2023 ADRP Southeast Regional Conference

Wednesday – Thursday, June 7 – 8, 2023 | The Citadel | Charleston, South Carolina

Full participation in the 2023 Southeast Regional Conference is applicable for 6.00 points in Category 1.B
– Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.

Thank You for Attending! We hope you enjoyed your experience

at the 2023 Southeast Regional Conference.

The ADRP Southeast Regional Conference featured two days of networking and learning in the beautiful, historic city of Charleston, South Carolina. From the novice to the experienced professional, whether you work in healthcare, education, the arts, or the broader nonprofit sector, attendees heard from talented presenters who shared ideas, concepts, and knowledge in donor relations practice and trends.

To honor the memory of long-time ADRP member Daphne Powell, we explored the importance of being a "steel magnolia" in our industry – strong and brave, yet hospitable and caring. Like the main character in the play and movie "Steel Magnolias," Daphne embodied these qualities in all she did.

Registration Rates

Member: $199

Non-Member: $249

Registration has closed.

Keynote Presentation: Jennifer Richwine

Laughter Through Tears: Using Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Humor to Develop Meaningful Relationships

Jennifer has more than 24 years of experience in special events and higher education. In 2014 she was named Wake Forest University’s first Executive Director of the Wake Washington Center in D.C. In this capacity, she partners with campus to develop and enhance programs for the entire alumni, parent, and friend constituency in the D.C. metro area, as well as between and among faculty and students on campus, building a bridge from campus to one of the University’s key cities. She also led the development of a study/internship program for undergraduates who wish to study and work in the nation’s capital, which launched Fall of 2017. Last fall she dove back into the events space to plan a signature event on Capitol Hill to honor a retiring alum and senator.

Prior to her current role, she was assistant vice president of university events, where she was responsible for the overall strategy, production, and execution of the signature events for the university. Her experience covers a wide range of events, from intimate donor dinners at the president’s house to large-scale events including inaugurations, national presidential debates, campaign kickoffs, and film screenings, as well as 12 years of commencements with national and international dignitaries. She and her staff regularly partnered with development, stewardship, donor engagement, and principal gifts staff to customize events and visits to campus, creating an experience designed to engage constituents in a more meaningful way with the university and its mission. Jennifer’s passion for expressions of gratitude in any workplace environment led her to author a book entitled With Gratitude – The Power of a Thank You Note, named the number one new release in business etiquette.

Program Schedule

Conference Day 1: Wednesday, June 7
7:30 - 9:00 AM	Breakfast and Registration (Holliday Alumni Center - Courvoisie Banquet Hall)
9:00 - 9:45 AM	Opening Remarks and Welcome (Holliday Alumni Center - Courvoisie Banquet Hall)
9:45 - 10:45 AM	Keynote: Laughter Through Tears: Using Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Humor to Develop Meaningful Relationships (Holliday Alumni Center - Courvoisie Banquet Hall) Jennifer Richwine
10:45 - 11:00 AM	Break (Bastin Hall - 2nd Floor)
11:00 - 12:00 PM	Breakout Sessions 1 1A. Skill Building: Recognition Refresh Bastin 2nd floor, 202 A panel discussion with Jill Hirsekorn, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Low Country Foodbank; Mary Pat Minor, Philanthropic Communications Manager, Prisma Health; Riviere Moody, Director of Donor Relations, The Citadel and host, Anne Manner-McLarty, Heurista 1B. Leadership/Management: Career Advancement: Next Level Support Bastin 2nd floor, 203 Judi North, Director of Development, Currey Ingram Academy 1C. Innovation/Creativity: Not Just a Scholarship Luncheon Bastin 2nd floor, 204 Flora Fox, Director, Donor Experience, University of Miami
12:00 - 1:30 PM	Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 PM	Breakout Sessions 2 2A. Skill Building: Creating Tools for DEI Fund Management Bastin 2nd floor, 202 Kristy Wasilewski, Associate Director, Donor Services, NC State University 2B. Leadership/Management: Women in Leadership – Contemporary Steel Magnolias Bastin 2nd floor, 203 A panel discussion with Shawn Spann Edwards, CEO and Principal Consultant, Solutions by Shawn Edwards; Melissa Levesque, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina; Leigh Jones Handal, Chief Advancement Officer at American College of the Building Arts, and host, Melissa DeClue, Chief Engagement Officer, Amplify Missions and Director of Annual Giving, Prisma Health Midlands Foundation 2C. Innovation/Creativity: Designing Planned Giving Stewardship That Works Bastin 2nd floor, 204 Kendra Wieneke, Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
2:30 - 2:45 PM	Break
2:45 - 3:45 PM	Breakout Sessions 3 3A. Skill Building: Taking the “ACK” out of Acknowledgments Bastin 2nd floor, 202 Debbie Meyers, Writer/Editor, Rutgers University Foundation 3B. Leadership/Management: Becoming a Leader in Advancement - Life Lessons Bastin 2nd floor, 203 Jill Forehand, Director of Donor Relations and Prospect Development, Georgia Southern University 3C. Innovation/Creativity: Expressing Gratitude via Video Bastin 2nd floor, 204 Katie Layton, Assistant Director of Donor Relations, University of Tennessee Foundation
3:45 - 4:00 PM	Break
4:00 - 5:00 PM	Unsession: How do YOU do it? Bastin, 303 TBD Scott S. Eichinger, Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, the National Park Foundation Need to know how to do something? Wondering how other places do it? Now’s your chance to ask a room full of your peers.
6:00 PM	Dine-Arounds: Enjoy the delicious sights, sounds, and food of Charleston. Sign up here! (Further instructions for transportation will be available at the registration desk.)
Conference Day 2: Thursday, June 8
7:30 - 8:30 AM	Breakfast (Holliday Alumni Center - Courvoisie Banquet Hall)
8:30 - 9:30 AM	Breakout Sessions 4 4A. Skill Building: When Did We Become Data Geeks? Bastin 2nd floor, 202 Jessie Blekfeld-Sztraky, Assistant Director of Stewardship, NC State University 4B. Leadership/Management: From Me to We: Amplifying Each Other At Work Bastin 2nd floor, 203 Juliette Kesterson, Director of Donor Relations, and Jenna Dulling, Assistant Director of Board Relations and Donor Experience, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 4C. Innovation/Creativity: Scholarship Roundtable: Ethics and Logistics Bastin 2nd floor, 204 Jill Forehand, Director of Donor Relations and Prospect Development, Georgia Southern University, and Sara Moïse, Senior Director of Donor Relations, Tulane University
9:30 - 9:45 AM	Break
9:45 - 10:45 AM	Breakout Sessions 5 5A. Skill Building: Creating Individualized Stewardship Plans for Your Top Donors Bastin 2nd floor, 202 Corey Smentek, Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5B. Leadership/Management: Donor Love, For Life: Planned Giving Bastin 2nd floor, 203 Suzanne Bellanger, Associate Director, Direct Response and Stewardship Marketing, and Sierra Rosen, Executive Director, Planned Giving, Brown University 5C. Innovation/Creativity: Creating with Culture: Community Voice in Marketing Bastin 2nd floor, 204 Rachel D'Souza-Siebert, Ann Fisher-Jackson, Monti Hill, and Faybra Hemphill, with Gladiator Consulting
10:45 - 11:00 AM	Break
11:00 - 12:00 PM	Group Discussion: Key Takeaways (Bastin Hall - TBD) Presenters from each session give a quick summary of the key takeaways from their sessions.
12:00 PM	Closing Remarks (Bastin Hall - TBD)