Faculty
Tahsin Alam
Tahsin I. Alam is Associate Dean of Advancement for the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as a member of the Foster Advisor Board and is part of the Dean’s senior leadership team and University Advancement’s Executive Leadership Team.
A higher education advancement industry veteran with over 17 years of experience in Presidential and Advancement professional searches, Mr. Alam began his career as an Associate with Isaacson Miller, a Boston-based national search firm. After eight years of working with the development and alumni relations search practice, Mr. Alam went on to become a Managing Associate with the Nonprofit Professional Advisory Group (NPAG), a boutique consulting firm with clients across the nonprofit sector. Here he served as a partner for the development and communications search practice, where in four years, the practice grew from inception to the most profitable practice at the firm. Tahsin has also conducted Presidential, Dean of Faculty, and Dean of Student level searches.
At the Rutgers University Foundation, Tahsin served as the Vice President for Advancement Services and Talent Management. He oversaw 70 employees across the departments of Talent Management, Donor Relations, Stewardship, Prospect Research, Prospect Management, Board Relations and Campaign Operations. His expertise is people and operational dynamics with a strong focus on data driven decision making and measurable outcomes. Mr. Alam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics, Economics and Theater from Bates College and a Master’s in Organizational Communications from Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information. He is a native of Bangladesh.
Sonya Allen
Sonya Allen is the associate director of talent acquisition at UF Advancement. In addition to driving the talent acquisition strategy for the Talent Management department, she serves as a talent management partner to hiring managers, college HR representatives, and central HR by providing advice and support on broad issues related to workforce planning, culture and engagement, and talent development. With more than 11 years of experience in advancement, she has grown the talent acquisition program at UF Advancement and developed tools and resources to aid in the search for top talent.
Allen has been a driving force in the creation of UF Advancement’s diversity initiative. She co-leads the diversity and inclusion group called H.A.N.D. (Helping Advancement Nurture Diversity). This group strives to create an inclusive environment that reflects the UF community and the community it serves.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Central Florida and Professional Human Resources (PHR) Certification from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Melissa Long
Melissa serves as the executive director for talent management for the University of Florida Advancement team. Leading eleven employees within the Facilities and Talent Management teams, she is responsible for strategy and management of human resource functions, employee relations, risk management, talent acquisition, facilities management, diversity & inclusion, and performance management. Melissa holds a master's degree in human resources management, bachelor's degree in psychology, SPHR certification and has been supervising/developing employees for over 15 years.
Lynn Slifer
A veteran Twin Cities development professional, Lynn Slifer has developed strong relationships with donors and raised millions of dollars for the University of Minnesota. For 17 years she led external relations for the U of M’s College of Education & Human Development, building a development team and overseeing the most successful campaign in the college's history. She also instituted a women’s philanthropic leadership circle, and led unprecedented faculty and staff participation in philanthropy. In 2017 she became associate vice president at UM Foundation, overseeing regional development, leadership annual giving, and international fundraising. Lynn also works with the Foundation's HR and development staffs to collaborate on talent management and training programs.
Deb Snellen
Deb Snellen, SPHR oversees the talent management program serving the University of Missouri advancement team. For twenty-five years prior to this role, Deb owned a nationally known consulting firm, Business Class, a company dedicated to training and development options for improving organizational performance. A specialist in leadership, talent management, organizational development, communication skills, and strategic planning, Deb has provided workshops and seminars nationwide and in Canada. She has presented at numerous CASE conferences and co-chaired the Newcomers' session at the 2020 CASE VI conference. Her work in talent management has resulted in national and regional Gold CASE awards.
Brittany Wilhelm
In March 2020, Brittany joined the remarkable team of advancement professionals serving Harvard University, as the organization’s first Managing Director for Talent Management. In this capacity, she oversees a talent program that is dedicated to making Harvard the employer of choice for the very best professionals to thrive in their advancement careers. Before assuming this role, Brittany served the University of Denver’s advancement office for 14 years, most recently as chief of staff and associate vice chancellor for advancement operations. While her role included resource administration, advancement services, and campaign planning, Brittany’s passion and some of her most fulfilling work has been in the area of talent management. Under her leadership, the University of Denver designed and launched its first ever advancement talent management program – an initiative that provided vital infrastructure, change leadership, engagement, and retention as the advancement office more than doubled in size over a three-year period. The University of Denver is also Brittany’s alma mater; she holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational development from DU and is currently working toward a master’s degree in management from Harvard University and master of divinity degree from Denver Seminary.
Holly Wolk
Holly Wolk serves as the executive director for talent management and administration for the University of Rochester and oversees recruitment, employee engagement, professional development, and employee services for more than 250 advancement professionals. In this capacity, she works with senior leadership to develop and build the next generation of advancement professionals. Her focus and passion is on helping advancement professionals develop career paths that are beneficial to themselves and the organization. During Wolk's tenure, the University of Rochester has worked to redefine its recruitment strategy from focusing on external recruitment efforts to developing staff and promoting from within the organization.
Prior to coming to the University of Rochester, Wolk held similar talent management roles at Tufts University and Boston University, where she also managed the university's employment and training function. She began her career in alumni relations at Carnegie Mellon, before transitioning to Carnegie Mellon's organizational development and human capital management department.
She has a master's degree in human resource management from Carnegie Mellon and more than 18 years of advancement experience. She has served as a presenter and faculty at CASE previously, and enjoys sharing best practices with her talent management colleagues.