Category: America Associates

Strategic Advisor and Executive Associate

Jeff Comfort is a seasoned professional with 38 years of gift planning experience. Currently serving as vice president of principal gifts and gift planning at the Oregon State University Foundation (OSUF), Jeff provides strategic leadership to the gift planning program that assists donors in making deferred, assets-based or complex gifts to the university. Year in and year out, gift planning provides over 25% of total fundraising at OSUF.

 Jeff spent 18 years at Georgetown University, where he oversaw university-wide gift planning efforts resulting in approximately $500 million of gift commitments and receipts in his tenure. Before arriving at Georgetown in 1995, he spent 11 years in Denver directing the gift planning program for the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medical (now National Jewish Health).

As a volunteer leader of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (formerly the National Committee on Planned Giving), Jeff served as president, chaired the 10th National Conference on Planned Giving and was a member of the NCPG board of directors for five years. Additionally, he was a member of the ethics committee and chaired the task force on gift valuation. Jeff chaired the CASE National Conference on Planned Giving for 10 years from 2008 to 2018.

Area of Expertise:
Planned and Legacy Gifts.

Experience:
Education, Healthcare

Fundraising Must Have:
Prospects

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcomfort/

Senior Associate

With close to 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Tracy Woodard is a visionary leader who specializes in data analytics with a focus on emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in daily operations and organizational missions. Previous experience has included Dean of the Communications and Humanities Division at Tallahassee Community College, Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program at Valdosta State University, and Professor of Sociology at Valdosta State University.   

Tracy holds a Ph.D. in Human Sciences, a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science from Florida State University.  

Area of Expertise:
Data Analytics. Tracy is also adept with Project Management and Board Training, Management and Governance 

Experience:
Education, Arts & Culture

Fundraising Must Have:
A vision and desire to affect positive change.

Contact Tracey at: twoodard@ssutton-and-associates.com

Associate

Please meet Cornelius Hubbard, Sr., an Associate with S. Sutton & Associates Inc. A data scientist with project management and programming experience, Cornelius specializes in Data Analytics. Cornelius has a long and distinguished career in the field, and in the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including serving as Associate Director of Analytics and Senior Data Analyst for Johns Hopkins University.

Cornelius graduated from the University of Chicago with a MScA, Master of Science in Analytics, holds a Master’s in Information Systems from Robert Morris University, Chicago, and a BA in Organizational Development & Leadership from Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois. Cornelius has completed Executive Certificates in Financial Management from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and holds a Certificate of Executive Data Science Specialization from Johns Hopkins through Cousera.

Area of Expertise: Cornelius’s core expertise is in Data Analytics, including data acquisition, data mining, data modeling, data visualization, and presentations.

Experience: Education, Healthcare, Community Based Membership and Advocacy.

Fundraising Must Have: A comprehensive Data Analytics program designed to describe, predict, and prescribe to maximize the efforts and return on investment of frontline fundraisers and administrators.

Contact Cornelius at: chubbard@ssutton-and-associates.com

 

Senior Associate

With close to three decades of experience in non-profit leadership, Jessica Lunken has earned a reputation as an engaged and thoughtful program builder serving mission-driven organizations. She has a successful track record in raising major and principal gifts, building development and grateful-patient programs, and helping lead multi-billion-dollar campaigns. Jessica’s work at Johns Hopkins University spanned two plus decades where she served as the Associate Dean for External Relations at the Peabody Institute, was a founding Director of Development for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Associate Director of Development for the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Jessica has also served in various fundraising capacities for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony, Johns Hopkins University Press, the American Dance Festival, the Jewish Center for Aging in Greater Washington and Beth Am Synagogue.  Jessica received her Bachelor’s in Arts in Psychology from Indiana University, her Master’s in Business Administration from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and certificates from the Creative Education Foundation for problem-solving, facilitation, and creativity.

Area of Expertise:
Jessica’s core expertise is in Fundraising Campaigns and Strategic Planning. She also excels in Board Training, Management and Governance; Development Program Review and Expansion Strategies; Interim Program Management; and Major and Principal Gifts

Experience:
Education, Healthcare, Arts & Culture

Fundraising Must Have:
Focused Mission, Demonstrated Philanthropic ROI, Integrity, and a Culture of Transparency, Respect, and Collegiality.

Contact Jessica at: jlunken@ssutton-and-associates.com

Associate

With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Cory Sinclair specializes in Donor and Constituent Engagement. Previous experience includes work with UCLA Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Habitat for Humanity, the Hollywood Food Coalition, and several Los Angeles based social service nonprofits. In the for-profit arena Cory spent several years in the film industry as a writer and in production.

Cory holds an interfield Ph.D. in music and nonprofit management from Claremont Graduate University. His research interests include cultural policy and the relationship between philanthropy and public-private partnerships.

Fundraising Area of Expertise: Cory’s core expertise is in Donor and Constituent Engagement. He also has experience in Advancement Services and Project Management.

Sector Experience: Education, Arts & Culture, Community Based Membership and Advocacy.

Fundraising Must Have: Innovative use of public funding, when possible, to stimulate community interest and lay the foundation for private financial support.

Associate

Currently serving as the Director of Annual Giving at the Medical University of South Carolina, and former Associate Director of Medical Annual Giving and Digital Strategy for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Carley brings ten+ years of experience Direct Marketing an Annual Giving, including stints with the University of Northern Iowa Foundation and Gettysburg College. In addition to a BA in Youth and Human Services: Nonprofit Management, with a minor in Economics, an MA in Youth and Human Services: Nonprofit Management, Carley has achieved certification in Principles and Practices of Nonprofit Excellence, is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) and has completed Fundraising Management courses through the AHP Virtual Institute.

Area of Expertise: Carley’s predominant area of expertise is in Direct Marketing and Annual Giving. She has additional experience with Alumni Relations & Giving, Development Program Review & Expansion Strategies, Board Training, Management and Governance, and Project Management

Experience: Education, Healthcare, Community Based Membership and Advocacy

Fundraising Must Have: A clear understanding of where you want your program to go with data and history to help us see the best way to get there and where gaps can be filled to find the most success.