Giving

Meet Our Staff

William Roberts

William Roberts

  • Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement
  • Vice President, Michigan Tech Fund
Mary Stevens

Mary Stevens

  • Assistant to the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement

Specialties

  • Supports the VP for Advancement and Alumni Engagement
  • Manages VP’s calendars and meeting schedules
  • Manages budgetary and human resources operations for Advancement and Alumni Engagement
  • Processes travel reimbursements for AVPs
  • Department, Space, and Equipment Coordinator
  • Website updates
Karla Aho

Karla Aho

  • Assistant Vice President for Advancement and Gift Planning
  • Corporate Secretary, Michigan Tech Fund

People could reach out to me for:

  • Fundraising strategy
  • Charitable giving tax law and policy
  • Michigan Tech Fund policy and procedures
  • Advancement and FSO/MTF policy and procedures
  • Fundraising productivity and campaign progress reports
  • Donor pipeline and engagement
  • Advancement and Gift Planning operations
Joanne Anderson

Joanne Anderson

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni & established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni/friends/donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
  • Represent COB & COC as areas of special concentration
Carol Argentati

Carol Argentati

  • Senior Administrative Aide, Alumni Engagement

Specialties

  • Provides administrative support for the AVP of Alumni Engagement and all programmatic areas of the Alumni Engagement team’s work
  • Manages and responds to alumni inquiries and assists visitors
  • Manages the inventory for events and programs for Alumni Engagement and Advancement purposes
  • Assists with campus logistics for on-campus traditions (Homecoming, Winter Carnival, Reunion) as well as with Alumni Board of Director and Presidential Council of Alumnae meetings on campus
  • Assists with coordination of special projects (Traveling Tech Talks)
  • Assists with planning campus visits for key donors/alumni and special events for Alumni Engagement and Advancement
  • Assists with CRM Advance data entry
Jennifer Biekkola

Jennifer Biekkola

  • Associate Director for Alumni Engagement

Specialties

  • Responsible for the planning and execution of alumni & student engagement programs hosted locally
  • Manages and executes key annual giving stewardship programming
  • Provides support and represent professional staff for the Alumni Board of Directors
  • Serves as the primary staff partner to the R&R committee
Jessica Comfort

Jessica Comfort

  • Executive Director for Advancement Services and Operations

Specialties

  • Provides strategic leadership to the University’s A&AE information infrastructure 
  • Aligns business support functions, policies and procedures and technology infrastructure with the strategies, resources and priorities of A&AE and the University
  • Leads a team of business, data and research analysts 
  • Supports the stewardship and donor relations team 
  • Responsible for data management, advanced find, report output and dashboard creation within CRM Advance
  • Provides support for the fundraising campaign consulting team
Wes Frahm

Wes Frahm

  • Director for Advancement & Alumni Communications

Specialties

  • Responsible for Advancement marketing communications, including newsletters, brochures, websites, print and electronic publications, and social media
  • Works with university departments to coordinate communications with alumni and friends
  • Editor, Michigan Tech Alumni monthly e-newsletters and manages the alumni communications calendar
  • Contributor, Advancement and Alumni Engagement content for Michigan Tech Magazine
  • Produces campaign fundraising pieces
Eric Halonen

Eric Halonen

  • Assistant Vice President for Principal Giving

Specialties

  • Provides overall strategy, direction and support to increase the number of transformational principal gifts
  • Oversees, and participates as appropriate, in the process of identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of the principal giving prospects
  • Networks across the University to generate and ensure global awareness of “big ideas”
  • Updates the Michigan Tech Fund Board of Directors on principal giving activities and recommends potential new members to this board
  • Provides direct and indirect management of prospects and donors with the capacity to make principal gifts
  • Supports the Dean of the College of Business with direct support of a portfolio of the College’s major and principal donors and prospects
Christina Hatman

Christina Hatman

  • Senior Administrative Aide
Damon Huotari

Damon Huotari

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni & established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni/friends/donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
Kevin Kainulainen

Kevin Kainulainen

  • Director for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Information Systems

Specialties

  • Works with the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team to align technology solutions with business strategies
  • Supports complex business processes, working closely with users to understand their needs, translating those needs into technical/functional requirements, and contributing to quality assurance and training initiatives
  • Creates and executes queries using WebFOCUS, CRM and SQL for reporting
  • Serves as a project lead on large, complex projects involving multiple stakeholders
  • Member of the CRM Advance implementation project team
Tyler Kinnunen

Tyler Kinnunen

  • Associate Controller
Marney Kloote

Marney Kloote

  • Executive Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Oversees Directors for Charitable Giving as the University's major gift frontline fundraising team
  • Maintains a portfolio of alumni and donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Coordinate and approve travel for frontline fundraising team
  • Collaborate with campus partners to understand initiatives and strive for best donor outcomes
  • Meet with prospective donors to gage capacity and interest in supporting university initiatives
  • Offer strategic coaching to the frontline fundraising team to accelerate the donor's journey/experience
  • Manage onboarding of new employees to implement best practices for frontline fundraising team 
Morgan Laajala

Morgan Laajala

  • Assistant Director of Advancement & Alumni Communications

Specialties

  • Assists the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team with digital marketing and communication initiatives including direct solicitations, events, and special projects. Specific focus on annual giving and alumni engagement initiatives
  • Helps to effectively use the web, mass email, and social media to communicate with and engage alumni and friends to promote their involvement with and investment in Michigan Technological University
  • Promotes stories about students, alumni, donors, faculty, and campus traditions to further Michigan Technological University’s philanthropic initiatives
  • Collaborates with the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team on fundraising priorities to implement online giving initiatives and crowdfunding campaigns
Debra Linn

Debra Linn

  • Senior Administrative Aide for Gift Administration

Specialties

  • Supports the Advancement and Gift Planning Team
  • Drafts correspondence, maintains scholarship files, and assists with planned giving files.
  • Coordinates planned gift recognition, including delivery of acknowledgement and gift.
  • Assists in processing gifts, biographical updates and donor correspondence.
  • Manages the Alumni House, assists with routine inquiries and visitors.


    People could reach out to me for:

    A donor situation where they might have a question on how a planned giving vehicle might help them.

Jennifer Lucas (Jung)

Jennifer Lucas (Jung)

  • Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving

Specialties

  • Provides direction and leadership to the team of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving professionals and respective priorities and programming at Michigan Tech. 
  • Works collaboratively with alumni and university leadership to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive program designed to provide meaningful opportunities for alumni to enhance loyalty, dedication, and financial support for Michigan Tech through three core pillars - events, volunteerism, and communications:
  • Serves as the on-campus spokesperson for more than 84,000 living alumni, leading efforts to create and sustain valuable connections for alumni and friends across the state, country, and around the world.
  • Develops, implements, and measures effectiveness of structure and programming to facilitate lifelong dialogue, relationships, and overall engagement between the University and its constituents to increase alumni participation and giving.
  • Develop and maintain cooperative and collaborative relationships and programs with other University units, such as Admissions, Career Services, Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Athletics, Student Affairs, University Marking & Communications, and all academic colleges and departments.
Cyndi Martin

Cyndi Martin

  • Business Systems Analyst/Data Visualization Specialist

Specialties

  • Supports Michigan Tech’s alumni and donor information systems and working closely with users to understand their data needs
  • Member of the CRM Advance implementation project team
  • Provide ad-hoc reports using Ellucian CRM Advance, WebFOCUS and SQL
Suzanne Morin

Suzanne Morin

  • Executive Director of Financial Services & Operations and Controller
  • Controller's Office
Carrie Nielsen

Carrie Nielsen

  • Principal Giving Associate

Specialties

  • Assist in the management of prospect portfolios
  • Collaborates with Advancement colleagues, faculty, and university staff to develop and implement highly personalized engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
  • Works with the AVP and the Office of Gift Planning in preparing proposals for philanthropic support
Mike Olson

Mike Olson

  • Associate Director for Strategy and Market Development

Specialties

  • Develops and implements the moves management and strategies relevant to a diverse set of potential donors.
  • Assists in fundraising strategy for special initiatives.
  • Implement specific methods and tactics to expand market potential in high- and ultra-high net worth individuals.
  • Consults regularly with colleagues regarding marketing and outreach programming to identify, qualify, engage, and elevate new prospects and sustaining and legacy donors.
  • Consults with Directors of Advancement to make informed recommendations for strategic qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of managed donors.
  • Actively and strategically manages portfolios and pipelines to maximize donor involvement.
Kari Price

Kari Price

  • Research and Donor Records Manager

Specialties

  • Develops and manages ongoing initiatives to collect and maintain alumni, donor, corporate and foundation data in support of Advancement and Alumni Engagement priorities
  • Conducts biographical and financial research on alumni, friends, corporations, including donors and prospective donors
  • Works closely with the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship to support mass donor recognition programs and individualized stewardship initiatives. This includes support for annual and lifetime giving society recognition
  • Member of the CRM Advance implementation project team
Meredith Raasio

Meredith Raasio

  • Director for Foundation Relations

People could reach out to me for:

  • Campus priorities and identified faculty leads for pursuit of significant proposal opportunities
  • Gift and grant requests to foundations

Specialties

  • Leads and implementation of the University’s professional advancement and Flagship campaign priorities through foundation partnership
  • Establish relationships, present gift proposals, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts from foundations, public charities, associations, and other organizations
Jordan Shawhan

Jordan Shawhan

  • Assistant Director for Advancement & Alumni Communications

Specialties

  • Assists the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team with digital marketing and communication initiatives including direct solicitations, events, and special projects. Specific focus on annual giving and alumni engagement initiatives
  • Helps to effectively use the web, mass email, and social media to communicate with and engage alumni and friends to promote their involvement with and investment in Michigan Technological University
  • Promotes stories about students, alumni, donors, faculty, and campus traditions to further Michigan Technological University’s philanthropic initiatives
  • Collaborates with the Advancement and Alumni Engagement team on fundraising priorities to implement online giving initiatives and crowdfunding campaigns
James Shortt

James Shortt

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni & established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni/friends/donors as top prospects within portfolio 
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gifts
Tayler Tankersley

Tayler Tankersley

  • Associate Director for Alumni Engagement

Specialties

  • Assists in the planning and execution of alumni and student engagement programs
  • Promotes a culture of engagement and philanthropy
  • Manages regional alumni engagement programming
  • Manages the corporate alumni network and all engagement of corporate points of contact
  • Provides program management and execution support for Reunion
Joan Tapani

Joan Tapani

  • Donor Relations Coordinator

Specialties

  • Manage the day-to-day activities, correspondence, email and calendar management of the AVP for Advancement and Gift Planning
  • Coordinate the Flagship Campaign working committees
  • Liaison between the department and the Provost Office for management of the academic endowed positions
  • Works with Alumni Engagement on the Time & Talent Initiative
  • Works with Alumni Engagement on the alumni award nomination process
  • Assists advancement colleagues with visit preparation materials and follow up after the visits
Lorraine Thoune

Lorraine Thoune

  • Associate Director for Gift and Estate Administration
  • Lean Facilitator

Specialties

  • Leads the gift administration team, who ensures the correct entry, designation, and acknowledgement of all gifts to the University
  • Leads the gift proposal and documentation process in support of the advancement team, preparing proposals and gift agreements
  • Leads the management of the planned gift registry and related files and oversees the recording, acknowledgment, and realization of planned gifts
  • Leads a personalized and donor-centric advancement multi-channel marketing and outreach program, with special emphasis on education 
Cera Trevino

Cera Trevino

  • Senior Administrative Aide for Gift Administration

Specialties

  • Supports the Advancement and Gift Planning Team
  • Processes monetary gifts, gifts of securities, and gifts-in-kind
  • Submits matching gift forms and verifies and confirms matching gift receipt
  • Manage gift receipts and gift acknowledgement
  • Updates biographical data for all constituents, including merging duplicate IDs
  • Enters contact and receipt preferences and exclusions to donor records
Karin Van Dyke

Karin Van Dyke

  • Director for Charitable Giving

Links of Interest

Specialties

  • Meet with alumni and established donors to secure major gifts valued at $25,000 or greater
  • Identify and develop key potential alumni/friends/donors as top prospects within portfolio
  • Meet with prospects to determine their affinity and readiness, introduce strategic opportunities, and discuss gifting options for their consideration
  • Present gift proposals that best represent the donor's intention and capacity
  • Assist in the gift process, follow up, and stewardship of secured gift
  • Represent CSA, CFRES, and Graduate School as areas of special concentration
Bryant Weathers

Bryant Weathers

  • Director for Charitable Gift Planning

People could reach out to me for:

  • A donor situation where they might have a question on how a planned giving vehicle might help them.

Specialties

  • A front-line fundraiser as a certified Specialist in Planned Giving
  • Possesses maintains, and shares expert knowledge in the field of gift planning with a special emphasis on acquiring and staying current with technical expertise in the tax and legal aspects of charitable giving
  • Manage onboarding of new employees to implement best practices for frontline fundraising team
Linda Wittbrodt

Linda Wittbrodt

  • Advancement & Alumni Engagement Business Systems Analyst

Specialties

  • Acquire and maintain operational and functional knowledge of all aspects of the current Ellucian Advance CRM, and all other systems required to support the departments serving alumni and donors
  • Design, implement and modify ad-hoc and routine reports using Ellucian Advance CRM and SQL queries
  • Provide CRM Functional/Technical support
  • Assist with the analysis of business processes. Create and maintain user documentation for processes, procedures and reports
  • Work closely with the Executive Director for Advancement Services, raise new issues, communicate the status of issues, and seek direction as needed
  • Assist with maintenance, upgrades, and enhancements of CRM Advance and all systems required to support the responsibilities of Advancement and Alumni Engagement