Alphnce Brown Jr., ACFRE

Alphonce J. Brown, Jr. has worked with nonprofit organizations for 37 years—consulting with local, state and federal governmental and international agencies. He currently serves as the director of development and alumni relations at the Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, FL. He was the director of development, National Minority AIDS Council; VP/University Advancement at California State University, Dominguez Hills; president & CEO, Prairie View A&M University Foundation; assistant dean of External Relations at the UT/Austin business school. Brown is a graduate of UT/Austin, an Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE) and past chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP)

Juan A. McGruder, Ph.D.

Juan is Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer at Junior Achievement of Georgia. Prior, he was the Director of Development for Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech. He also served as Associate Director of Development in the College of Computing and later as the first Director of Development for the School of Computer Science. He is former AVP for Institutional Advancement at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Naimah R. Bilal, CFRE

I carry a unique blend of executive fundraising, arts administration, and equity strategy expertise. Combining an orchestral performance career with C-Suite leadership experience, I have cultivated multi-functional executive skills spanning myriad industries.

As Chief Development Officer of the Children's Literacy Initiative, I provide leadership, strategic vision, and direction to actuate and expand philanthropic support in service of Black and Latinx students.

As Director of Foundation Board Relations at the University of Cincinnati Foundation, I served in a hybrid governance/fundraising role devoted to UC Foundation governance structure, policy, and strategy as well as Principal and Major gift portfolio management in the context of our $2 billion Next, Now comprehensive campaign.

Adrienne Taylor, CFRE

At the Women's Fund, Adrienne is responsible for elevating the organization’s fundraising processes and sharing its impact. Prior to the Women’s Fund, she was with the University of Cincinnati Foundation. She is a 2013 graduate from the University of Cincinnati, receiving her M.A. in Arts Administration and MBA. Adrienne started her career path in fundraising through the AFP-Greater Cincinnati Chapter’s diversity program, New Faces of Fundraising, and now serves on the leadership team. She also serves on the AFP Global Board. Adrienne believes in the efforts towards evolving inclusive philanthropy and is excited about being a part of the movement!

Bernadine Douglas

Bernadine Douglas, CFRE, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Bernadine Douglas joined Barry University in November 2019 from Berea College where she served as the Vice President for Alumni and College Relations from 2015 to 2019. While at Berea College, she oversaw four years of sustained growth averaging $20 million across all areas of fundraising, including annual giving, endowments, and capital. Bernadine holds an MBA from Webster University , a BS in Public Relations from the University of Florida and is a Certified Fund Raising Professional (CFRE).

Matthew M. Winston Jr.

Matthew M. Winston Jr. is a seasoned advancement professional and consultant with 30 years of higher education experience, including a five-year tenure as senior associate vice president for alumni relations at Virginia Tech.

Winston served 15 years as assistant to the president at the University of Georgia, where he also served as acting director of the university’s Office of Institutional Diversity.

He has served as president of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors, a Trustee for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and chair of CASE's Minority Advancement Institute in 2017 and 2019.

Andre Dowell

A Kentucky native, Andre Dowell is originally from the Blue Grass State and currently lives in Georgia. Creative & Innovative fundraiser, Andre has a passion for higher education and strives to make institutions stronger.
He is a collegiate scholar who received a Bachelors' and Master's Degree from Western Kentucky University while also engaging in a Distinguished Minority Graduate Fellowship.

Andre enjoys spending time with his family, friends and going to church.
Also, he loves traveling, photography, engaging in philanthropic service, and being active with his fraternity alumni chapter and alma mater alumni association.

Kim Nyoni

Kim Nyoni serves as associate vice president for development at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Kim has been with UNLV since 2017 and oversees a development team that secures philanthropic gifts in support of colleges/units across the campus and serves as a liaison with UNLV Athletics . Kim graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with Bachelor of Journalism and a Masters of Arts in Advertising.

April Walker

Organization Vocational Guidance ServicesTitle Chief Development Officer
Brief Bio
April Walker is Chief Development Officer for a workforce development nonprofit in Cleveland OH. April has held fundraising, consulting, and grantmaking roles at the American Heart Association, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, CCS Fundraising, VNA Foundation, and Iris Krieg & Associates. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Cleveland Chapter, and serves on the boards of Progressive Arts Alliance and the Akron Community Foundation’s Gay Community Endowment Fund. April earned a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a BA in Sociology from the George Washington University.

Ken Miller

Ken Miller, CFRE is the president of Denali Fundraising Consultants, a nonprofit fundraising consultancy he founded in 2014 after a long career in development. Ken was awarded his Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2016 and received his AFP Master Trainer Certificate in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Outstanding Professional in Philanthropy by the AFP AK Chapter.
Ken is a member of the of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Global board and is also past president of AFP Alaska Chapter and past president of the Dartmouth Club of Alaska. Ken enjoys mentoring, weightlifting, walking, and reading non-fiction.

Melanie Jones

Melanie E. Jones is an experienced fund raising and marketing professional with extensive experience in developing and expanding advancement programs at institutions of higher learning.  She is an energetic and transformative leader committed to advancing the community in which she lives and serves.

Currently, she serves as the Vice President for College Advancement at York Technical College in Rock Hill, SC where she also serves as the Executive Director of the York Technical College Foundation.  Prior to arriving to York Tech in August 2011, Melanie served as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Allen University (Columbia, SC); Director of Development and External Affairs at Saint Augustine's College (Raleigh, North Carolina); program manager at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; and as a high school chemistry teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Melanie is a 2007 graduate of Leadership North Carolina, where she served as class leader.  Her leadership led to raising the highest amount of funds for scholarships through the class giving campaign in the history of the organization.  In September 2010, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce named her Young Professional of the Year.

Richard Martin

Experienced Principal with a demonstrated history of working in the philanthropy industry. Skilled in Philanthropy, Moves Management, Stewardship, Annual Giving, and Grant Writing. Strong education professional graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.