Meet The Development Team
We are here to serve and each of us is eager to make a connection with you.
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Marjorie Beckett
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Marjorie handles all things accounting and budgetary for the department and plays a vital role in setting the organizational processes for our team. She earned both her B.S. & MBA at Florida Tech and has worked as Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs as well as worked in the Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments. Marjorie has also taught several Florida Tech College of Business online courses as well as courses at the local community college. |
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Daniel Blucker |
Daniel handles all areas of gift entry and gift processing for the department as well as accurately records all data in the Raiser’s Edge database ensuring all is reconciled with the Controller’s Office. In addition, he is responsible for completing various financial reports. |
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Kathryn Brinson |
Kathryn works with major donors across the country, and brings her Southern charm as she meets alumni and friends across the country. She also leads our Planned Giving program. |
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Steffanie Brown Director of Prospect Research and Advancement Services, |
Steffanie provides the all the research and information management for the team. When she’s not in the office, she can usually be found at any Florida Tech sporting match! |
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Donna Cassario |
Donna is a graduate and a parent, so naturally she leads our Parent programs, working with the Parent Leadership Council and spearheading parent giving and engagement. |
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John Cornell
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John is responsible for the qualification, cultivation and solicitation of major gifts in the Midwest region. He has long had a passion for higher education, along with athletics, the arts and live music. Originally from Connecticut, John has lived up and down the east coast, always gravitating to the water. While he is not yet ready to take on Gary in chess, he plays a mean game of backgammon and a not-so-mean game of tennis. |
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Gary Grant |
Gary is our fearless leader for the Development team and works closely with major donors, trustees and leadership volunteer groups. He thinks he has a witty sense of humor, but he’s wrong. Plays a decent game of chess though. |
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Shelley Johnson |
Shelley works with major donors across the country and locally. She has been a longtime Melbourne resident. When not serving as a vital ambassador for Florida Tech, she is often found on the golf course. |
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Stevie Johnson |
Stevie works with donors across the country. She has been at the university for 10 years now and has seen first-hand the impact that our students, alumni, faculty and staff have had in making Florida Tech a top-tier university. |
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Ameena Kero |
I started my career in Higher Education, working in different departments in the U.S. and at the international level. As the Foundation Relations Officer of Development at Florida Tech, I search for foundations and funding opportunities, write proposals and grants for funding requests, and assist Deans and faculty to complete proposals and submissions of independent proposals for grant opportunities. |
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Michelle Oesterle
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Michelle will be executing two major events for Florida Tech: the Evening of Hope, which will benefit the Scott Center for Autism Treatment, and Wine Women & Shoes, which will benefit weVENTURE. She will also manage the newly-formed Florida Tech Board of Fellows. Michelle moved from Miami to Brevard in 2004. She can often be found at her son’s football games, her daughter’s softball games, or at a concert or professional sporting event with her husband. |
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Mary Ida Spradlin |
Mary manages a diverse a Student Philanthropy Team that is a growing initiative to connect alumni with students as well as establish giving habits to increase participation rates. She also directs our Day of Giving activities. |
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Lindsey Turner |
Lindsey is responsible for the qualification, cultivation and solicitation of major and planned gifts. In her role, she manages a portfolio of approximately 100 alumni, friends and foundations capable of supporting the university with gifts of $25,000 or more. She recently moved to the beautiful Sunshine State from the Washington, D.C. area, however, she was born and raised in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of VA! |
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Alaena Wade-Meadows |
Lanie makes sure that our constituent relations database plays nicely. She gets everyone the lists they need and ensures data integrity (that means accuracy). She’s good with computers and people! |
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Timothy Worzick |
Tim is our Donor Engagement Coordinator. Together with Gary, he manages our volunteerism programs for alumni, parents, and friends. In addition, he oversees donor stewardship, NetCommunity emails, and Online Express event registrations. You can often catch him pairing students with interviewers in his favorite mapping tool. |
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Gina Yates |
Gina is our tireless athletics fundraiser and makes sure that all our sponsors know how grateful we are. She coordinates our flagship Chopper Dropper/Sporting Affair event each year and works with former athletes across the country. |
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Joanne Zito
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Joanne provides administrative support to the Sr. Vice President for the office of Development. She interacts and communicates with all Development staff, donors, trustees, and other VIPs. Also, Joanne provides support and manages department events, including the Alan Smith Lecture, Tastes of the Season, and other stewardship and fundraising events. |
