Meet the Advancement Team
The Office of Advancement connects those who are passionate about education and research to the people and programs at CU Denver who can excel with their support. We serve as a trusted campus and community resource that inspires alumni pride and private support to advance CU Denver's mission, and we work to ensure a bright and promising future for CU Denver through robust engagement, transformative philanthropy, and a deep sense of pride in the university.
Executive Team
Melisa Baldwin
Vice Chancellor for Advancement
303-315-3601
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Melisa sets strategies for the university’s fundraising initiatives, including annual giving, major gifts, corporate giving, foundation relations and gift planning. She also oversees Donor and Alumni Engagement and Advancement Communications. With more than 25 years of experience as a university development professional, Melisa has contributed to growth in fundraising results in every position she has held. She has vast experience in setting the strategic direction and managing the operational execution of fundraising campaigns. Melisa previously worked in advancement at Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and University of Florida.
Melisa lives in downtown Denver and enjoys all the urban setting has to offer. She also enjoys skiing and hiking in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
A Message from Melisa
Kimberly Marshall
Executive Assistant
303-315-3601
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A lover of the arts, she spends her free time immersed in film, music, theater, painting, and illustration, and adores a good trivia night. If you’re ever in need of wonderfully strange and fun facts, she’s your goto.
Tina Schlichte
Chief of Staff
303-315-3601
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Tina brings over 15 years of experience as a national sales and business development leader, having most recently led the sales & business operations team at the University of Colorado’s South Denver location. Being able to make an impact on CU Denver’s current and future students by utilizing her skillset of building strong and genuine connections and providing creative solutions for her internal and CU Denver’s external partners, are just two of the many reasons, Tina is excited to be part of the CU Denver Office of Advancement.
Tina is originally from Germany and has lived in the US for the past 18 years. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her husband and three kiddos either in the mountains or on the soccer field. Her favorite way to connect with old and new friends is a gemütlicher Kaffeeklatsch.
Scott Webb
Assistant Vice Chancellor
970-231-3344
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Scott’s background includes all facets of major gift fundraising including two successful comprehensive campaigns. Over the past twenty seven years, he has held two leadership positions spanning his extended tenures at both Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Scott is passionate about the outdoors and recreation, community engagement, politics, the arts, and equal rights. He routinely enjoys being outside and soaking up the many opportunities afforded by living in our great city and state.
Advancement Communications
Jim Dunn
Managing Director, Advancement Communications
303-315-3601
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A lifelong music lover, Jim has studied classical piano since childhood and took up the cello more recently while living in Italy. He still enjoys playing both instruments in his free time.
Monica Cutler
Associate Director, Advancement Communications
303-315-3601
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Monica was born in Aurora, CO and grew up in rural Idaho, 20 minutes from a ski hill. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Boise State University (smurf turf!) where she was also an active participant of the national championship winning speech and debate team (Talkin’ Broncos). In 2013 Monica moved to Denver and completed a Master’s in Public Administration at CU Denver’s School of Public Affairs with honors and received the Outstanding MPA Student award.
When Monica is not at work she enjoys tackling 2,000 piece jigsaw puzzles, house plants, taking care of her home, and hanging with her rescue Miniature Schnauzer named Tucker.
Alumni Engagement
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Lauren Jacobs
Associate Director, Alumni Engagement
303-315-3601
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Lauren is a Colorado native who grew up in Arvada and earned a degree from Colorado State University. Outside of work she stays busy with her kids, attends concerts with her husband, and enjoys a good card game with friends and neighbors.
Annual Giving
Jennifer Dailey
Associate Director, Annual Giving
303-315-3601
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Before stepping into fundraising, Jennifer worked as the volunteer coordinator at New Era Colorado and as an English teacher with English First Beijing. She previously worked for Advancement at both the Leeds School of Business and the School of Education at CU Boulder. She earned her B.A. in International Affairs and Chinese Language and Civilization at CU Boulder and is a current student pursuing an MS in Management at the CU Denver Business School.
A Colorado native, Jennifer enjoys taking her pup Neville to explore (he is a good brewery pup), camping, and watching football or Broadway musicals with her friends and family.
Liz Fagerness
Campus Program Manager, Central Annual Giving
303-315-3601
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Liz is a member of the CU Central Advancement team supporting the CU Denver campus through crowdfunding initiatives, annual giving data requests, and key performance indicators management. She is a liaison to our student call center, assists with the implementation of annual giving campaigns, and collaborates on the annual spring day of giving.
Liz was born and raised in South Dakota and has been living on the front range since 2019. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Augustana University (SD) and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS). Prior to this role, she worked in alumni engagement at UCCS. Liz is passionate about supporting student success and sees annual giving as a means to make a big impact on the student experience. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and backpacking with her husband, baking sweet treats, and playing board games.Events & Stewardship
Katie Comer
Assistant Director, Events & Engagement
303-917-8538
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Throughout her career Katie has managed events in both the higher education and non-profit sectors, most recently serving in the Office of Events and Protocol at the University of New Orleans.
A Colorado native, you can find Katie spending time outdoors with her family and friends and attending concerts with her husband.
Bry’ona Johns Renfroe
Coordinator, Events & Stewardship
303-315-3601
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Bry’ona assists with the execution of event and engagement opportunities, and aids in the coordination of donor and alumni programs, stewardship, and annual giving efforts. She supports the team by working with partners and other areas of the CU Denver to identify activities that meet strategic priorities and takes ownership of the planning, preparation, and execution of the engagement activities.
Bry’ona was born and raised in Colorado, and spends her free time going to concerts, exploring new eateries, and spending time with friends and family. She recently graduated from UCCS with a dual degree in Psychology and Women’s & Ethnic Studies, as well as a certificate in Gender and Sexualities Studies. After seeing the impact donors generosity had on her campus, Bry’ona is excited to be apart of the change happening at CU Denver.
Mollie Loiselle
Associate Director, Donor Engagement
303-315-3601
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Mollie is a Minnesota native and moved to Colorado in 2019. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Winona State University in Minnesota. She has a robust background in fundraising within the hospital and health care industry. In her spare time, she enjoys being active outside and exploring Denver’s arts and culture scene.
Major Gifts & Partner Relations
Shira Moffatt
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Major Gift and Partner Relations
781-752-7774
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Shira oversees the major gifts fundraising team and finds inspiration in helping donors match their philanthropic passions with CU Denver’s strategic priorities. She stays abreast of faculty
activity, research direction, and academic programs to advise on fundraising priorities and assists campus units in building and maintaining strong volunteer boards.
Shira brings more than 12 years of development experience to her role,
with extensive experience in marketing and communications, industry and foundation relations, board development, and nonprofit management. Prior to joining CU Denver, Shira served as Director of Industry Relations on CU Boulder campus, where she worked
with corporations and foundations to create mutually beneficial strategic partnerships.
Originally from the Boston area, Shira holds a BS from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MS in Management from Lasell University. She spends
her leisure time climbing mountains or skiing with her two sons, husband, and dog.
Tatjana Chenoweth
Senior Director of Development, College of Engineering, Computing and Design
407-619-3605
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Tatjana most recently served as a Director of Development for CU Boulder College of Engineering & Applied Science. Prior to joining CU, Tatjana managed advancement efforts for the top ranked organizations such as the Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Florida, and Rollins College.
Tatjana earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas, and received her MBA from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla.
Susan Cleveland
Associate Director of Gift Planning
303-541-0372
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Susan has long been a higher education advocate, working for over 11 years as a Higher Education Counselor and English Teacher, mainly overseas. Most recently she’s been a Major Gifts Officer and managed the Planned Giving program at the United Service Organizations (USO) in Washington, DC. She’s delighted to combine her passion for higher education, and experience in fundraising, to be the conduit for donors managing their own estate plans. Susan completed her Master’s Degree in Education with Bowie State University and her undergraduate at University of Delaware. With her eldest brother being a CU Boulder alumnus, she’s excited to be moving to Colorado herself, to start a new pollinator garden and find new camping spots. Susan is excited to join the CU Gift Planning team and the CU Denver Advancement team.
Anna Ramirez Crawford
Director, Foundation and Corporate Development
303-315-3601
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Anna directs the strategy and implementation of foundation and corporate development for the university. Her goal is to secure financial resources for programs and activities that advance equity and serve under-represented communities.
In previous positions, Anna has served as a fundraiser for Native American student programs and tribal colleges, an ESL teacher for immigrants and refugees, an editor at a university press, and a university rhetoric and composition instructor. She serves her community by sitting on nonprofit boards and volunteering for causes that advance gender, racial, and economic justice.Anna is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at CU Denver's School of Public Affairs, where she also earned her graduate certificate in public policy analysis. She earned her M.A. in English from Penn State University and her B.A. in English and Anthropology from Texas Tech University. Anna met her partner when they were both serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Ukraine, and they now live together in Denver with their son, cats, and books.
Brendan Hagerty
Senior Director of Development, Business School
917-742-1681
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Brendan directs the fundraising strategy for the Business School in partnership with Dean Scott Dawson and members of the faculty/staff. He is driven by a desire to match CU Denver’s donors with their philanthropic passions and to provide all students with the opportunity to enrich their experiences on campus.
Prior to joining CU Denver, Brendan served in multiple major gift fundraising roles, where he focused his work on managing donor portfolios and engaging with diverse constituents and funders. A Colorado native, Brendan received his BA from the University of Washington and his MA from Northwestern University, where he began his development career working for the annual fund. In his free time, he enjoys a good powder day on the slopes, spending time with his wife, and chasing after his toddler daughter and Sato pooch, Walter.
Katie Imhoff
Director of Development, School of Public Affairs
720-560-2316
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Katie earned her B.A. at Wake Forest University, where she spent time researching comparative human rights in Chile, Jordan, and Nepal. She then spent a year abroad in rural Tanzania working in sustainable development with smallholder farmers. Upon returning to the U.S., she managed the signature development special events for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Most recently, she worked in Development for the Biennial of the Americas, a non-profit organization that creates rich business, civic, and cultural connections between Colorado and the Americas.
Born and raised in Denver, Katie enjoys spending all the time she can outside with her husband, pup, and family. She and her husband Josh co-own a small business, Woulden Design Company, with a mission to increase access to outdoor recreation. She is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, powder day skier, avid hiker, used book store lover, mountain-town restaurant explorer, and arts enthusiast.
Adrian Ingram
Principal Gifts Officer
720-339-9965
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As the Principal Gifts Officer, Adrian cultivates and solicits a portfolio of top prospects and donors. She manages a network of relationships with donors in partnership with advancement colleagues, university administrators and faculty. Adrian is highly collaborative and utilizes a team-mentality to increase donor engagement and gift size. Adrian has worked in advancement for 17 years, most recently at the University of Denver, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, and Denver Rescue Mission and was awarded the Rotary Foundation International Fellowship and El Pomar Foundation Fellowship. Adrian speaks Portuguese fluently and enjoys gardening and travel.
Brett Kinley
Director of Development, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
312-833-3764
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Brett is from the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from the University of Kansas, where he got his start in fundraising at the student phonathon. His mission centric approach to development comes from his background in higher education and health care non-profit industries. He moved to Colorado in 2022 with his wife and their two cats and tortoise. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, running, disc golf, and watching basketball.
Operations
Nickolas Chabot-Olson
Director, Finance and Administration
303-315-3601
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Nickolas is a Colorado native with a finance and economics background. He has spent the majority of his professional career in higher education. In his free time, he enjoys working out and spending time with his wife and Australian Cattle Dog, Sydney.
Gabi Dargis
Advancement Project Manager
303-315-3601
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Gabi supports the team with managing cross-area projects, human resources, and operational tasks. She also oversees the office’s Development Assistants.
Gabi lives in Ann Arbor, MI and enjoys spending time outside with her husband, Mark, and their dog, Barkley. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Devon Mearns
Development Assistant
303-315-3601
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Devon supports the Office of Advancement as a Development Assistant. She assists with the donor acknowledgement process and donor recognition. She also assists with all aspects of stewardship including providing data for donor reports, coordinating donor programs, and stewardship and engagement plans. She is a primary point of contact for day-to-day operations in the Advancement office and gift handling at CU Denver and CU Foundation.
Initially from Virginia, Devon holds her BS degree in Environmental Biology from Christopher Newport University. She has a strong passion for the outdoors and four years of experience working in environmental conservation. Devon is also an avid skateboarder, snowboarder, and trail runner. She enjoys spending time at the local parks and inspiring other women to pursue boardsports. Devon loves to put miles on her Subaru adventuring in the mountains of Colorado with her friends.