Carla Willis joined Washburn & McGoldrick in 2019, following a 25-year campus-based fundraising and consulting in higher education advancement and thought leadership. Carla has worked in just about every area of frontline advancement, including major and principal gifts, planned gifts, corporate and foundations, campaign planning and execution, and began her career in annual giving at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has worked at two Big Ten institutions, other large public universities, both public and private liberal arts colleges, law schools, an HBCU and an academic medical center.

Prior to joining the firm, she served in chief advancement roles at UNC Asheville, Kean University and Florida A&M University (FAMU) (she also served in a long term interim CAO role at Saint Leo University). In each of these leadership roles Carla also led each university’s foundation operations. Carla was instrumental in setting a new pace for major gift fundraising and led a fundraising feasibility study, which launched the planning and silent phase of UNC Asheville’s first sizable comprehensive campaign of $100M. Additionally, it was her innovative approach to fundraising and resource investment that enabled many new platforms and social media fundraising optimization tools for the advancement offices in each of her chief advancement posts. While serving FAMU, Carla honed her corporate engagement skillsets, securing gifts from the likes of Disney, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Northern Trust, 3M, Walmart, the Orlando Magic and Tyson Foods, to name a few. Additionally, she created and executed a CEO to CEO Forum, engaging several Fortune 500 CEOs and other executives, along with their corporations in philanthropy at FAMU. Carla is also credited with launching one of the very first higher education text to give campaigns while serving at FAMU.

Carla has been part of comprehensive and capital campaigns ranging in size from $40 million to two campaigns exceeding $2.5 billion. Carla served as a major gift officer for the University of Toledo during its UT40 Campaign and as a regional director of development in the east coast for the University of Michigan Law School during its Michigan Difference Campaign, securing many principal and major gifts for these universities. She also served as an Assistant Vice President for Development for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center during its But for Ohio State Campaign and worked to close many major and principal gifts including a cross disciplinary $13.5 million dollar gift which benefited several units of the university.

Carla has served a diverse range of clients including DePauw University, Duke University, Guilford College, Haverford College, Lincoln University (PA), the UNC System, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Toledo and Virginia State University. Her projects have included pre-campaign readiness assessments, feasibility studies, executive and staff coaching, staff and volunteer training. Additionally, in the late 90s Carla served as founder and principal of her own small, boutique development consulting firm, Willis Development and Communications Associates and also as a senior consultant for John Brown Limited, a boutique development consulting firm specializing in comprehensive campaigns and planned giving. Carla had a successful career at the IBM Corporation prior to beginning her career in advancement.

Carla is active in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), currently serves on the CASE Industry Advisory Council and has served on the CASE Commission on Philanthropy, the District V Board of Directors and chaired the District V Committee on Equity (COE.) She is a frequent presenter at conferences on advancement related topics, leadership and more recently on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) as related to the advancement profession. In the fall of 2020 Carla earned a certification in DEI from Cornell University. Carla is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the Links, Incorporated and serves on the board of the Kendal Charitable Funds, a Quaker non-profit organization headquartered in Newark, Delaware supporting communities, programs and services for older adults.

Edgar Gonzalez is an experienced and proven leader, team-builder, and collaborator with almost 20 years of experience in higher education advancement and program development. He currently serves as Vice President of University Advancement at Seattle University. Prior to joining Seattle University, Edgar held leadership roles at Oregon Health and Science University, the University of Washington, and the Alliance for Education.

A native of Argentina, Edgar and his family emigrated to the US when he was 9 years old in pursuit of the American dream. After earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, he has dedicated his entire career to working in higher education and ensuring that everyone has access. Edgar is passionate about the positive impact philanthropy can have on the institutions, communities, and individuals he is fortunate to serve. His career has always been focused on building institutional capacity through cultivating deep relationships, transformative philanthropy, leadership development and impactful storytelling.

Lishelle Blakemore ‘89 (she/her/hers) is the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Development in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for the University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) department at the University of California, Berkeley.

Lishelle has served as the AVC of Development since 2017. Prior to this role, Lishelle established and led the Annual Programs department in UDAR. Before joining UDAR in 1994, Lishelle served as Assistant Vice President for The Pacific Group, where she provided consulting and fundraising services for universities throughout the country.

On campus, Lishelle serves on the University Athletics Board, the Executive Advisory Committee for UC Berkeley Discovery, and the BSFO Program Committee. Outside of Cal, Lishelle has been an active volunteer with CASE District VII and currently serves on the US/Canada Council, the Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising and Black Leaders in Philanthropy.

Brent Swinton brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience in higher education and the non-profit sector to his position as Vice President of Advancement at Bowie State College. Swinton has a variety of first-hand experience in major gift fundraising, development operations and strategic communications, gathered from a career that has been dedicated to helping mission-based organizations achieve their strategic goals.

Prior to joining Bowie State, Swinton led fundraising at the national headquarters of Advancement Project and the Children’s Defense Fund. Previously, he was assistant vice president for institutional advancement at Notre Dame of Maryland University and senior director of advancement services at Howard University. Swinton is credited with training hundreds of grassroots organizations to sustain themselves financially through the Compassion Capital Fund, the cornerstone grant program of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

At Notre Dame of Maryland, Swinton provided leadership and oversight of all campaign and alumni relations activities. Earlier, he worked for a fundraising software provider, guiding colleges across the nation on campaign planning and implementing donor databases.