Sara Giacalone leads the Central Stewardship team at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA), bringing nearly two decades of experience in advancement and operational strategy. Known for building sustainable systems that empower teams and enhance donor engagement, Sara combines strategic insight with technological fluency and brings a deep commitment to relationship-building. Since joining WFAA in 2013, she has driven innovation across stewardship and fundraising operations. Prior to her work in higher education advancement, Sara managed operations and marketing efforts for non-profit and industry associations in Chicago, including the Association for Corporate Growth, Legal Marketing Association, and Organization Development Network.
Mike joined the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association as president and chief executive officer in 2010 and now serves as a senior advisor on the WISIMCO team. Prior to joining WFAA, Mike spent eight years as dean of the Wisconsin School of Business. Preceding his time at UW, he was an associate dean and professor of international economics in the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He also served as senior staff economist for the Council of Economic Advisers for former presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Chelsea founded FundMiner after working within Advancement Operations for five years at the University of Texas at El Paso. She oversaw gift administration and compliance functions, database and reporting team, gift processing management, budget, and HR functions.
With over 25 years of experience in non-profit and higher education leadership, Kendra is dedicated to fostering organizational growth through mission-driven collaborations, operational efficiency and impactful messaging. Known for her curiosity, she is a lifelong learner combining new knowledge with her expertise in team development, mid-level and major gift fundraising, board development, strategic planning and marketing. Kendra’s true passion lies in growing organizations, driving improvements in processes and building team effectiveness to maximize mission impact. In her spare time, you’ll find her snuggling with her Great Dane or exploring beautiful beach locations around the world with her husband. She uses too many exclamations in her emails and has never met an Oxford comma she liked.
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Development, University of Wisconsin, Milwuakee
Chris joined WISIMCO in 2021 and serves as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer. Previously, he served as the Chief Investment Officer for Not-for-Profit at Mercer. Prior to Mercer, Chris had various roles in consulting and fixed income portfolio management. Chris holds an MBA from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis and a bachelor’s degree in biochemical engineering from University of Missouri. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations.
Chris Patton, a graduate of UW–River Falls, was appointed Interim Vice President for University Relations for the Universities of Wisconsin effective September 1, 2024. Previously, he served as Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance at UW–Platteville and as Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration. He has also held roles as Administration Operations Director at Epic Systems and as Policy Director to Governor Jim Doyle.
Jeff Schreifels is the Principal and Owner of Veritus Group, a global consulting agency specializing in major gifts and mid-level fundraising strategy. With over 30 years in the nonprofit sector, Jeff is a pioneer of relationship-centered fundraising. Under his leadership, since 2009 Veritus has helped increase mid and major gift revenue and decrease donor value attrition for hundreds of non-profits worldwide that have adopted the “Veritus Way” of mid and major gifts.
Jeff is co-author of the award-winning Passionate Giving Blog, a regular contributor to NonProfit Pro, and author of two bestselling books, It’s Not JUST About the Money and It’s Not JUST About the Donors.
A sought-after speaker, Jeff has delivered keynotes at top conferences like the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy International Conference and London’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising Convention. Jeff’s passion for empowering nonprofit leaders with actionable strategies has earned him a reputation as a trusted advisor driving meaningful change in the sector.
Joel P. Spiess, MS, serves as the inaugural Director of Student Scholarships at UW-Milwaukee. He advances a coordinated and strategic approach to maximize available scholarship funding to impact the enrollment objectives of the institution positively.
Kari Stokosa serves as the Associate Vice President of Prospect Development and Decision Support at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA). In this role, Kari leads teams responsible for delivering strategic, data-informed insights that drive fundraising effectiveness and donor engagement. With a strong foundation in analytics and organizational strategy, Kari has been instrumental in advancing WFAA’s use of predictive modeling, donor capacity and readiness scoring, as well as integrated data systems. Her leadership has helped shape how prospect development supports major gift officers, ensuring that data is not only accessible but actionable. Known for her strategic thinking, Kari excels at connecting big-picture goals with implementation details. She is recognized for her ability to build strong cross-functional relationships, and as a leader who his both hands-on and forward-thinking.
Quinn Williams has served as General Counsel for the University of Wisconsin System since December 2017. Quinn graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2002 with a B.A. and earned his law degree from Marquette University Law School in 2006. Quinn served as a Staff Attorney at the Department of Natural Resources from 2007 to 2012, then as an Attorney Section Supervisor from 2012 to 2015, and finally as a Chief Counsel from 2015 to 2017, with a wide area of focus, including the statutory and constitutional framework and federal and administrative regulations applicable to the operation of public agencies, litigation management, employment, real estate, trademark, copyright, intellectual property, ethics, contract and procurement, public records, open meetings, risk management, disability, discrimination, bankruptcy and collections.
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