Katie Harrell is the Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Organizational Development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An MBA-educated advancement leader, she brings a proven record of driving organizational change in complex, matrixed environments. Katie operates at the intersection of data, systems, and people—building infrastructure that empowers teams to perform at their highest level.

Katie’s work is guided by her commitment to building healthy, human-centered organizations where people thrive—because when individuals are supported, they fuel the future of the institution.

With a background spanning analytics, business operations, and fundraising strategy, Katie bridges the gap between technical implementation and strategic execution. Her work translates data into action and centers the individual contributor experience to drive institutional results.

Katie earned her MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville.

James W Cheng, PhD is currently the Executive Director for Business Intelligence & Prospect Strategies at Boston University’s University Advancement, collaborating with Business Intelligence, Prospect Research, Prospect Management, and other University Advancement teams to find the most capable and willing constituents to give their testimony, ties, talent, time, and tithe to BU. Prior to working in the philanthropy sector, James had made intellectual and professional forays into cell and developmental biology, high school teaching, academic research in education, as well as healthcare market research. While finishing up his doctoral degree, his interest in philanthropy was piqued when he took on the role of Prospect Data Mining and Modeling Specialist at MIT. After spending time in the corporate world as a healthcare market researcher, James left “the dark side” and returned to the light of computational philanthropy, working at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & The Jimmy Fund’s Division of Philanthropy as Associate Director and Senior Associate Director for Prospect Identification & Analytics and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as Development Data Analytics Specialist and Senior Data Scientist.

James earned both his PhD in Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation and his MEd in Secondary Education in the Biological Sciences at Boston College. He received his BA in Biology and in Sociology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

Jami is the Executive Director of Prospect Development and Decision Support at the University of Chicago, where she leads the Prospect Management, Research, and Fundraising Analytics teams. Her work centers on strengthening the institution’s philanthropic capacity through strategic policy development, applied analytics, and decision support. She oversees efforts to build and sustain a robust institutional pipeline by aligning systems, insights, and strategy across the advancement enterprise.

With more than fifteen years of experience in advancement, Jami brings a systems-level perspective to prospect development, drawing on principles from behavioral science, organizational strategy, and data-informed practice. Her team plays a central role in generating insights, fostering cross-functional learning, and equipping colleagues with the context and tools needed to make sound fundraising decisions.

Jami holds a B.S. in Psychology and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Iowa, and a Master of Liberal Arts with a concentration in Ethics and Leadership from the University of Chicago.

Sarah Lawlor is the Director of Development for Operations and Programs for the College of Engineering at NC State University. With over 17 years of experience in Advancement Services, she’s passionate about turning data into actionable insights and building strong, collaborative teams.

Throughout her career, Sarah has tackled everything from database management and reporting to regulatory compliance, gift processing, and managing gift agreements. She loves finding creative solutions to complex challenges and helping organizations make informed, strategic decisions.

When she’s not working with stakeholders or streamlining operations, Sarah enjoys developing policies that keep things running smoothly. She’s also no stranger to the podium, frequently presenting her insights on leadership, data management, and operational excellence.

Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in fine arts from Westfield State University — a background that brings a thoughtful, people-first approach to her work.

Dave Paek boasts nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, specializing in fundraising operations including database management, reporting, and data analytics. As the Executive Director of Data Stewardship, Analytics & Gift Administration at Northeastern University in Boston. As a senior leader within the Advancement division's resources unit, Dave is responsible for overseeing gift processing, advancement analytics, and serve as a data custodian for the division. Prior to his tenure at Northeastern University, Dave held pivotal roles at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Pathfinder International. Notably, he honed his expertise during his six-year stint as a consultant, where he adeptly managed a diverse portfolio of over thirty nonprofit organizations, offering strategic guidance on database systems, data management, and reporting. 

Dave holds a master's degree in Nonprofit Management from Worcester State University, and a bachelor's in economics from University of Massachusetts-Amherst.