Salvador Arias

Salvador has more than 37 years of experience in providing strategy, marketing and innovative growth advice to for profit, non-profit and social enterprises. After receiving his MBA from the University of Chicago, Salvador began his career as a strategy consultant for Booz, Allen and Hamilton. He gained further experience as a director in the planning organizations of PepsiCo and as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Bellsouth. Salvador returned to business consulting as a partner focused on driving client value through strategy and marketing transformation at PwC and IBM. He retired to work in the non-profit sector serving as the initial Master Planner for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, teaching Marketing at Kennesaw State University and then founding the Marist Hispanic Center. Salvador has been engaged in strategy formulation for numerous education and non-profit organizations, including Mercy Care, Catholic Charities, Medshare, the Archdiocese of Atlanta Schools, IHM School, Ferst Foundation, UNICOR and the University of Mississippi.

Salvador received his MBA with Honors from the University of Chicago where he was awarded the Phi Kappa Phi and Merrill Fellowships, a Rotary International Fellowship for study at the Ibero-American University in Mexico, and his BA in Mathematics with highest honors from the University of Alabama in Huntsville while doing research in the Space Sciences lab at NASA. He has engaged in numerous start-up ventures, patents and publications.

Cathi Athaide

Cathi Athaide brings to Columns more than 30 years of experience in fundraising, administration and communications in K-12 and adult literacy education and social services non-profits.  She has worked in program development, and has written and edited proposals to foundations, corporations, and government entities. Her experience includes writing newsletters, video scripts, annual reports and other collateral materials.  She has volunteered extensively in the community and her church.  Cathi graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in French literature.  She is married and the mother of two adult daughters.

Birgit Burton

Birgit Smith Burton served for 26 years at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she led the institution’s Foundation Relations team in raising over $700M from private philanthropic foundations to support programs, scholarships, and capital projects.

Birgit is also the founder and Executive Director of the African American Development Officers Network (AADO), which she established in 1999 to provide professional development, education, employment support, mentorship, and networking opportunities for fundraisers of color. She is a well-regarded speaker on the topics of fundraising and diversity and has authored articles on diversity in the fundraising profession. Birgit co-authored the book, “The Philanthropic Covenant with Black America”, contributed to the book “Five Minutes for Fundraising, A Collection of Expert Advice”, and tells her personal story in the book “Collecting Courage”, which shares the lived experiences of Black women and men working in the nonprofit and charitable space.

For nearly a decade, she has served on the global board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and in 2023 was the first African American woman in AFP history to be elected chair of the AFP Global Board; her term as Global Chair will end in December 2024. Birgit received the Opportunity and Inclusion Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) which recognized her leadership in fostering inclusion and diversity within the fundraising profession. In 2020 the R.I.S.E. Fund was established by a group of women fundraisers in Birgit’s honor with a mission to advance women of color in fundraising by providing Resources, Inspiration, Support, and Education.  

In addition to serving as chair of the A.E. Lowe Grice Scholarship Fund of Covert, Michigan, which honors her grandmother, Birgit serves on the advisory council for Somos El Poder (A National Latinx Fundraising Institute) and the advisory committee for Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC).  A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Birgit received a bachelor’s degree in media communications from Medaille University in Buffalo, NY, where she currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.

J. David Carico

David started his fundraising career in the early 1990’s serving as Executive Director of the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation.  After moving back to Atlanta, he settled at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  There, he was Regional Director of Development, soliciting major philanthropic support from Georgia Tech alumni in the Northeastern United States, then on the West coast (and getting to know the Delta Air Lines employees on a first-name basis).  Most recently, he served as Vice President of Business Development at Omega Financial, Inc.

David has a dual B.A. in English/History from Emory University and earned his CFRE designation in 1997.  He has been active in the Junior Chamber of Commerce, serving as President (Lexington, VA) and State Director, and as Chairman of the Junior Chamber International Conference of the Americas.  He served as a Board member and Treasurer of the North American Interfraternal Foundation and as member of the National Committee on Planned Giving. He is an avid tennis and golf player, but he and his wife spend the majority of their free time chasing their 8 year-old son around the house and asking him not to jump off all of the furniture.

Sandra Cathy

Sandra brings to Columns numerous years of experience in both the nonprofit and for profit worlds, and comprehensive expertise in grant writing, fundraising, strategic Planning, marketing, capital campaigns, and government relations. Sandra graduated from the University of Alabama. She then completed a seven-year stint at the White House serving on the President’s Commission for White House Fellowships. Sandra returned to the Atlanta area to work with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. She is a loving wife and mother of two beautiful girls.​

Toni Dixon

Toni Dixon, MBA, is a multi-tasking nonprofit development consultant and storyteller with an entrepreneurial spirit. With nearly 15 years of experience in Development, Fundraising, and Grant Writing, Toni has a track record of not just meeting but exceeding annual revenue goals and leading teams to success. She has a strong background in Nonprofit Management and Business Development, having raised millions of dollars annually from corporate, individual, foundation, and church donors. She offers coaching to nonprofit leaders, board members, and new nonprofit consultants and has developed courses to empower and educate individuals on starting and growing nonprofit organizations.

Toni’s expertise extends to various areas, including securing funding, developing marketing and brand strategies, and managing public relations campaigns. She has a keen eye for graphic design and is an expert grants specialist, skilled in writing and management. Her formal training in planned giving, capital campaign planning, fundraising, and leadership, along with her proven ability to lead teams to success, has equipped her with the knowledge and skills to drive impactful initiatives.

With a Master of Business Administration degree focused on Entrepreneurship, Toni brings a strong academic foundation to her practical experience. She has also developed a new Corporate Engagement Program at Atlanta Mission and received the Employee of the Year award in 2015 for her outstanding contributions. She has also served as a Director of Foundations and Corporate Relations and Senior Development Officer at Atlanta Mission, where she raised significant funds and led major initiatives.

Colleen Eakins

Colleen earned a BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and an MBA in Marketing from AIU. Colleen won an ADDY Gold Award from the American Advertising Federation, while still a student at UAH.

Colleen brings twelve years of experience in branding, collateral design and printing Web design and development, Mobile App and Social Media design and development, and Digital Media design. Not surprisingly, in her spare time Colleen enjoys photography.

Bob Edwards

Bob is responsible for overseeing the production and timely deliverance of our grants work and funder research. Bob spent over 25 years in various engineering leadership positions at high tech companies such as Motorola, Scientific-Atlanta, Cisco, and Cognizant. He has extensive experience in leading teams, managing projects, and maintaining strong customer relations. Bob has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

In his spare time, Bob enjoys spending time with his wife of 36 years, spoiling his three grandchildren, and cycling.​

John Floyd

John has over 30 years of experience with nonprofits as an advocate, volunteer, and professional. He has served as Director of Development at the Marcus Autism Center, as Head of Foundation relations at Children’s Healthcare, and planned giving officer at the Carter Center. John also devotes time to organizations that are meaningful to him, chairing the Good Shepherd Society at Saint Luke’s, and volunteering as a fundraiser for Philips Exeter Academy, Harvard Business School and the Woodruff Arts Center.  

John has an MBA from Harvard Business school and is a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy from the American College in Bryn Mawr, PA. He has served on a number of not-for-profit boards, including the Atlanta History Center, Historic Oakland, Atlanta Mission, and the Georgia Foundation of Independent Colleges.

Kelly-Ann Green

Kelly-Ann earned a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia. She began her career as a public accountant providing audit and tax services to small to medium businesses all over the United States.  She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Vice President of Atlanta Independent Women’s Network.  In her free time, Kelly-Ann enjoys spending time walking in Atlanta parks, traveling, and riding horses.

Len Al Haas

For nearly 40 years, Len Al has provided fundraising, planning and technology consulting services for nonprofits ranging from social service and healthcare organizations to educational institutions and professional associations.

Len Al’s interest in nonprofits and development was heavily influenced by his grandmother, Atlanta fundraising pioneer Be Haas. He began his career working in development and alumni affairs at Georgia State University, and later served as development director for Hillside, which provides mental health services to children, adolescents and families in Atlanta. Following in Be’s footsteps, Len Al founded Haas Consulting in 1990, after having had the privilege of her tutelage and mentoring while working alongside her at an Atlanta-based fundraising consulting firm.

An active community volunteer, Len Al co-founded and served as board chair of TECH CORPS Georgia. He also served on the board of directors of The Study Hall at Emmaus House, St. Martin’s Episcopal School, and is a past president of the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). He has served on the advisory boards of Candid-South (formerly known as Foundation Center-South) and ToolBank USA.

Len Al is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). He earned a BA in Economics from the University of Vermont and MBA from Georgia State University. He also taught math and economics as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon. Len Al and his wife Tina live in Brookhaven, GA.

Martee Horne

Martee T. Horne retired from the University of Georgia in January 2021 where she served as the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the Terry College of Business for 22 years.  She provided leadership to the fundraising, alumni relations and stewardship efforts of the College spearheading the very successful ‘Building Terry’ campaign which raised over $121M in private funds to build new College facilities and significantly increase endowment.   

Martee has been a resident of Athens for over 40 years. She has been involved with myriad non-profits in leadership roles to include President of the Junior League of Athens, Chairman of the Board of the local American Cancer Society, and President of the Board of Directors of the Georgia Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.  She currently chairs the development committee for the North East Georgia Girl Scouts.

Martee holds the bachelor of business administration from the University of Georgia. She and her husband, Foy, have four adult children, and six grandchildren.  

Rebecca Jean-Baptiste

Rebecca has over 15 years of experience in the administration of higher education programs. She has secured funding and managed a variety of educational programs such as teacher recruitment, teacher preparation, k-12 school climate and partnerships, cross cultural education, STEM, underrepresented populations, disconnected youth, college access & success, community development and business partnerships, financial, digital and data literacy programs among others. During her career, Rebecca has provided financial management oversight for grants from both federal and private sponsors totaling over $100 million.

She is a Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at Valdosta State University specializing in Education Policy; and holds a Master of Public Administration degree in Policy Analysis and Evaluation from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

Carla Lavender

Carla is a passionate fundraiser and enjoys working with community-based organizations poised for growth. She has more than 20 years of experience, leading major gifts campaigns and securing transformational success for program growth and expansion. Her first individual giving officer’s role was with Spelman College, and she moved on to Kennesaw State University, where she established the corporate giving program. Later, she served as a lead development officer at Georgia State University, where she supported a $300 million campaign.   Additionally, she served as the principal fundraiser for national organizations to build their presence in Atlanta.  At Devereux Behavioral Health Center, she worked with the local Board of Directors to promote community engagement and giving. She led Year Up Greater Atlanta’s team raising over $12 million to launch a college partnership with Atlanta Technical College. 

Carla is an active member of the National Gift Planning Council, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the African American Development Officers Association. She holds an MBA in Nonprofit Management from Walden University, and BA undergraduate degree from Georgia State University.

Carla is married, lives in Smyrna, Georgia, and enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Laura G. Meyers

Laura Meyers is an editor for the company’s grant proposals. She works as an academic editor in the greater Washington, DC, area and has nearly a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. Her areas of expertise include program evaluation, program development, survey design, and volunteer leader development.

Laura earned a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Psychology from Cornell and a dual-degree Master’s from Arizona State University. She previously worked as a research psychologist specializing in healthy adult and Parkinson’s populations, then became an academic consultant for the statistical and behavioral sciences. She is a highly active volunteer in organizations that serve our nation’s capital and focuses her work on poverty reduction, environmental stewardship and education, and alumni affairs.

Keith Oelke

Keith Oelke has over 30 years of experience in fundraising, both directly and in related fields. He retired from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2015. He was the Senior Executive Director – Central Development for the Office of University Development. This position was responsible for the Estate & Gift Planning, Corporate and Foundation Relations and Regional fundraising functions at UGA. In 2005, Keith won the Georgia Education Advancement Council (GEAC) Distinguished Service Award for Educational Fundraising.

Prior to the University, Keith was Vice-President of Trust and Trust City Manager with C&S Bank/NationsBank (now Bank of America) based in Athens, Georgia and had 14 years of trust experience. Keith is a graduate of the University of Georgia with an undergraduate degree in accounting in 1975 and he a law degree from the University of Georgia in 1978.

After his retirement from UGA, Keith served as Director of Major Gifts/Planned Giving at Athens Regional Medical Center Foundation, (now Piedmont Athens Regional). He retired from that position in early 2019.

Keith is a past Chairman of the Georgia Bankers Association Trust and Investment Management Committee and has taught on trust and legal matters at the Georgia Banking School. He has been a presenter at CASE Districts III and IV, the Georgia Planned Giving Council and the Georgia Education Advancement Council. Keith has been a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Fiduciary Law Section of the State Bar, the Georgia Planned Giving Council and the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.

Keith and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters, a granddaughter and a rescued French Bulldog. He is active in the First Presbyterian Church in Athens, as an Elder not currently on the Session and is Chair of the Endowment Trustees. He is on the Board of the Presbyterian Student Center at UGA. Keith is an avid golfer and is volunteer Rules Official for the Georgia State Golf Association.

Ken O’Kelley

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Ken O’Kelley has 33 years of experience working with non-profits serving youth and leading youth-focused programs. He has expertise in cultivating and working with advisory boards, fundraising, marketing, and strategic planning to drive organizational growth. 

In 1996, Ken was hired as the Director of the 1996 Olympic Youth Camp, a program operated by the Atlanta Committee for The Olympic Games (ACOG).  He then moved to the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, where he served as Senior Vice President for Teen and Youth Development. Ken provided vision and leadership for two resident camps (Camp High Harbour at Lake Burton and Camp High Harbour at Lake Allatoona), 22-day camps, and 18 teen leadership programs. Ken created, implemented, and supervised the Advanced Leadership Academy, a year-round teen development program, that gained national attention and was written about and published in American Camp Association magazine in October 2020. He is an accomplished motivational speaker.   

Ken and his wife have two adult children and one grandchild.  In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, camping, and golf.

Katie Olliff

Katie has more than ten years’ experience as a non-profit professional in several organizations in Atlanta focused on children and youth, seniors, faith-based communities, and public policy. She has written winning proposals for foundation, corporate, and government grants. She’s also had a successful track record in individual giving, special events management, database administration, program management. Her previous positions include Director of Grants and Donors Relations at Meals on Wheels and Development Director at Voices for Georgia’s Children. She has also worked with Refugee Family Services and The Fund for Theological Education. Katie is a graduate of Georgia Tech and also holds a Masters in Theology from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. She is a foster parent to four children and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching college basketball.

Eve Powell

Eve Powell most recently served at the United Way of Greater Atlanta as the Senior Director of Planned and Leadership Giving. She led the efforts to increase planned gifts as well as securing numerous principal gifts. She started her development career at Mile High United Way in Denver, and has worked within the United Way system for over 18 years. She has also led development efforts in other non-profit organizations, including the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and the Anti-Defamation League.  

As an active member of the Georgia Planned Giving Council, Eve served as Vice President of the Board and is also a current member of the South Carolina Planned Giving Council. Eve is a founding member of the Balser Philanthropic Advisors Institute, a partnership between Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, United Way of Greater Atlanta, and the Jewish Foundation of Greater Atlanta, which works to increase planned gifts through professional advisors. 

Eve resides in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and four “fur babies” where she volunteers for a number of organizations.  

Scott H. Sikes, MBA, CFRE, FAHP, CFP®

Scott has over 30 years of experience with nonprofit organizations. He has broad experience in frontline fundraising & leadership, including positions as:  Elected Chairman of the Council of Vice Presidents of External Affairs for the University System of Georgia; Vice President for Development & Community Relations at Shepherd Center, the nation’s largest spinal cord & brain injury hospital; Vice President for University Advancement at Valdosta State University; Interim Executive Director of Development at University of Georgia, where he was also Director of Principal Gifts, Major Gifts & Planned Giving & he has years of service on various nonprofit boards. He was a founding member of the Georgia Planned Giving Council in 1988, later served as President & he was co-founder & President of the Athens Estate Planning Network.

Scott earned his BA in Political Science/Russian Language & Certificate in Global Studies from UGA, Russian Language Certificate from St. Petersburg State University (Russia), then an MBA from Kennesaw State University. He is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP) & Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). He’s a member of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta’s International Relations Committee, where he utilizes his proficiency in Russian, German & other languages. Scott enjoys bicycling & camping.  He & his wife live along the Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Trail – an approximately 100-mile paved bike path beginning on the outskirts of Atlanta

Mike Sophir

Mike brings to the Columns team 30 years of experience in organizational and business leadership in both the public and private sectors. His primary focus has been strategic planning and implementation, marketing and branding communication and fundraising development.

Mike most recently served as the CEO of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Prior to joining the Fraternity, he was Senior Vice President of a strategic marketing and communications firm with a focus on fundraising development, public/private partnerships, major donor and annual giving strategies, brand integration, and change and crisis management. Earlier in his career, Mike served as the Director of Corporate Development for Children’s Hospital Colorado, during which time, the hospital built a new $500 million-plus facility. He began his professional career with the SAE Fraternity Headquarters as a member of the educational field staff and later became the Director of Chapter Development. He also worked as a Director with an integrated marketing firm focused on the release of new products by Fortune 500 companies which partnered with renowned musical artists on nationwide tours.

Mike is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in History, English and Portuguese. He is an avid fitness enthusiast; he enjoys being in the gym, on the ski slopes, hiking the Colorado back country or going on summer runs with his dog along Lake Michigan.

Pete Ticconi

Peter J. Ticconi, Jr. is a gift planning consultant, speaker, researcher, and author with more than 40 years of experience.  He has studied at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family as an Emotional System.  He is the founder of the CANARAS planned giving group and served on the boards of the Planned Giving Group of New England and Chesapeake Planned Giving Council.  Some of his research has been published in Planned Giving Today.  He recently retired from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he was the Executive Director of Gift Planning and Senior Philanthropic Advisor.  In his over 40 years in gift planning, Pete has led programs at Connecticut College, Babson College, Saint Lawrence University, Williams College, and The Johns Hopkins Institutions.

Pete also served as a First Lieutenant in the Army, stationed in West Germany, and was a Captain in the Army Reserves until 1980.  He and his wife, Janet, have 3 adult children and 10 (yes, 10!) grandchildren.

Wesley K. Wicker, Ed.D.

Wes counts more than thirty years of experience in higher education and development, and nine years as a non-profit consultant. Wicker began his career in Admissions, and then in Alumni Affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University. He also worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, and as Vice President of Advancement at Kennesaw State University, and concurrently as Executive Director of the KSU Foundation. He also served as Vice President of Major Gifts for United Way of Metro Atlanta and held a similar position with United Way of Central Indiana (Indianapolis).  

Wes has a B.A. in History from the University of Alabama, an M.Ed. in History from Georgia Southwestern State University and an Ed.D. from the University of Georgia in Higher Education Administration.  

Wicker has served on the boards of the Fulton County Schools Foundation, the Georgia Planned Giving Council, United Community Bank of Marietta, and the Georgia Education Advancement Conference. He served as the Senior Director and later as President of the Theta Chi National Fraternity Foundation. He currently serves as President of the Norwich Housing Corporation. Wicker is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed on an alumnus of Theta Chi. Wes and his wife, Kay, have two adult daughters, and live in Big Canoe, GA.

Mark R. Wilkison

Mark has extensive expertise in major gifts, planned giving, feasibility studies, execution of capital campaigns, strategic planning and visioning for organizations, and executive search.

A graduate of the University of Vermont, Mark has more than 35 years of consulting and fundraising experience, including serving as Vice President – Development for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Chief Development Officer at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Chief Development Officer for the International Life Sciences Institute, and as Executive Vice President of Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation.  Mark’s additional Phi Gam work included serving as a Field Secretary for the Fraternity and as Director of Graduate Services.  

He has served as President of the Atlanta Peachtree Rotary Club, and has also been involved with Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Georgia Education Advancement Council (GEAC), Georgia Association of Development Professionals (GADP), and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning (PPP). 

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Shari, and his two grown children, and playing an occasional round of golf.