Chase Moore
Director of District Relations

 

Areas of expertise:

• CASE districts and governance 
• Board and volunteer relations
• Higher education administration and leadership

Preparing food for others is my love language. 

I was born on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where the food culture is shaped by the New Orleans Creole and Cajun melting pot. It’s where French, African, Caribbean, and Spanish flavors, ingredients, and techniques collide—and that’s informed how I approach cooking and what I love to make. And sure, there are days that food is merely fuel to sustain my activities. But the best days are the ones where food is an expression of celebration and joy, shared with others. 

Breaking bread—both the symbol and the gesture—are so important to creating community. Few things bring people together like food and drink, whether for ritual, celebration, or even comfort during a tragedy. Food, in my opinion, communicates directly to the soul or the substance of our humanity. I couldn’t imagine true community without the shared experience.

I’ve experienced this in my personal life, of course, but also in the realms of higher education and advancement, where I’ve spent my career. Whether sharing a coffee or meeting for a meal, advancement officers use shared experiences to create a sense of community that is fundamental to relationship building. In these meetings, there’s likely an agenda to cover—but the deep listening and sharing that take place, too, are just as important.

The power of the shared experience—listening, gathering, connecting—drives our work at CASE and within our U.S. Districts. At my first job after graduate school, in annual giving at a small South Carolina college, I fell in love with philanthropy, and early in my advancement career, I was fortunate to join the District network. It brought so much richness to my life. Through District III, I found an incredible network of colleagues, mentors, and friends. 

Today, my CASE team’s work in volunteer engagement and leadership work is ultimately about connection. We connect advancement professionals through our various volunteer opportunities. We connect thought leadership and practice. We connect on local and global scales. We want more of our members to have an experience similar to mine, regardless of the stage of their career, where they feel what it means to have this tremendous network of advancement professionals to plug into and engage with.

What I love most about my work at CASE, hands down, is the time I get to spend with our smart and passionate District Cabinet volunteers. They are some of the finest folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of working and spending time with. CASE is so fortunate to attract individuals who want to give back to the profession and are so willing to give of themselves and their time. I’m looking forward to continuing to build ties with our Cabinet chairs, who have really championed fostering the culture and sense of belonging for their members. The Cabinets are working on engagement strategies that will give many more advancement professionals within the districts opportunities to volunteer, build deeper relationships, and create a stronger sense of community. 

These are the ingredients for the shared experiences that can sustain and nourish us in advancement. And if you’re as excited about that as I am, find me at your next District conference or a CASE program. We’ll talk over drinks.