Jeff Jowdy

President

A veteran of nonprofit leadership and fundraising, Jeff has been the guiding force behind Lighthouse Counsel since founding it in 1999.

As senior vice president of development for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, Jeff led one of the nation’s most successful YMCA fundraising programs. He also was senior managing director at Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners. Prior to that, he served as advancement director at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, Georgia. He began his fundraising career as executive director of the South Georgia Chapter of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

Jeff is past chair and board member of the Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation and past chair of the Board of Trust at The University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He was also an executive committee member of UGA’s national alumni association for a decade. Jeff serves on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Tennessee board and Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business Executive Advisory Council. Additionally, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashville, the Sons of the American Revolution and the Southern Federation of Syrian-Lebanese Clubs.

Jeff is a member of NonProfit PRO’s Editorial Advisory Board and writes the publication’s popular “Bedrocks & Beacons” blog. He is also past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Nashville Chapter and was recognized as its Fundraising Professional of the Year. He has been named a Fellow by UGA’s Grady College and received the UGA College of Pharmacy’s Distinguished Service Award. 

He is a member of the AFP Atlanta and Nashville chapters, as well as a graduate of AFP’s Faculty Training Academy and Executive Management and Leadership programs, as well as a graduate of Leadership Nashville and Leadership Middle Tennessee.

Jeff is a graduate of UGA’s Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and holds a master’s degree in human resource management from Troy University.

Roy Alexander

Senior Advisor

Roy has more than two decades of experience in education leadership as a head of school, interim head of school, assistant head, development director, department head
and teacher. He’s held leadership positions in both religious and non-religiously affiliated institutions and has overseen the merger of several educational institutions, as well as for-profit companies.

Additionally, Roy has served several nonprofits as board chair and was treasurer of the board of trustees for the Georgia Independent School Association for over 10 years. Prior to entering the nonprofit world, he spent over 25 years as the CEO, president and vice president of several multimillion-dollar corporations. His financial acumen has helped numerous organizations through financial crises, re-organization and
acquisitions.

Roy has developed strategic initiatives for the acquisition, merging or improvement of cultural relationships and the obtainment of financial sustainability for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in production and operations management, an MBA and Doctor of Education degree.

Joan Bahner

Senior Advisor

Joan joins Lighthouse Counsel as a senior consultant. Joan has more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, policymaking, problem solving, fundraising, special projects and communication. She previously held several leadership positions at Fisk University in Nashville, including executive director of alumni affairs and development, executive director of the general alumni association, dean of student affairs and vice president for institutional advancement. 

As vice president for institutional advancement at Fisk, Joan raised $3.5 million in annual donations, increased giving by faculty, staff, board and alumni, and built an advancement team after securing approval for capacity building. 

Joan was selected as president of TARC-Tennessee Advancement Resources Council. She has served on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) International Board of Trustees and the CASE National Commission on Alumni Relations. She was the chair of the Committee on Opportunity and Equity, as well as chair of CASE District III. She was honored with the CASE District III Distinguished Service Award and the Alumni Achievement Award from Fisk University.

Joan has been engaged in her community, serving in leadership on the board of Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee and on the board of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at Fisk University and a master’s degree in biology at Tennessee State University.

Karen Meshad Baldwin

Senior Advisor

Dr. Karen Meshad Baldwin has 27 years of experience in all aspects of fundraising. She was previously vice president for advancement at The University of Alabama, where she led the development division, which included major giving, planned giving, corporate and foundation giving, the annual fund, alumni relations, integrated marketing and communications, and advancement services. 

As a member of UA’s President’s Executive Council, Karen was a trusted advisor to senior leadership on issues with significant and far-reaching institutional implications, managed a budget of over $8 million and led a division with more than 130 employees. Prior to that, Karen served as the university’s associate vice president for advancement for four years and director of external affairs and development for the UA College of Engineering for 10 years.

Before joining The University of Alabama, Karen spent 13 years with BellSouth Advertising & Publishing Corporation, where she was responsible for new product development, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, process innovation and marketing. During her time at BellSouth, Karen was twice selected to the President’s Club – the top 3% of the corporation’s 3,000 employees, and she was selected three times to the Prism Club – the top 25% of the corporation’s sales and marketing managers.

Karen has served as president and assistant district governor of the Rotary Club of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and chair of Leadership Tuscaloosa. She also served as president of the Birmingham, Alabama, chapter of the American Marketing Association. In Athens, Georgia, Karen served on the Georgia Women of Achievement board of trustees and as an officer with the University Woman’s Club. 

Currently, Karen serves on the board and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Athens and serves on the board of the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation. She is also involved with many other charitable organizations.

Karen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in American studies and a doctorate in higher education administration from The University of Alabama. 

Pamela Barden

Of Counsel

Pamela has amassed more than 40 years of non-profit experience. As president of PJ Barden Inc., she counsels non-profits, helping them develop their fundraising strategies and writing copy to achieve their goals. She previously taught fundraising courses in the Master of Public Administration program at the University of La Verne in La Verne, California and the Fundraising Certification Program at UCLA Extension.

Pamela is a former vice president at Russ Reid. Before that, she led fundraising efforts for non-profit organizations such as World Relief and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, getting hands-on experience in everything from direct mail to DRTV, from major gift solicitation to event management.

Pamela is the recipient of a Silver ECHO Award from the Direct Marketing Association, winner of a Gold Award for Fundraising Excellence and a Distinguished Instructior Award from UCLA Extension. She is also a coauthor of “The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management” (John Wiley & Sons) and the author or hundreds of articles for fundraising publications.

A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Pamela is a graduate of Wheaton College (BA), Dominican University (MBA), and California Southern University (Doctorate in Business Administration). Her hobbies include travel, hiking and reading.

The most-frequently heard quote by and from Pamela is what she has told clients and students alike for many years because, as a fundraiser, she knows it’s true: "I am not the target audience.”

Carole Carter

Senior Advisor

Carole Carter has over 28 years of experience in nonprofit fundraising and leadership. She led a group of four YMCAs as vice president of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee and was the founder of Enlighten Philanthropy.

Carole has extensive experience with capital and annual campaigns and a strong track record of engaging and motivating volunteers in fundraising. She also has extensive experience in fundraising, finance, business management and leadership and board development. 

Carole is the recipient of the 2010 Restore Small Groups Hope Award and creator of Philanthropy University, a training and development program for YMCA leaders. 

She has an associate of science degree in business and commerce and a bachelor’s degree in management and human relations from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Harry Chapman

Senior Advisor

Harry provides more than 35 years’ experience in development and communications. 

Harry formerly served as director of special projects and major gifts at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Before that, he worked at WTVF-TV as a news anchor, reporter, documentary producer, entertainment reporter and host of the top-rated show Talk of the Town. After retiring from WTVF, Harry continued to host the program Words & Music, produced in partnership with the Nashville Songwriters Association International.

Harry serves on the Board of Trust at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also is a board member for Cure HHT International. He is a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Nashville, a member of the 1994 Class of Leadership Music and a Life Deacon at First Baptist Church, Nashville.

Harry is the recipient of the Country Music Association’s Media Achievement Award; the Stephen Foster Award from the Nashville Songwriters Association International; the John Holliman Jr. Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mass Media from UGA’s Grady College; and the Gospel Music Association’s WOW Partners Award for his support of Christian music media.

Harry is a graduate of the University of Georgia. 

Joe Chickey

Senior Advisor

Joe Chickey brings more than thirty years of advancement experience to his role as senior advisor, supporting clients across the full range of Lighthouse Counsel services including fundraising, strategic planning and board and leadership development. His background spans major gifts, legacy giving, campaigns and endowment growth, with proven success in helping mission-driven organizations secure transformative support. Joe is also widely respected for his expertise in gift planning, which he developed over fifteen years working with universities, independent schools, hospitals and environmental organizations. 

For nearly a decade and a half, Joe served as the senior vice president and senior consultant at Sharpe Groupe, a Memphis, Tennessee–based nonprofit consulting firm. Previously, Joe served as a major and planned giving officer for both the University of Illinois Foundation, where he acted as the lead fundraiser for a $1.5 billion capital campaign, and at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he spearheaded a $500 million capital campaign. He also worked as a philanthropic advisor for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Throughout all of these roles, he administered charitable remainder trusts, lead trusts, gift annuities, life estates and IRA gifts. 

Joe also spent fifteen years as a bank trust officer for various financial institutions, focusing on estate and financial planning, asset management and charitable planning for nonprofit endowments, family foundations and high-net-worth clients. While serving as a vice president and trust officer for Regions Morgan Keegan, he worked with more than 125 charities throughout the Southeastern United States as a leader in the Endowments and Foundations Group. 

He lives in Asheville, North Carolina, but often travels widely for speaking engagements, sharing his insights on planned giving and other topics to estate planning councils, community foundations, AFP, CASE and CGP groups. He has spoken to the Chicago Council on Planned Giving and the National Capital Gift Planning Council as well as performed onsite training for Purdue University, the University of Texas System and the University of Oklahoma. Joe has also served as a board member of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners and is a current member of the Leadership Institute. 

Joe earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Rhodes College and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Illinois. Despite his vast experience in the field, his ethos on charitable giving remains simple, as evidenced by his favorite quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” 

Howard Cohen

Senior Associate

Howard is chancellor emeritus at Purdue University Northwest. His career in higher education has spanned more than 50 years. His areas of practice include strategic and academic planning, department chair leadership, leadership team development and organization structural transformation.

Howard has held academic appointments as a professor of philosophy and administrative appointments as department chair, program director, dean, provost and chancellor, serving at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Purdue University Northwest and SUNY Buffalo State.

He formerly was a senior associate and executive director of AASCU Consulting, a group that works primarily with public regional universities. 

Howard’s teaching and research interests have focused in the areas of social philosophy and ethics, as he addresses questions related to the obligations of those in positions of authority who make decisions for others. He is the author of two books —  “Equal Rights for Children” and “Power and Restraint: The Moral Dimensions of Police Work” — and numerous journal articles.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Minnesota and masters and doctorate degrees in philosophy from Harvard University.

Dorcas L. Colvin

Senior Advisor

Dorcas has more than 40 years of experience in higher education. She’s held a variety of positions, including chief labor relations and human resource officer, chief planning officer and executive vice chancellor for management and strategic initiatives.  

Her leadership includes working effectively with executive officers, boards of trustees and major stakeholders at multiple institutions, including William Paterson University, SUNY Buffalo State and Winston-Salem State University. She has a solid reputation for  developing creative solutions to organizational issues and building consensus to manage institutional priorities and achieve results.  

Dorcas retired in 2017 from her position as vice president for leadership development and member services at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Since retiring, she has been interim senior advisor to the president at Lincoln University, taught in the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University and worked as a consultant with the AASCU-Penson Center for Professional Development.  

Dorcas holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, an MBA from the University of Iowa and a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jaynee Day

Senior Advisor

A respected leader with more than 50 years of nonprofit management and administration experience, Jaynee Day led Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee for 31 years. Under her leadership, hunger relief efforts grew from 3 million pounds of food in 1988 to 32 million pounds in 2018. She oversaw the opening of satellite distribution centers in Rutherford and Benton counties and grew her team of 10 to 116 by her retirement in 2019.

Jaynee was the Global Foodbanking Network’s  first Food Bank Ambassador to the developing world in 2007 and also supported relief efforts in Florida after Hurricane Andrew and in Houston when Hurricane Katrina brought 200,000 refugees to that city. 

She is a former board member of Feeding America, the Global Foodbanking Network, Nashville Sports Council and Leadership Music. She is a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club and serves on the nonprofit board of the Store and has served on the Mayor’s Metropolitan Homelessness Commission.

Jaynee was named Nashville Post’s CEO of the Year in 2016 and received Feeding America’s John van Hengel Fellowship Award in 2016, Nashville Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO, Nonprofit Award in 2016, 2015 and 2012 and the Association of Nonprofit Executives’ CEO of the Year Award in 2001 and the Bank of America’s nonprofit CEO of the year in 2018.

Jaynee has an associate arts degree from Stephens College and a bachelor’s of social work from Park University. 

Mark Dengler

Senior Advisor

Mark Dengler brings 40 years of experience in leading complex mission-driven organizations, most recently as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. He has driven measurable success in membership growth and fundraising programs, with specialties in market research and project development.

At the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, Mark oversaw capital development and membership growth, assisting the 27 locations and 3,500 staff members in the area to produce $115 million in revenue. During his tenure, he erased long-term operational debt, grew membership by 20,000 families, leveraged underutilized facilities for community benefit and built capacity in future leaders.

Prior to his tenure in California, Mark worked with YMCA staff and volunteers across the country, including in the greater Boston area, where he grew both membership and branch boards, adding 250 new board members and subsequently increasing fund development by $1 million. His experience with capital development has included the construction of eight ground-up YMCAs and dozens of major renovations. In addition, he spent five years working with an independent research firm to assist YMCAs in understanding how data analytics can help the organizations grow and better meet their missions.

Mark received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. Passionate about community development and cultivating engaged volunteers, he believes the words of Marv Levy, NFL Hall of Famer and former coach of the Buffalo Bills, are as applicable to building successful nonprofit ventures as they are to everyday life: “Where would you rather be than right here, right now?”

Lou Anne Dulaney

Senior Advisor

Lou Anne brings more than 30 years' experience in higher education and chambers work to Lighthouse Counsel, where she leads our development and campaign planning areas.

She was previously the director of development for the Siloam Family Health Center and has worked with the Tennessee Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Before that, she held development positions at Western Kentucky University and Auburn University and was a campaign director at the University of Central Florida. She has also worked with Alexander Haas Martin and Partners, a fundraising consulting firm in Atlanta, and for convention and visitors’ bureaus in Alabama and Georgia.

Lou Anne volunteers with Book’em, has served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and been a Big Sister herself three times and has served as an adult literacy tutor.

Lou Anne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Auburn University.  

Janet Eason

Of Counsel

Janet brings 25 years of market research and planning experience to Lighthouse Counsel. As counsel for research, she provides leadership for the firm’s research functions, including personal interviews, focus groups and surveys.

Janet is passionate about helping nonprofits understand the perspectives and needs of their donors, alumni, members and other constituents. Her expertise guides the research components of Lighthouse Counsel’s strategic-planning processes, campaign feasibility and planning studies, and advancement and development planning to ensure our services are tailored to our clients’ unique needs.

Janet has worked with Fortune 500 companies such as M/A/R/C, American Airlines, SunTrust Banks, BellSouth and BellSouth International, WebMD and Chick-fil-A. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration in marketing and a master’s degree in marketing research from the University of Georgia.

Annie Fritschner

Senior Advisor

A longtime advisor to nonprofit leaders as well as an avid volunteer and donor, Annie Fritschner brings three decades of experience in strategic thinking, planning and implementation, campaign creation and execution, coaching boards, staff and volunteers and project management to her role of senior advisor for Lighthouse Counsel.

The founder and president of the consulting firm Raising Funds Effectively, Annie spent the bulk of her career providing the highest standards of development consultation to nonprofit organizations. She also has experience in directing capital campaigns and has led development for domestic violence shelters, hospital departments and hospices, as well as Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the Campaign for Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. She also co-founded Barton Lockwood Luce, a fundraising and marketing firm in Deep River, Connecticut.

Annie has served on the board of directors and leadership committee of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) USA Foundation and as a member of the AFP Education Advisory Committee. She co-founded both Women Helping Women, a fundraising event for women who cannot afford healthcare in western North Carolina, as well as Sewing Our World Together project, a sewing and marketing program for victims of sex trafficking. She was honored with the Athena Leadership Award for her work with women and girls in India, Haiti, Guatemala, Belize, Cuba and South Africa. She also volunteers with her local food pantry and the American Red Cross disaster relief.

Annie earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics and urban studies from Connecticut College and a Master of Business Administration from Lenoir-Rhyne University. She holds a certificate from the Duke University Center for Nonprofit Management, as well as an Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive credential from the AFP.

The author of the book “How to Start and Run a Nonprofit,” Annie is an expert in uplifting start-ups and small organizations and empowering them to reach their full potential, an ethos captured in her favorite quote: “Don’t dim your light to make the rest of the world more comfortable.”

Margaret Battistelli Gardner

Writer

Margaret Battistelli Gardner is the podcast coordinator for Lighthouse Counsel and also has been crafting fundraising communications for Lighthouse clients since 2008. She has been a writer and editor for more than 30 years.  From 2003 to 2015, Margaret was editor-in-chief of FundRaising Success magazine and currently is a communications specialist for the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. 

Kathy Gaston

Senior Advisor

Kathy joined Lighthouse Counsel after 20 years as director of development at The Oak Hill School in Nashville, where she led two successful capital campaigns. She also directed all volunteer activities and shepherded an annual fund campaign that achieved 100 percent parent participation. 

Kathy is founder of the Nashville Area Development Directors Association and has served on a number of nonprofit boards. She served as board chair for the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee and Lung Association of Tennessee. She has also served as president of Nashville Bar Auxiliary and chair of Lamar Alexander’s Inaugural Ball. She is a popular presenter and received the Circle of Excellence Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education for overall improvement in educational fundraising.

Kathy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of North Georgia. 

F. Stuart Gulley

Of Counsel

For more than thirty years, Stuart Gulley has served as head of both higher education and independent pre-K–12 schools, strengthening board governance, guiding mission strategies and leading comprehensive campaigns totaling more than $250 million, a successful track record he brings to Lighthouse Counsel in his position of of counsel. 

For more than fifteen years, Stuart served as the president of Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, the largest independent school in the continental United States. Prior to his tenure there, he held the position of president of LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia—beginning his term at age thirty-four, he was the youngest college president in the nation at the time—as well as Emory University’s associate vice president for university development and church relations, overseeing fundraising across all the university’s academic units outside the health sciences.

A firm believer in the abiding power of education, Stuart now serves as president emeritus at LaGrange College. He also serves as executive director of the North American Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities, promoting the value of United Methodist education across nearly one hundred institutions nationwide. 

Stuart holds a bachelor’s degree in Modern European History from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Georgia State University. He is also an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and sits on the boards of the Southern Association of Independent Schools and the W. I. H. and Lula E. Pitts Foundation, as well as chairs the United Methodist Commission on Higher Education. For six consecutive years, he has been included among Atlanta Magazine’s list of the “500 Most Powerful Atlantans.”

The author of The Academic President as Moral Leader: James T. Laney at Emory University 1977–1993, Stuart has written and spoken extensively on the moral dimensions of leadership. His own record of servant leadership embodies the businessman and writer Max De Pree’s notion: “The first job of the leader is to define reality. The last job is to say, ‘thank you.’ In between, the leader is to be a servant.”

Brian Hassett

Senior Advisor

For more than three decades, Brian Hassett has proven himself a highly accomplished nonprofit executive, delivering transformational philanthropic results and building lasting partnerships with major donors, corporations and foundations. As a senior advisor for Lighthouse Counsel, he brings his expertise in major and planned giving, campaign leadership, board engagement, endowment growth and donor stewardship, and his strong track record of working closely with philanthropic leaders to structure gifts that create both immediate impact and long-term sustainability.

Over the course of his career, Brian served as the president and chief executive officer for six organizations, including for the United Way in Nashville, the Greater Capital Region in Albany, New York, Phoenix and Chicago. During his time with United Way, Brian led complex, multi-million-dollar campaigns and consistently strengthened donor engagement through a focus on transparency, accountability and measurable community impact. A forward-thinking leader, Brian co-founded United eWay, a consortium of 65 United Way organizations that evolved into a nationally utilized giving platform (now FrontStream), significantly enhancing donor participation and ease of giving. Previously, he also served as the president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, where he launched GuitarMania Phoenix, a high-visibility public art initiative that raised over $1 million for the organization through corporate sponsorships and auctions. 

In total, Brian has raised more than $1.5 billion in philanthropic support, directing resources toward initiatives that improve education, financial stability and health outcomes in the communities he has served. His approach centers on aligning donor passion with strategic investments that produce meaningful, trackable results.

In addition to his fundraising achievements, Brian is deeply committed to leadership development and organizational excellence. He has led teams of more than 200 professionals and mentored senior staff, with 19 advancing to CEO roles—reflecting his belief that strong leadership is essential to delivering on donor intent and mission success.

Brian’s work has been recognized with an Addy Award and an International Clio Award for excellence in marketing and communications. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Niagara University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Rhode Island.

When contemplating the importance of altruism, Brian often returns to the basics: The ancient Greek word philanthrōpía means “love of humanity.”

Susan Earl Hosbach

Senior Advisor

Susan is a proven fundraising professional and nonprofit leader. She has over 28 years of non-profit fundraising and marketing experience in the Metro Nashville area and has helped raise more than $65 million for the organizations where she has worked.

A frequent instructor on a variety of fundraising and board development topics, Susan is a community leader. She was named as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s 2011 Women of Influence and a 2012 Woman to Watch by the Nashville Medical News. She is an alumna of Leadership Middle Tennessee and Leadership Franklin and past chair of the Williamson County Library Foundation. A member of CABLE, she chaired the 24^th Annual Nashville ATHENA Awards. 

Susan most recently worked with The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County to establish development policies and procedures as well as a capital campaign strategy.  For five years prior, she was chief development officer for Adventure Science Center. Prior to that, she was president and  CEO for PearlPoint Cancer Support for seven years. The prior fourteen years, Susan was vice president of development and marketing for Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art; vice president of resource development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee and vice president of external relations for Second Harvest Food Bank. 

Susan served as chair of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy from 2015-2016. She served on the AFP International Board of Directors from 2001-2006, serving as vice chair for both the Membership Services and External Relations divisions. In 2011, Susan received AFP’s highest volunteer honor as the Barbara Marion Leadership Award recipient and most recently was recognized as a 2020 Distinguished Fellow. She is a past president of the AFP Nashville Chapter. In 2002, Susan was named the Fundraising Executive of the Year by AFP Nashville Chapter. 

Jay Howard

Senior Counsel

Jay Howard brings nearly four decades of experience in fundraising, strategic planning and board and volunteer engagement to his role as senior counsel for Lighthouse Counsel, drawing on a strong track record of success in advancing the interests of independent schools, cultural institutions and nonprofit organizations. 

Most recently, Jay served as a volunteer consultant for DuBose Conference Center in Monteagle, Tennessee. Before that, he was head of advancement for Sage Ridge School in Reno, Nevada, where he not only built infrastructure for the quiet phase of a capital campaign, but also surpassed the goals of the school’s annual fund in the first year. Earlier in his career, Jay held director of development positions at several other independent schools, including St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School in Sewanee, Tennessee; the Webb School of Knoxville; the Meadows School in Las Vegas, Nevada; and Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. In these roles, he secured millions of dollars in total gifts while leading capital campaigns, running annual funds and managing—and increasing—planned giving expectancies. 

Jay has also served as the vice president for development at both The Hermitage, Home of President Andrew Jackson and Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee. Additionally, he has experience as a senior consultant for the Winkler Group and the Independent School Counsel, and as the capital campaign coordinator for the New Orleans Museum of Art. He also worked as a development associate for the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation in New Orleans. 

Throughout his career, Jay has volunteered his time, energy and experience to various fundraising boards and committees, including the CASE Independent School Education Fund-Raising Awards Committee, the CASE/NAIS National Conference Planning Committee, the Development & Marketing Committee for the American Association of Museums and the Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, for which he presided as president. 

Since his time at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., and his college years at the University of Richmond, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, altruism has guided Jay’s work. His commitment is reflected in his favorite quote from Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor by giving.”

Karen Kemp

Senior Advisor

Karen has more than 20 years of experience as a fundraising and nonprofit professional. She served for 10 years as director of development at Darton State College, where she managed the Darton Foundation and led its first-ever capital campaign. She has also served as executive director of four nonprofits in the health, arts and human services fields. In these roles, she managed annual campaigns, capital campaigns, planned giving, board development, special events and communications.

Karen is active in community affairs and serves on the state board of the Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault. She graduated from Leadership Albany and has served as state public affairs chair for the Junior Leagues of Georgia. She serves on the board of Family Literacy Connection and is a volunteer with the Atlanta Chapter of the March of Dimes. A former Rotary president, she was recognized with a Martin Luther King Dream Award for her work on behalf of Georgia’s children and their families. 

Karen attended the University of Georgia and graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. 

Laura Manning

Communications Manager

Laura has 30 years of experience working in the fields of public relations, marketing and communications. She began her career in advertising working at several agencies in Nashville, Tennessee including Gish, Sherwood & Friends, Stumpf Bartels Advertising and Bill Hudson & Associates. She has also served in public relations and communications positions for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, the Naples YMCA and most recently with a large hospital system in Florida, Health First. Laura worked several years as a freelance writer for Lighthouse Counsel and is currently serving as its communications manager.

Born and raised in Centerville, Ohio, Laura earned a Bachelor of Science degree in interpersonal communications from Ohio University. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida and is raising two teenage girls with her husband, Rob.

Del Martin

Of Counsel

Del has been a powerful and respected influence in the nonprofit sector for nearly four decades, providing results-oriented counsel to hundreds of capital and endowment campaigns, as well as helping clients establish major gifts and annual fund programs.

As a founding partner of Alexander Haas Martin & Partners, Del helped build the company into a leading fundraising consulting firm. She served as Alexander Haas Martin & Partners’ chief creative services officer and worked with a variety of nonprofit institutions, advising on capital campaigns and major gift fundraising, including Auburn University, the University of Alabama and Georgia College & State University. 

She is a past chair of the Giving USA Foundation and served on the AFP Georgia Chapter board. Heavily involved in The Giving Institute, she served as Program & Education chair and led the Summer Symposium.  

A graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute of the Indiana University Lilly Family Center on Philanthropy, Del is a popular speaker on fundraising and marketing and has made presentations for many AFP chapters, including the AFP International Conference. She is a “heavy hitter” award-winner for her CASE presentation, “Effective Writing Skills for Advancement Professionals” and has authored numerous articles for many esteemed publications. Del is a recipient of the Atlanta AFP Chapter’s Be Haas Award, which is awarded to outstanding fundraising professionals.

Del is a board member of the David & Linda Shaheen Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, with an undergraduate degree in graphic communications and graduate work in journalism and advertising. Del also is a member of the advisory board for the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia.

Phil Mazzara 

Of Counsel

Over the course of his forty-five-year career, Phil Mazzara has served as president of three hospital foundations and chief development officer (CDO) for two academic medical centers, a technology university and a liberal arts college. In these roles, he has managed advancement programs and led capital campaigns ranging from $4 million to $400 million for a collective goal of more than $750 million—a strong record of success he brings to his role of of counsel for Lighthouse Counsel.

Before serving on the board of directors and as president emeritus of The Doughboy Foundation, Phil acted as the organization’s CDO, then as its president and CEO, helping lead the $50 million campaign to build the U.S. National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Previously he served as CDO for The Carter Center in Atlanta, where he planned and implemented a $150 million capital campaign and traveled with President and Mrs. Carter to raise funds to increase the size of the center’s endowment. In his role as CDO, Private Support at CARE USA in Atlanta, he led the division responsible for raising approximately $65 million annually to support humanitarian programs in 70 countries around the world. He has also served as the president and CEO of Providence Health Foundation in Washington, D.C., and CDO for the Medical Center at Emory University in Atlanta. 

Throughout his career, he has consulted with NGOs, academic institutions and nonprofits on board development, strategic planning and fundraising effectiveness, conducting numerous development program assessments, feasibility studies and capital campaign plans.

Phil has a certificate in management from the Harvard Institute for Educational Management, did graduate studies in journalism at the Henry W. Grady College of Mass Communications at the University of Georgia and holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from Lynchburg College. Through his work, he often turns to the wisdom of Ernest Hemingway: “Courage is grace under pressure.” 

Dave Muia

Senior Advisor

Dave brings nearly 30 years of experience in university advancement to his position as senior consultant for Lighthouse Counsel. He began his career at the University of Georgia as a field representative for the alumni relations office, overseeing alumni chapters nationwide. He then moved to the development office, where he advanced to director of development.

Dave later served as director of alumni relations, where he worked until his retirement. Under Dave's direction, the alumni staff doubled and the operating budget increased from less than $100,000 in 1990 to more than $1.5 million today. 

Dave holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from the University of Georgia. A frequent presenter on fundraising and alumni relations, he currently serves as acting associate athletic director of external operations at UGA.

John O’Kane

Of Counsel

Over more than five decades, John has worked with hundreds of nonprofit organizations as a staff member, executive director, consultant, volunteer, board member and professor. Since 2013, he has been the principal in John O’Kane Consulting.

Prior to that, John was a distinguished adjunct professor of practice at the Georgia State University Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Department of Public Management and Policy. As such, he was an instructor in financing and fundraising for nonprofits, a supervisor of independent study and advisor to research projects. He was a member of the Nonprofit Program Advisory Committee and faculty advisor to the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance student organization

Earlier in his career, John was senior vice president and consultant at Coxe Curry & Associates; vice president of human resources at the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta; and executive director at the mental health associations of both Metropolitan Atlanta and Butler County, Ohio.

John studied sociology at Marian College in Indianapolis and earned a master’s in social work at Washington University in St. Louis.

He is past president of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta and current chair of the Kiwanis Atlanta Foundation, as well as past lieutenant governor of the Georgia Kiwanis District, past board member of the Georgia Kiwanis District Foundation and secretary of the Georgia State University Emeriti Association.

Necie Elizabeth Pable

Vice President of Communications

Necie Elizabeth holds more than 20 years of consulting experience. She has worked in corporate and non-profit sectors alike, leading organizational communications endeavors for Fortune 50 companies as a management consultant and leveraging her software development background to resolve complex problems. 

Necie Elizabeth is also President of Relief Inc., a privately held family pharmaceutical company. She has served as executive vice president of the Junior League of Nashville, as well as a Junior League board and council member. She and her husband, Larry, have served as annual fund chairs for their son’s school. A Young Leaders Council alumna, Necie Elizabeth has judged the PENCIL Foundation student writing competitions.

Necie Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with minors in Spanish and music, from Lipscomb University and a Master of Arts in English, with an emphasis in professional writing, from the University of Memphis. 

Beth Sanders

Senior Advisor

Beth has extensive experience in strategic planning; capital campaigns; the development, organization and education of governing boards; and coalition building and communication. She was chair of the board of trustees of Athens Academy from 2017 to 2021 and served as the vice chair of the committee to search for the school’s first head of school in three decades. 

For 30 years, Beth has managed research, client communication and financial operations for Sanders & Associates Inc., a government and public affairs lobbying firm based in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. Prior to that, she served as the director of State and Federal Government Relations for Oglethorpe Power Corp., coordinating and implementing legislative and regulatory programs for the electric power-generation company. 

Beth graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism/public relations with minors in political science and management science. She also holds a certificate in grant writing through the University of Georgia. 

Sam Siple

Senior Advisor

Sam Siple brings four decades of experience helping mission-driven organizations strengthen their impact through donor-centered philanthropy, communications, governance, strategic planning and institutional advancement. He has launched, led and completed multiple capital campaigns, built comprehensive advancement programs and helped raise more than $1 billion.

Most recently, Sam served as vice president for development and marketing for the Nashville Rescue Mission. Before that, as chief program advancement officer for The Gideons International, he transformed the global ministry’s development program, significantly increasing contributions and leading a global rebranding.

In education, Sam served as vice president for college advancement at Thiel College, vice president for institutional advancement at Geneva College and president of Eden Christian Academy, the second-largest Christian school in Pennsylvania. He also served as senior principal with Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, district chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and a broadcast personality.

A passionate advocate for ethical standards and civic volunteerism, Sam has helped establish or served on the boards of more than 20 organizations. His affiliations include the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Boy Scouts of America, The Menschen and Junior Chamber International (Jaycees), which awarded him the JCI Senatorship, its highest honor worldwide.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Geneva College.

Robert M. Smith

Senior Associate

Bob specializes in helping higher education executives transition from crises to greater institutional resiliency and adaptability. He has a reputation as an advisor, mentor and counselor to executives and their boards in times of need. He has guided universities to successfully recover from enrollment losses, accreditation risks, low employee engagement and leadership difficulties,  as well as provided innovative improvements to increase student-success outcomes, resolved financial burdens and built an engaged community and private partnerships. In addition, he partners as a strategist on other Lighthouse Counsel services. 

Bob currently is the senior advisor for executive leadership and talent development for the University of Tennessee System, and directs the UT Executive Leadership Institute and the Tennessee Higher Education Innovation and Leadership Fellows program for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.  

He has twice served as CEO of public regional universities – Slippery Rock University and University of Tennessee at Martin - and retired with emeritus distinctions from both. For ten years, he facilitated the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ Presidential Seminars on Strategic Enrollment Management and for eight years he was a senior associate for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities-Penson Center for Professional Development, which provided peer-to-peer consultation to higher education CEOs. Bob has been a senior faculty member in four university-sponsored executive development programs, including the past 16 years with the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ Collegiate Management Business Institute. 

His leadership has led to more than two dozen national recognitions in enrollment management and consecutive years on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Best Place to Work” list. In addition, he received national awards from CASE and AACRAO, was  a US Department of Health and Human Services Fellow, serving in the Office of the Secretary, and received an Honorary Doctorate from Rajasthan Vidyappeth University in India.

Bob has been both a nonprofit consultant and leader.  He served 12 years on the board of trustees for the Butler Health System, a US Top 100 Hospital; the board of directors for the Regional Learning Alliance, an independent nonprofit higher education collaborative; and as board chair for Leadership Pittsburgh and Leadership Kansas and trustee for Butler County Community College.

Bob holds a Ph.D. in communication theory and conflict behavior from Temple University, a master’s in interpersonal communication from Ohio University and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Wichita State University. 

David Snow

Senior Advisor

David brings more than four decades of experience in executive and development leadership in healthcare, education and social services. He is an expert in annual support campaigns and endowment development strategy, with the unique perspective of a staff member, a volunteer and a major donor.

Most recently, David served as chief development officer of the YMCA of Greater Houston for 10 years, doubling its annual campaign to nearly $8 million, significantly growing the endowment and leading $50 million in capital campaigns. He previously led institutional advancement at The Dominican Campus (Aquinas College, St. Cecilia Academy and Overbrook School) in Nashville, Tennessee, where he led three successful capital campaigns to fund campus expansions.

Prior to his development career, David was a healthcare executive for more than 20 years, during which time he was involved as a volunteer on a number of nonprofit boards and deeply involved in their fundraising efforts. 

David currently serves on the board of John Paul II Preparatory School, the Advancement Committee for Aquinas College and the Development Committee of the Diocese of Nashville.  He currently serves on the capital campaign cabinet of YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina.

David is a graduate of Indiana University.

John Stephenson 

Of Counsel

John Stephenson began consulting with Lighthouse Counsel after five decades working in charitable giving and development for foundations and various higher education institutions.

From 1985 until his retirement in 2003, John served as executive director of the J. Bulow Campbell Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia, the second largest foundation in the state, which has awarded over $800 million in grants that benefit education, youth development, human services, public spaces and cultural institutions in Georgia and surrounding states. Previously, he worked at Emory University as vice president for development, executive director of development, secretary of the university and assistant secretary to the board of trustees. He also served as executive director of development and university relations at The University of Texas at Dallas as well as the development director at St. Mark’s School of Texas.

John also serves as the executive director of the Georgia Health Foundation, a trustee for the Teague Family Foundation, an advisory committee member for the Katherine John Murphy Foundation and a trustee for Mission 1:27. He previously served as the executive director for the Comis Foundation and the Fraser-Parker Foundation. Deeply committed to his community, John volunteers with Atlanta Youth Academy, was a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club for 44 years, served as a trustee for Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School as well as the Southeastern Council of Foundations and is an active member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.

John earned a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Emory University. 

Dr. Lilya Wagner

Senior Advisor

Lilya has been one of the nonprofit sector’s leading authors, speakers, trainers, coaches and practitioners for more than three decades.  

She was associate director for public service and director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, oversaw curriculum preparation and revision for The Fund Raising School and has conducted training, speaking and consulting in more than 80 countries.

Lilya served as vice president for institutional advancement at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska; vice president for development at the National Association for Community Leadership; and vice president for philanthropy at Counterpart International, a global development organization. 

Among her many awards is the Henry A. Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fund Raising by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, given to individuals who have significantly advanced the fundraising profession globally and provided exceptional leadership in a long career of distinction.

An award-winning author, editor and columnist, Lilya has written 16 books. She holds a doctorate in education from the University of Florida in Gainesville and has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska and in music from Andrews University in Michigan. Her undergraduate degree is from Atlantic Union College, which was in Massachusetts.

Alex Walton

Director of Client Services

Alex joined Lighthouse Counsel as a client support and communications associate after interning with the firm for more than a year. With a passion for conveying the mission and impact of nonprofits, Alex focuses on building and maintaining strong relationships to help the client succeed.

Alex was on the marketing, public relations and social media teams for Her Campus at Belmont, an online magazine for female college students at Belmont University, where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing.

Chris Willis

Vice President of Operations and Marketing

Chris provides leadership and support for Lighthouse Counsel operations and marketing in his role. Following two years as an intern with the company, Chris oversees day-to-day operations and marketing initiatives for Lighthouse Counsel.

Passionate about nonprofit work and connecting with others, Chris enjoys combining both his personal and professional interests to help nonprofit organizations grow and become more effective. 

He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s of business administration in accounting degree. 

Chris’s favorite quote: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill)

Victor K. Wilson

Senior Advisor

Victor K. Wilson has more than four decades of experience in higher education administration and student affairs. He was vice president of student affairs at the University of Georgia and was honored with the title of vice president of student affairs emeritus after his retirement in 2023.

Previously he was executive vice president for student affairs at the College of Charleston; assistant to the president and later associate vice president for student affairs at the University of Georgia; and held student affairs leadership positions at Agnes Scott College and Northern Arizona University.

Victor is a noted speaker at sessions and conferences around the country and has an exemplary track record in fundraising.

He has authored numerous articles and given presentations on issues of race, ethics, crisis management and staff development in higher education. He has held leadership roles in national organizations including the National Orientation Directors Association and was a faculty member for the NODA Orientation Professionals Institute, as well as for the Southern Association for College Student Affairs/National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Region III New Professionals Institute.

Victor’s leadership has been recognized with multiple honors including the NODA’s President’s Award for Outstanding Service and Contributions and the Outstanding

Master’s Graduate Award from UGA’s Student Affairs Administration Program.

Victor holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and master’s degree in education, both from the University of Georgia.