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Meet the Staff

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Meet the UNC Asheville development staff—a talented group of professionals dedicated to helping you find ways to share the dream of UNC Asheville. We welcome your questions, comments, and visits.

Donald R. Gray
Interim Executive Director of the UNC Asheville Foundation
828.251.6525
dgray1@unca.edu

Don Gray is serving as Interim Executive Director of the UNC Asheville Foundation while the search for a new Vice Chancellor of Advancement proceeds. Don retired as the Vice President for Principal Gifts at the University of Wisconsin Foundation in 2007 but has remained active as a consultant to institutions interested in defining the important role of academic leaders in the development process, as a volunteer for CASE, and as a senior associate in development to the University of Wisconsin System. Don and his wife Joan plan to return to Wisconsin by mid-2012 but hope to remain closely connected to beautiful Asheville indefinitely.

Julie C. Heinitsh
Director of Development
828.232.2430
jheinits@unca.edu

For Julie, it’s all about making connections between donors and students and faculty around common interests, needs, and passions. She secures major gifts and endowments, planned and estate gifts, scholarships, and directs the Women’s Philanthropy Program. Securing resources needed for a strong financial foundation is a constant source of pride for Julie because she knows this means that current and future students will benefit. Her time outside of work is spent with family and friends, working in the community, baking anything chocolate, reading English history, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Laura C. Herndon
Director of Annual Fund
828.232.5132
lherndon@unca.edu

Laura recently joined the development office as the Director of Annual Fund. Laura will be working with alumni, parents and friends of UNC Asheville to develop and cultivate relationships. Laura is also a newcomer to Asheville, having moved from Atlanta, GA where she was an attorney for a civil litigation firm. She is thrilled to be part of the experienced Development Team and the UNC Asheville family. In her free time Laura enjoys playing tennis, cooking, reading, and exploring Asheville and its surrounding region.

Karen Meigs
Development Specialist
828.232.2407
kmeigs@unca.edu

Karen Wallace Meigs works part-time as a Development Specialist. A former Durham Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Karen has previously served as Youth and Schools Coordinator for the Orange County (NC) Dispute Settlement Center; Coordinator of Public Information, Volunteers, and Grants for Orange County Schools; Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Orange County; and Director of Development for the UNC Chapel Hill School of Education. She has served on more than sixty local and regional committees and enjoys collaborative problem-solving. Her favorite part of development is facilitating a win-win situation for UNC Asheville and the donors she comes to know as friends. A faculty spouse, whose children often play on the quad, UNC Asheville has a special place in Karen Meigs' heart. "The quality of education here is first-rate," she says. "My job is to find potential donors, get to know their interests, and, hopefully, bring them to campus. The story of this university is incredibly compelling and no one tells it better than our outstanding faculty and students."

Julia Fuog Caudill
Director of Advancement Services
828.251.6016
jcaudill@unca.edu

Julia manages the department financials, and also handles gift and pledge processing, and database maintenance. She takes great satisfaction in this support role and says that by taking care of administrative needs, other development staff can focus on fundraising. She is proud to be a part of the UNC system, and glad that North Carolina has a clear vision of the importance of education. When she’s not working, Julia enjoys traveling, reading, walking, yard work, and watching old movies.

Jamye Cooper
Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
828.251.6807
jcooper@unca.edu

As Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Jamye works on behalf of the University to build mutually beneficial relationships with companies and foundations. She is especially interested in identifying areas of mutual interest, and notes that the diverse UNC Asheville community presents the ciritical thinking skills, creativity and passion that are so desirable to corporations and foundations. She takes great pride in knowing that when she is successful in bringing a corporation or foundation's interest and the University's need together, students (our future leaders), as well as, the larger community benefit. Outside of work, Jamye devotes a great amount of time to volunteering with several civic groups, enjoys tennis, swimming, sailing and travel.

Cindy Clarke
Executive Director of the UNC Asheville Family Business Forum
828.232.5091
cclarke@unca.edu

Cindy has been the Executive Director of the UNC Asheville Family Business Forum since 2006. The Forum is a continuing education association for family owned and privately held businesses. Under her guidance the Forum has gained community exposure; participated on a local talk radio program; had programs videotaped and broadcasted on the local Education Television Station; designed marketing materials and email newsletter; increased its members and strategic partners; and created the position as a key component to business relations in the Department of Development.

Cindy was raised in a family owned business in Weaverville, NC. A graduate of UNC Charlotte, her career began in sales. She is an active member of First Presbyterian Church, and sits on the board of its Childcare Center. Previous boards she has served on include the North Carolina Governor’s Western Residence, Caring for Children and Junior League of Asheville.

Cindy is married to Billy Clarke, an environmental attorney with Roberts and Stevens. They have five children and one grandchild. She enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, hiking, cooking, and vacationing in Maine.

Helen Garr
Database Assistant
828.250.2303
hgarr@unca.edu

Helen does a thorough job handling gift processing and demographic updates to UNC Asheville Foundation’s database—no small task. She is proud of UNC Asheville’s public responsibility to serve the needs of the community. When not at her computer, Helen loves walking in the mountain forests of Western North Carolina because she deeply appreciates and enjoys nature.

Claudia Harrelson
Database Assistant
828.232.5129
charrels@unca.edu

Claudia serves as database and gift processor. She is happy to be part of Advancement Services/Development as well as the larger UNCA Community. Claudia enjoys shelling the beaches of her native SW Florida, hiking and birding in the NC mountains, reading, photography, movies and spending time with her family (both daughters are UNCA alumni).

Sophia Ungert
Executive Assistant
828.251.6525
sungert@unca.edu

Sophia serves UNC Asheville as Executive Assistant and Stewardship Coordinator. She is responsible for providing administrative support to the Executive Director of the Foundation, the Director of Development, and the Foundation Board. A newcomer to fundraising, she is excited about the chance to take part in the University's development efforts as Stewardship Coordinator. Sophia represents the Development Office at University and community events and builds relationships with donors, providing them opportunities to take part in the successes their gifts foster on campus. When she is not at her desk, Sophia drives the family shuttle bus for her three children, fills her free time with cooking, reading and gardening, and satisfies an extreme wanderlust with frequent road trips and international travel.

Cindy Corley
Adminstrative Office Support
828.232.5045
ccorley@unca.edu

Cindy joined the Development Department offering part-time Administrative Office Support. She is a native of Asheville and a recent empty-nester. Cindy is looking forward to being able to contribute to the efforts of the outstanding Development Department, the UNCA family and the surrounding community as a way of continuing to give back to her beautiful hometown.

Outside of work, Cindy enjoys volunteer work, traveling, hiking with her husband and their two puppies (empty-nest fillers) and, when possible, spending time with her two grown children who are in undergrad and graduate school.

Sophia serves UNC Asheville as Executive Assistant and Stewardship Coordinator. She is responsible for providing administrative support to the Executive Director of the Foundation, the Director of Development, and the Foundation Board. A newcomer to fundraising, she is excited about the chance to take part in the University's development efforts as Stewardship Coordinator. Sophia represents the Development Office at University and community events and builds relationships with donors, providing them opportunities to take part in the successes their gifts foster on campus. When she is not at her desk, Sophia drives the family shuttle bus for her three children, fills her free time with cooking, reading and gardening, and satisfies an extreme wanderlust with frequent road trips and international travel.