Advancement Team

Vice Chancellor

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.

Advancement Communications

Jim Dunn

Managing Director, Advancement Communications
303-315-3601
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Jim plans and implements communications strategies and creates a variety of collateral to support fundraising goals and activities. Throughout a career spanning 30+ years in the U.S. and Europe, Jim has worked in nearly all areas of advancement, including major gifts; corporate sponsorships; corporate, foundation, and government support; annual giving; capital campaigns; alumni relations; and marketing and communications. Focusing on the arts and education, he has held positions at The Kennedy Center, New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the University of Maryland, San Francisco State University, and Marymount International School Rome.

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.

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Monica Cutler

Associate Director, Advancement Communications
303-315-3601
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Pronouns: she/her

Monica supports the work of the entire CU Denver Advancement team primarily in digital marketing which includes mass emails, event registrations, social media outreach, and website management. In her escape from retail (Sephora) in 2014, Monica began her CU career as a student hourly on the Anschutz Medical Campus and later found her passion in communications as the CU Denver Alumni Relations Coordinator. Since taking a full-time position at CU Denver, Monica has been a part of transitioning eCommunications tools at various levels across the CU system, growing her support position beyond alumni relations, and expanding messaging via collaborations across campuses.

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

Lauren Jacobs

Director, Alumni Engagement
303-315-3601
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Pronouns: she/her

Lauren is passionate about fostering strong connections between CU Denver and its alumni community. She works to deepen alumni loyalty and increase engagement through events, volunteerism, philanthropy, and communication. Her efforts span diverse events, volunteer opportunities, and innovative programs that invite alumni to play an active role in the university's growth.

A proud Coloradoan from Arvada, Lauren earned her degree at Colorado State University and has over 15 years of experience in advancement. When she's not busy supporting CU Denver's alumni, she's spending time with her kids, volunteering at their school, catching live music with her partner, or enjoying a lively card game with family, friends, and neighbors.

Annual Giving

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Jennifer Dailey

Associate Director, Annual Giving
303-315-3601
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Jennifer works with schools, colleges, and programs on mass solicitations, crowdfunding, the student call center, and building relationships with individual donors. She is driven by a desire to ensure anyone who wants to make an impact at CU Denver can.

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.

Campaign Management & Community Engagement

Tina Schlichte

Chief of Staff
303-315-3601
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As a key member of CU Denver’s Office of Advancement, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor of Advancement, Tina serves as a strategic thought partner, providing expertise on a wide range of projects and activities including Advancement operations, budget, human resources, organizational and team management, chancellor and president support, principal gifts, and other strategic activities.

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.

Donor Engagement

Mollie Loiselle Sarpong

Director, Donor Engagement
303-315-3601
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Mollie supports the execution of programs related to gift administration, fund management, scholarship stewardship, and donor acknowledgments for the CU Denver Office of Advancement. She also designs and implements customized stewardship plans for CU Denver’s most highly engaged supporters in collaboration with the donor and alumni engagement team.

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.

Events

Katie Comer

Director, Events & Engagement
303-917-8538
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Katie is responsible for the execution of event and engagement opportunities for the Office of Advancement. She provides support in the areas of donor and alumni programs, stewardship, and annual giving efforts helping to advance strategic fundraising objectives.

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.

Grace Dugery

Coordinator, Events & Engagement
303-315-3601
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Grace grew up outside of Philadelphia and attended NYU where she earned her BA degree in Education Studies. She studied how and why education is the conduit for change in the world, in tune with CU Denver's mission to provide an education for all. During her studies, Grace gained experience in the events and hospitality industry, working for Vail Resorts, Grand Manors, and Aramark.

Grace enjoys exploring all that Colorado has to offer. She spends her free time skiing in the winters and camping in the summers. Grace enjoys traveling, attending concerts at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, taking pottery classes, and spending time with friends and family.

Industry & Foundation Relations

Anna Crawford

Senior Director, Foundation Relations
303-315-3601
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Anna directs the foundation relations strategy for the university, including its seven academic units and various campus programs. With 12 years of fundraising experience in both the higher education and nonprofit sectors, Anna has worked in roles dedicated to corporate and foundation development, major gifts, and principal gifts. 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 children, cats, and books.

Major Gifts

Scott Webb

Assistant Vice Chancellor, Major Gifts and Donor Engagement
970-231-3344
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Scott’s role is to provide leadership and strategic alignment for the Major Gifts team as well as Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, Stewardship, and Prospect Research. The unit’s mission is to support major gift fundraising and thoughtful engagement of all key audiences including CU Denver’s national alumni base, donors, friends, and the Denver and surrounding communities with emphasis on fulfilling its philanthropic mission.

Scott’s background includes all facets of major gift fundraising and engagement including two successful comprehensive campaigns. This includes major gift fundraising, corporate and foundation relations, board management, training and mentorship, and a combined thirty years of Higher Ed Advancement experience with expanding and leadership roles 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.

Tatjana Chenoweth

Senior Director of Development, College of Engineering, Design and Computing
407-619-3605
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Tatjana directs the fundraising strategy for the College of Engineering, Design and Computing in partnership with Dean Marty Dunn and members of the faculty and staff. Throughout her career, she has excelled in development and leadership positions in higher education and other nonprofit organizations. Her passion lies in the joy that comes from connecting donors with their philanthropic passion in helping to make education work for all at CU Denver.

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

Director of Gift Planning
310-993-5856
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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. Before joining CU she was 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 join the CU Gift Planning Team and be the conduit for donors managing their own estate plans; often making the most transformational gifts in their lifetime. 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 happy to finally be living in Colorado herself, starting a new pollinator garden and finding new camping spots.

Brendan Hagerty

Senior Director of Development, Business School
917-742-1681
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Pronouns: he/him

Brendan directs the fundraising strategy for the Business School in partnership with the dean 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 cultivating and soliciting major gift donors. 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, traveling with his wife and two daughters, and hiking with his rescue Sato, Walter.

Katie Imhoff

Director of Development, School of Public Affairs
720-560-2316
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Pronouns: she/her

Katie Imhoff serves as the Director of Development for the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs (SPA), partnering with Dean Paul Teske, faculty, and staff to lead SPA’s fundraising efforts. A 2024 graduate of SPA's Master of Public Administration program and current PhD student, Katie is dedicated to connecting philanthropic support to the university’s mission of making education work for all. With a background in international development and nonprofit fundraising, she focuses on building partnerships that advance CU Denver’s commitment to being an equity-serving institution.

Born and raised in Denver, Katie is a 200-hour certified yoga teacher, powder day skier, and arts enthusiast who loves spending time outdoors with her pup Finn, hunting for hidden gems in used bookstores, and exploring local restaurants.

Brett Kinley

Senior Director of Development, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
312-833-3764
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Brett directs the fundraising strategy for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) in partnership with Dean Pamela Jansma and other key leaders. With 10+ years of experience in non-profit fundraising, his broad experience helps connect CU Denver donors with philanthropic opportunities and improve the CU Denver experience for all students on campus.

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.

Anna Linn

Director of Development, College of Architecture and Planning
720-270-0004
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Anna Linn has joined CU Denver's Advancement team as the Director of Development serving the College of Architecture and Planning! Anna comes to us with over 12 years of fundraising experience in higher education, most recently holding positions at Michigan State University and CU Boulder.

Anna believes fiercely in the impact of education and wants to ensure it is accessible to all who seek it. "Educational institutions shape the human experience in so many ways. From academia, to challenging and reshaping societal norms and knowledge, we have the awesome responsibility of ensuring all those who seek to better themselves and their communities are supported in their endeavors".

Her interests are rooted in the human experience and is passionate about climate change, racial inequities and mental health. As an individual born and raised in Colorado, you'll often find her exploring the wilderness, dancing to live music, and eating tacos with her friends, family, and pup Kingsley.

Principal Gifts

Adrian Ingram

Principal Gifts Officer and Interim Managing Director, Industry Foundation Relations
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.

Operations

Nickolas Chabot-Olson

Executive Director, Finance and Administration
303-315-3601
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Nickolas oversees budget & finance, human resources, and the general, day-to-day operations of the Advancement Office. He also supervises the Advancement operations team.

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

Project and Gift Administration Manager
303-315-3601
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Gabi oversees the gift administration process, liaising with Central Advancement and the CU Foundation to get gift agreements drafted and signed. She also assists with fund management and manages cross-area projects and campus initiatives for the team.

She lives in Ann Arbor, MI with her husband, son, and dog, Barkley. She enjoys spending time outside, traveling, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops.

Devon Mearns

Development and Prospecting Coordinator
303-315-3601
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Pronouns: she/her

Devon supports the Office of Advancement as a Development and Prospecting Coordinator. She supports prospect research and reporting, helping to guide strategy and engagement across campus. She manages the donor acknowledgment and recognition process, supports stewardship efforts, and assists with reporting and prospect research. Devon is also a key contact for daily operations and gift handling.

Initially from Virginia, Devon holds her bachelor's 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. She’s an avid skateboarder, snowboarder, and mountain biker, and loves inspiring other women to get into boardsports. When she’s not at the local skatepark, you’ll find her adventuring in the mountains of Colorado with friends and her trusty Subaru.

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