Professional Experience

American Bird Conservancy – Development Officer

Oct 2023 – present

Founded in 1994, the American Bird Conservancy is dedicated to conserving wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. As a Director Officer, I am responsible for raising funds and other support for programs, projects, and campaigns in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas (Rio Grande Valley), and Washington State, in addition to the Kirtland’s Warbler campaign in Michigan and Eleuthera.

Humane Society of Southern Arizona – Director of Donor Relations

Feb 2021 – Sep 2023

The Humane Society of Southern Arizona is the oldest and largest animal welfare nonprofit in Southern Arizona and is dedicated to compassionately serving pets and the people who love them. HSSA is committed to the general welfare, sheltering and placement of animals, prevention of cruelty to animals and animal overpopulation, education concerning the humane treatment of animals, and involvement in other animal welfare issues. As Director of Donor Relations, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Development:

• Oversaw a $3.25M (fiscal year 2023) development program, including individual and recurring gifts, foundation grants, corporate donations, employee giving campaigns, direct appeals, and events.

• Managed a portfolio of individual major donor prospects.

• Negotiated contracts with a direct response firm and supervised HSSA’s direct mail, donor acquisition, digital appeal, and paid media program to generate $943K gross ($215K net) revenues while increasing recurring donor revenue from $9K to $32K per month, decreasing donor attrition, and adding 6,000 new donor households.

• Administered annual fundraising events such as Puttin’ on the Dog ($250K), March Muttness ($285K), Woofdown Wednesday, Cover Dog, Perfect Pets Calendar Contest, Howling for Hounds, and third-party events that benefit HSSA.

• Successfully applied for and coordinated HSSA’s participation in Giving Tuesday, Arizona Gives Day, and employee workplace giving programs (e.g., Combined Federal Campaign, State Employees Charitable Campaign, and Pima County and City of Tucson campaigns).

• Managed an outside/contract grant writer. Worked together to submit, in fiscal year 2022, 105 proposals requesting $1.9 million, generating $747K. In fiscal year 2023, submitted 136 proposals for $1.5 million and received $495K.

 Reporting and Recordkeeping:

• Monitored and reported progress and achievement for development and events goals and objectives as specified in HSSA’s strategic plan.

• Co-authored annual plans for development and marketing.

• Wrote and managed development and events budgets and coordinated reporting to the Development Committee and Finance Department.

• Oversaw the organization’s Salesforce donor database (~120K records), maintaining and updating donor records and strategically developing queries and processes for analytics and stewardship.

 Management:

• Supervising development program employees (2.0-3.0 FTE) and volunteers.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Director of Philanthropy

Mar 2018 – Mar 2020

Founded in 1952, the mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert. One of the top 10 museums in the country, with 400,000 annual visitors, it offers a fusion experience: zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium. As Director of Philanthropy, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Philanthropic planning and budgeting:

• Authored and executed the Museum’s first annual philanthropy and development plan.

• Wrote and monitored development program and gala event budgets.

• Initiated strategy to build reserves and endowments by not depending on revenues from wills and estates to balance the operating budget.

• Completely revised and updated gift acceptance policy and procedures.

 Coordination and implementation of all fundraising activities:

• Overhauled the major donor program.

• Identified, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded foundation, individual, and business donors.

• Managed a portfolio of 150 individual major donor prospects; secured donations to $250,000.

• Developed planned giving program; for fiscal 2020, secured ~$1.6 million in incoming bequests.

• Guided the annual Desert Galas (~500 attendees); cultivated and secured sponsors and underwriters to $25,000; acquired live and silent auction items.

• Improved direct appeals, developed an annual plan and increased from 1-2 mailings to 4 appeals per year, each to 30,000 households and businesses, with a proportional increase in revenues; standardized appeal format and layout; integrated e-communications as part of direct appeals; coordinated design and layout with graphics team.

• Transformed donor stewardship program, reduced “thank you” letter and tax-receipt turnaround from up to 80 business days to 2 days; signed and personalized every thank you letter; instituted practice of making acknowledgment calls and sending handwritten thank you cards.

• Devised and launched a flourishing tribute program, including benches and trees.

• Oversaw cleanup and conversion of donor database management system to Raiser’s Edge NXT.

 Management:

• Supervised development program employees (1.0-2.0 FTE) and up to 100 volunteers.

Oregon College of Oriental Medicine – Chief Development Officer

Jan 2015 – Mar 2018

Founded in 1983 and repeatedly rated the #1 US acupuncture school, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine’s mission is to transform health care by educating highly skilled and compassionate practitioners, providing exemplary patient care, and engaging in innovative research within a community of service and healing. As Chief Development Officer, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Philanthropic planning and budgeting:

• Revived institutional advancement program and launched a new strategic goal establishing a “culture of philanthropy.”

• Increased donations received by 19%.

• Updated gift acceptance policies and gift processing practices.

 Coordination and implementation of all fundraising activities:

• Identified, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded major donors, business sponsors, and foundation partners.

• Wrote all foundation proposals.

• Managed a personal portfolio of 100 individual major donor prospects.

• Conceived and launched a successful capital campaign to raise funds to upgrade all treatment tables to be ADA-compliant, expanding the accessibility of treatments to mobility-challenged patients.

 Cherry Blossom Galas:

• Raised 2.7 times more in funds than any prior year.

• Solicited and obtained business and individual event sponsors and supporters.

• Served variously as emcee and auctioneer.

 Management:

• Supervised development program employees (1.0 FTE) and up to 50 volunteers.

Dave Eshbaugh, Consulting – Principal

Jan 2003 – Mar 2017

Consulting services for nonprofit organizations, including fundraising planning, board development, strategic planning, membership development, communications and marketing, policy development, nature center planning and operations, volunteer management, and special events planning.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center and Foundation – Individual Partnership Officer

Dec 2011 – Oct 2014

Founded in 1975 to provide medical care to migrant and farm workers and those with barriers to care, the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center provides primary health care in Washington and Yamhill counties, Oregon. It operates medical clinics, dental clinics, and school-based health centers. The Foundation was established in 2001 to support the Health Center through funding and community relations. As Individual Partnership Officer, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Advanced major donor, individual giving, and planned giving programs.

• Researched, cultivated, solicited, and stewarded major donor prospects, resulting in donations to $500,000 – a five-fold increase in the largest individual gift ever made to the Foundation.

• Secured donations to five and six figures for general operations, specific programs, capital projects and endowment.

• Personally managed 180+ major donor relationships.

• Planned and implemented print/electronic direct appeal program to 5,000+ households and businesses.

• Established and managed a planned giving program.

Oregon State Parks Trust – Executive Director

Mar 2006 – Aug 2010

Established in 1995, the Oregon State Parks Trust (now Oregon Parks Forever) raises funds to preserve and enhance Oregon’s unique state parks system and to ensure that the social, personal, and economic benefits of state parks continue for all Oregonians. It is dedicated to preserving and enhancing Oregon’s outstanding natural, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreation sites for the enjoyment of present and future generations. As Executive Director, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Management and planning:

• Revolutionized fundraising program, adding major donors and unrestricted funding to designated foundation and governmental grants.

• Created marketing materials on how to make a planned gift and received planned gift pledges.

• Moved office from Bend to Portland.

Capital campaigns:

• Restored historic Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum ($1.5 million).

• Worked with the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to secure $900,000 to complete $4.1 million purchase of property and establish a new state park, Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site.

• Worked with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and other stakeholders, updated visitor center interpretive displays at Champoeg State Heritage Area ($205,000 of $400,000 project).

• Renovated Oregon lighthouses and restored Fort Yamhill State Heritage Area.

 Fundraising:

• Managed a $596,000 federal “Save America’s Treasures” grant.

• Wrote and consulted on proposals to foundations and governmental agencies, resulting in grants to $100,000.

• Grew donor list from 2,000 names up to 6,000.

 Management:

• Supervised all employees (2.0 FTE) and up to 100 volunteers.

National Audubon Society – Executive Director & Vice President, Audubon Oregon

Feb 2003 – Mar 2006

Founded in 1905, the National Audubon Society is one of the oldest environmental organizations in the world and uses science, education, and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission. Its “2020 Vision,” under then-President John Flicker, was to establish state offices and 1,000 nature centers across the United States. As founding Executive Director of the state office of National Audubon in Oregon – Audubon Oregon – my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Planning and budgeting:

• Founded the (now closed) Oregon state office for the National Audubon Society.

• Established state office and priorities.

Coordination and implementation of all fundraising activities:

• Identified major donor opportunities and solicited foundation funding prospects.

• Went from no identified major donor prospects to a group of 180 identified prospects; personally managed 150 prospects.

Supporting local Audubon chapters:

• Worked with local Audubon chapters; provided training, services, and counsel.

• Launched the first new Oregon chapter in 27 years (Audubon Society of Lincoln City).

• Cultivated and solicited gifts to support chapter programs and projects, including a $1.35 million bequest to Salem Audubon Society (used to build a nature center at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge).

Management:

• Supervised all employees (2.0 FTE) and volunteers.

Audubon Society of Portland – Executive Director

Sept 1996 – Feb 2003

Founded in 1902, the Audubon Society of Portland promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of native birds, other wildlife, and their habitats. The organization focuses on its local community and the Pacific Northwest. As Executive Director, my responsibilities and accomplishments included:

Planning and budgeting:

• Programmed and administered annual budgets; increased operating budgets from $850,000 to $1.8 million.

• Established and built endowment and reserve funds.

Development and fundraising:

• Restructured fundraising: documented past methods; hired development consultants to conduct assessment; hired development staff that successfully raised $3.5 million for program areas.

• Emphasized membership and growth resulting in an increase from 5,000 to more than 10,000 members.

• Successfully raised funds to permanently protect the world’s largest Vaux’s Swift roost – a colony of up to 40,000 birds. Part of money raised provides classes to educate children about Vaux’s Swift. The project gained the attention of major media, including BBC, CNN, Ranger Rick Magazine, California Institute of Technology, and others.

 Special events:

• Successfully took the Birdathon event from one that raised $30,000 to one that raised $100,000 and significantly increased the number of participants.

Management:

• Supervised all program directors and administrative staff, consisting of 10 direct reports (10.0 FTE); oversaw the management of an additional 9.0-14.0 FTE employees.

Education

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Post-Graduate Doctoral Coursework, Anthropology/Archaaeology

• Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Sigma Xi (Associate Member).

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
MA, Anthropology/Archaaeology

• Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, Regents Graduate Academic Scholarship, DeMund Scholarship (Alternate).

Miami University, Oxford, OH
BA, Anthropology

• Honors:

  • Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Society)

  • George H. Fathauer Award in Undergraduate Anthropology

  • Alpha Kappa Delta (International Sociology Honor Society, Life Member)

  • Omicron Delta Kappa (National Honor Society, Life Member)

  • Outstanding Young Men of America

Volunteer Service

• Board Treasurer (former President, Secretary and Member), Friends of Outdoor School, Portland, OR (current)

• Volunteer (Birdathon participant), Tucson Audubon Society, Tucson, AZ

• Volunteer, Tucson Mountains Association, Tucson, AZ

• Board Member (former Secretary), Elizabeth Wakeman Henderson Charitable Foundation, Oxford, OH

• Advisory Board Member, Passion Impact, Portland, OR

• Volunteer, Healthy Kids, Healthy Portland, Portland, OR

• Board Secretary, Blue Sky Gallery/Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, Portland, OR

• Volunteer, Montana Outdoor Science School, Bozeman, MT

• Technical Review Committee, The Oregon Conservation Plan, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

• Regional Reviewer, Great Backyard Bird Count, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology & National Audubon Society

• Volunteer (Counter), Christmas Bird Count, National Audubon Society

• Volunteer, Maricopa Audubon Society, Phoenix, AZ

• Intern, Student Conservation Association, Padre Island National Seashore, TX

Skills

• Leadership

• Board relations

• Nonprofit management

• Strategic planning

• Budgeting

• Change management

• Human resources

• Inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility

• Volunteer management

• Public speaking

• Communication, written & verbal

• Raising funds & support

• Lobbying & advocacy

• Annual & capital campaigns

• Donor screening, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, & stewarding

• Major donors

• Planned giving

• Proposal writing

• Direct appeals

• Fundraising & “friend-raising” events

• Donor databases

• Microsoft Office

• Google Suite

• Research

• Quantitative analysis

• Teamwork & collaboration

• Multi-tasking

• Attention to detail

• Birding