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Summer Series Presenters and Panelists
Day 1 | July 21 | ProcessSession One: Doing Project Work When the Ground Keeps Moving
Katie Mead
Natalie Greenhouse is an advancement leader who thrives at the intersection of people, strategy, and systems. Throughout her career in higher education and the nonprofit sector, she has focused on helping organizations grow by building resilient teams, cultivating strong partnerships, and creating the operational infrastructure necessary for long-term success. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in curiosity, continuous improvement, and the belief that organizations perform at their best when people are empowered to do meaningful work. She is passionate about guiding teams through change, translating vision into action, and fostering environments where innovation, accountability, and joy can coexist. Natalie has led transformational initiatives across advancement operations, prospect development, donor stewardship, analytics, constituent engagement, and CRM strategy. Projects under her leadership have earned national recognition, including the AASP Sapphire Award for Prospect Management for developing a model of 100% donor stewardship and a Salesforce Innovation Award for helping set the vision behind record-breaking Giving Days at Occidental. Whether leading organizational change, redesigning systems and processes, or developing future leaders, Natalie is energized by bringing people together around a shared vision and building the capacity needed to achieve ambitious goals. She believes sustainable growth occurs when institutions invest equally in their people and their infrastructure, creating organizations that are adaptable, mission-driven, and prepared for the future.
Session Two: Getting Work Done Across Teams, Systems, and Constraints
As a founder, member, and former President of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp) Board of Directors, John's influence is far-reaching. His commitment was further recognized in 2012 with the aasp Jonathan Lindsey Lifetime Achievement Award. John's dedication to his profession and community remains strong. His achievements were recognized in 2019 when he was named a CASE Laureate. He has served as editor for all four editions of the CASE Advancement Services book and has contributed to and edited the 3rd and 4th editions of the CASE Guidelines, as well as the first edition of the CASE Global Reporting Standards. John's commitment to service includes his membership as a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International and his active involvement in the Durham Rotary Club, where he serves as Chair of the Foundation Committee and, now, President-Nominee. He lives in Durham, NC, with his wife and children, continuing to make a positive impact in his community. Wayne Combs Session Three: Understanding Impact Beyond Task Completion
Day 2 | July 28 | Technology and DataSession One: Working With Rapidly Changing Tools Without Chasing Every New Thing Christopher Bertone Beth Mohlenbrock Chris Kollar
Shan earned his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2005 and completed his Executive MBA at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in 2007. Under Shan's leadership, Sharp Hue has collaborated with over 600 clients, offering services such as web design, development, and hosting. He is passionate about utilizing technology to enhance business efficiency and enjoys working with startups to develop innovative products and services and his recent focus has been on the dynamics of the development, deployment, utilization, governance, and impact of AI. Shan served as Board Chair for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association in 2021. He is also a member of the Georgia Tech Scholars Alumni Association, reflecting his ongoing commitment to his educational roots. Shan's diverse experiences and dedication to leveraging technology for business improvement have established him as a respected leader in the tech industry.
Day 3 | August 4 | PeopleSession One: Staying Resilient While Work Keeps Changing
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John Taylor is the Principal of John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC, an independent advancement consulting firm. He has worked in consulting roles since 1994. John served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services and Interim Campaign Manager at North Carolina State University. He also served as Vice President for Research and Data Services at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in Washington, DC. Prior to that, John was Director of Alumni & Development Records at Duke University for nearly 15 years. He earned a BA in Mass Communications and Socio-Political Change from Vanderbilt University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. John's impact on the field of advancement is significant. He founded FundSvcs, one of the largest advancement-related listservs worldwide, and has shared his insights at hundreds of international conferences. His dedication to teaching earned him the prestigious CASE Crystal Apple Award.
Shan Pesaru is the Founder and CEO of Sharp Hue, a web development and technology consulting firm he established in 2006. Sharp Hue is an AI-Native software team building lightweight, powerful tools that solve specific business problems without the bloat of SaaS. Sharp Hue combines 20 years of full-stack engineering with the speed of modern AI to deliver: Rapid Prototyping: Visualizing ideas instantly with AI-assisted design. Custom Microapps: Purpose-built tools that you own 100%. SaaS Replacement: Strategic builds to eliminate monthly subscription costs. Cloud Architecture: Secure, scalable hosting without the markup.
A first-generation college graduate and full-tuition scholarship recipient, Tenneil Hutchings career has been shaped by a deep appreciation for the transformative role philanthropy plays in higher education. With more than 25 years of experience in advancement and fundraising operations, she is recognized for leading with transparency, accountability, and a focus on scalable, mission-driven technology. She currently serves as Executive Director of IT for the 
Brian Duisenburg recently retired from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he served as Executive Director of Information Management for University Advancement. Over nearly two decades in Advancement Services leadership roles at UC Santa Cruz, Brian led teams responsible for advancement systems, data management, gift administration, donor stewardship, reporting, analytics, and enterprise CRM strategy. He also directed the university’s multi-year advancement CRM transformation, replacing legacy fundraising, engagement, and reporting platforms with a modern Salesforce-based ecosystem. Throughout his career, Brian has focused on building resilient, high-performing teams capable of navigating organizational change, technology transformation, and evolving institutional priorities while maintaining a strong commitment to service, collaboration, and having fun along the way. Prior to higher education, Brian held leadership roles in the software and telecommunications industries, including serving as COO of a venture-backed software startup. He holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Maintenance Management from San José State University. When not helping organizations solve complex operational challenges, Brian can usually be found hiking in the mountains, skiing or snowboarding in the Sierra, flying airplanes, working as an aircraft mechanic, or planning his next adventure.
Robyn Doughty is the Senior Director of Data and Business Solutions at UC Berkeley. With nearly 25 years of experience in public higher education advancement, Robyn possesses a deep understanding of the dynamic challenges facing modern fundraising enterprises. She has dedicated the bulk of her career to Advancement Operations, specializing in aligning data, systems, and processes with the needs of university stakeholders. Known for her collaborative approach to solving complex organizational and technical issues, Robyn is adept at breaking down silos, leading extensive campus outreach, and building strong, cross-functional teams. Her track record includes spearheading major database conversions, instituting collaborative data management, and launching comprehensive training programs. An active leader in the wider advancement community, Robyn frequently shares her expertise as a faculty member and committee volunteer for both the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (AASP). She is also proudly serving as the Chair of CASE DRIVE 2027. Throughout her career, she remains driven by a core passion: thoughtfully connecting people, processes, and technology to achieve high-impact outcomes and organizational efficiencies.