006 & 2007 CASE Summer Institute in Alumni Relations. He was also the first professional to serve two terms as President of the Council of Alumni Association Executives.
As a consultant, he has worked with the staffs and volunteers of more than 150 colleges and organizations across the globe, training and coaching fundraisers and engagement staff members, creating strategic plans and advising organizations on their fundraising and volunteer management/engagement efforts. He has consulted internationally for the University of Barcelona, the Consulate of the Republic of Germany and for a consortium of institutions in Mexico. In 2009, he was asked by the US State Department to participate in training programs with Tbilisi State University in the Republic of Georgia, and with the Middle East Partnership Institute. John has taught both Effective Communications and Public Relations at the college level, and has lectured to audiences all over the world, including recent speaking engagements in Asia and Great Britain.
Nathalie Fontana
Nathalie Fontana has held executive management positions in nonprofit organizations for two decades, of which over 15 years as a specialist in higher education fundraising at prestigious institutions in Europe.
On October 1, Nathalie Fontana has re-joined the University of Oxford's Development Office as 'Associate Director Principal Gifts (Europe)'. In this role, she will establish the first Europe-based office by developing and expanding Oxford’s European major donor programmes.
Nathalie already worked for Oxford’s Development Office from 2013-2017, first as Head Development Student Support and then as Head Development Principal Gifts. Other stops in her career include leadership positions at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT Berlin), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich).
Nathalie has been a volunteer with CASE (Council of Advancement and Support in Education, case.org) for many years, is a board member of the Swiss-American Society (swiss-am.net), the Swiss Friends of Oxford University (oxfordfriends.ch) and a regular speaker at higher education advancement conferences worldwide.
Nathalie holds degrees in business, arts and nonprofit management, and fundraising.
Alex Furman
The Vice-President (Advancement) leads the strategic direction for Advancement activities across the University, encompassing fundraising, alumni and stakeholder relations, and operations. The goals of ANU Advancement are to support University to achieve success against University strategic priorities, and build and strengthen partnerships with our alumni, donors and friends.
Alex Furman was appointed as Vice-President of Advancement in February 2023. A highly experienced leader of philanthropic and engagement programs, he previously held leadership roles in Advancement at the University of Melbourne as Director of Development, Head of Public Relations and Development for Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and leadership positions in fundraising and management in the Australian arts sector.
Barbara Miles
Barbara Miles has worked as an Advancement leader and teacher in five countries, and she is a dedicated supporter of CASE as an agent for advancing education worldwide.
Barbara was the inaugural Vice-President (Advancement) at the Australian National University, building teams, structures and processes to significantly elevate the university’s Advancement capabilities and establish a strong foundation for future achievement.
As Vice-President, Development and Alumni Engagement at the University of British Columbia, Barbara led what was, at the time, the most ambitious fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history (2008-2015). The campaign raised $1.624 billion and engaged 130,000 alumni over the life of the campaign, exceeding both its targets on time and on budget.
Prior to joining UBC, Barbara was Associate Vice-President for Development and Campaign Co-Director at the University of Florida where she shared responsibility for planning and implementing UF's $1.5 billion campaign (2005-2012), was lead fundraiser for the Florida Philharmonic, New World Symphony (Miami) and the Florida Grand Opera, and was a high school teacher of Music and French in the UK and in the Bahamas.
Barbara was the District VIII Trustee on the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Board of Trustees (2015-2018). She also served on the CASE Global Governance Steering Committee and, in 2020, was awarded the John Lippincott Award for Global Advancement and Support of Education by CASE.
Barbara earned degrees in Music and Education at the University of Southampton, UK, and the University of London, Goldsmith's.
Karen E. Osborne
Karen is passionate about the power of education to change our world for the better. She is a volunteer, philanthropist, and trustee, living her beliefs. She has volunteered for CASE for over 30 years. CASE awarded Karen the Crystal Apple for Outstanding Teaching and Public Speaking and honored her in 2014 with The Ashmore Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession.
For seven years, Karen has served as an adjunct faculty member for Johns Hopkins University’s graduate certificate program in nonprofit management.
Nationally and internationally recognized as an excellent consultant, executive coach, and presenter, Karen receives invitations from all over the United States and the world. She frequently presents at local, national and international conferences.
For 18 of Karen’s 43 years in philanthropy and institutional advancement, Karen served as a frontline fundraiser and leader including NY State Department of Education; Director of Development, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY; and Vice President for Advancement at Trinity College in Hartford, CT responsible for development, alumni relations, information systems and marketing and communications. For the past 25 years, Karen served as President and now Senior Strategist for The Osborne Group, Inc. www.theosbornegroup.com
Karen is also a debut novelist. “Getting It Right,” came out June 6, 2017. Her second novel Tangled Lies came out in July 2021. www.kareneosborne.com
Jenny Petty
Jenny Petty has over eight years of experience in marketing, communications, and enrollment management. Jenny currently serves as the Vice President for Marketing & Communications at the University of Montana.
Petty began their marketing career at IGT in 2012 as the Digital Marketing Manager/Brand Manager. In this role, they were responsible for developing the company's social media strategy, expanding their Facebook audience, and assisting in two major rebrands.
In 2015, Petty transitioned to the University of Wyoming as the Director of Enrollment Marketing. In this role, they led a team of marketers who collaborated with Admissions to fill the prospective student pipeline. Petty also oversaw the social and content marketing strategies, all media buying and campaign development.
Most recently, Petty has been serving as the Vice President for Marketing & Communications at the University of Montana since 2021. In this role, they are responsible for leading the university's marketing and communications efforts.
Jenny Petty has a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. Jenny also has certification from LinkedIn in Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, as well as certification from HubSpot in Inbound Certification.
Guest Speakers
Jenny Cooke Smith
Jenny Cooke Smith is the Senior Director of CASE Insights Solutions at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, CASE and specialises in analysing advancement trends, interpreting comparison benchmarks, and helping people understand the "stories behind the data". Prior to joining CASE, Smith spent 15 years in a variety of positions within Blackbaud’s Target Analytics, most recently leading donorCentrics™ benchmarking cohorts, providing opportunities for institutions and organisations globally to review and discuss direct marketing and annual giving trends. She joined CASE in 2019 to help members find value through using data and is most proud that through projects like CASE’s Alumni Engagement Metrics, institutions can begin to answer questions such as ‘we know engagement leads to giving, but how do we show it?’. Smith is currently co-teaching a course on CASE’s Global Reporting Standards and researching the latest trends on alumni engagement globally, enjoying opportunities to present again in-person, and working individually with CASE member institutions to develop strategies using CASE data and benchmarks.