Staff

Claudia leads Indiana Philanthropy Alliance as it champions, educates, and connects social impact organizations that collectively invest over $800 million annually in solutions targeting society’s greatest challenges and amplifying its greatest strengths.

Prior to joining IPA in 2019, Claudia served as vice president of strategic development at Conexus Indiana, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) initiative positioning the Hoosier state as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to invest, employ, and succeed. For over ten years, Claudia was a senior leader with Conexus Indiana, overseeing collaborations on workforce development and education between industry, academic, philanthropic, and public sector partners.

Claudia has dedicated her career to public service and community impact. Prior to her work with Conexus Indiana, she was Deputy Commissioner at the Indiana Department of Administration, where she focused on small business development. She has also worked in various policy advocacy, communications, and leadership positions for the Mayor of Indianapolis, Speaker of the Indiana House, Marion County Clerk, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

Claudia currently chairs the Goodwill Education Initiatives Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Indiana University Public Policy Institute Council and as vice chair on the Distinguished Alumni Council for the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). She has also been a member of the State Workforce Innovation Council and the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank.

Claudia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana; and an executive certificate from Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Holly oversees IPA’s public policy initiatives, executes strategic initiatives important to IPA members, and secures sponsorships to aid in furthering IPA's mission.

Holly joins the team at IPA after working for trade associations representing home builders in two of the fastest growing cities in the country—Austin and Seattle. Prior to working on housing policies, Holly served as executive director of the Center for Women and Democracy, Indiana Leadership Forum, and Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series, non-profits focused on civic engagement.   

From 2008-2010, Holly served as an appointed Commissioner on the Marion County Alcoholic Beverage Commission. She has worked for various levels of government, including as staff to the Indiana Senate and Program Director for the Indiana State Treasurer's Office, overseeing the Public Deposit Insurance Fund (PDIF) as well as the Education Savings Authority.  Additionally, Holly implemented a new voting system while directing the Marion County Election Board in 2001, and later organized the first satellite voting sites in the state of Indiana setting the stage for current vote centers.

Holly made the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list in 2009, and was recognized by Governor Mitch Daniels as a Distinguished Hoosier in 2010. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Indiana University-Bloomington and is a 2007 alumnae of the Campaign School at Yale University. She and her husband, Michael, live in Zionsville with their three daughters. 

Amy leads IPA’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. In this work, she oversees board and staff training, consulting, and networking opportunities that strengthen Indiana's 94 community foundations.

Before joining IPA in 2020, Amy served for eight years as executive director of Blue River Community Foundation based in Shelbyville, Indiana. In this role, she built cross-sector partnerships for greater impact, transitioned the foundation to a catalytic model, improved operational efficiencies and nearly doubled the foundation’s assets.

Prior to her work at the community foundation, Amy had a successful career in community development. She was the redevelopment director for the City of Shelbyville and the executive director of Mainstreet Shelbyville. As redevelopment director, Haacker led collaborative plans for community and economic development efforts as a Stellar Communities program finalist. She also helped create a workforce development partnership with the City of Shelbyville and Rose Hulman Institute of Technology that provides local career pathways in engineering, science and technology.

Amy earned her master’s degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and bachelor’s degree from Purdue University’s School of Agriculture. She completed Ball State University’s Building Better Communities Indiana Economic Development course, has a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from IU Lilly School of Philanthropy and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.
 

Adam works with IPA members to make the most of their IPA experience. As a part of the member services team, Adam works on member stewardship, new member recruitment, policy, and communications.

Adam joined the IPA team after working as the Atlantic Region Manager at the Southeastern Wind Coalition, a nonprofit working to advance wind energy in the Southeast. Adam led SEWC's programs in the Atlantic Coast states, including leading the Coalition's priority campaigns within those states, engaging SEWC's members across the Southeast at the federal, state, and local level. Adam has also worked for the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club on conservation and energy policy. 

Adam graduated from George Washington University with a Masters in Environmental Resource Policy. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in both Political Science and Environmental Studies from the University of Richmond where he had earned a scholarship to play baseball.

Jill develops a diverse offering of programs and events for IPA members, stakeholders, and partners. In this role, she explores targeted initiatives and partnerships that support foundation development and impact. Jill also oversees IPA affinity groups and technical assistance to support youth philanthropy.

Jill brings over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, with a strong focus on program and curriculum development, training/evaluation, grant writing, and nonprofit management. Jill previously served as the Program Director and primary contact for the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (YPII), a signature program of IPA, authoring resources and providing technical assistance to promote and support youth philanthropy. Jill also facilitated training on how foundations and nonprofit organizations can engage younger generations in their communities. Passionate about lifelong learning, community collaboration, and empowering younger generations to take action and make a difference, Jill’s prior work experience includes 15 years in the museum field.

Jill earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and master’s degree in Museum Studies and Non-Profit Management from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Terri works with GIFT staff to provide training and on-site consultation for the boards and staff of the 94 community foundations in Indiana. She provides technical assistance in all aspects of the community foundation field.

Before joining IPA in 2012, Terri was the executive director of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF) in Rochester, Indiana, for ten years. Prior to becoming the executive director, she served as NICF board member while also co-owner of her family business. Terri has served on several community nonprofit boards, including Fulton Economic Development Corp. and Fulton County Leadership Academy. She is an active member of Grace United Methodist Church.

She is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and International Business College. She holds degrees in business management and accounting.

Julie supports youth philanthropy related programs, communications, resources, training, and initiatives. She provides technical assistance to members on youth philanthropy, while supporting IPA social media efforts. She provides overall support for the delivery of youth philanthropy training and technical assistance.

Previously, Julie spent four years with the Indiana Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as the Student Series Campaign manager. Working with thousands of students at hundreds of Indiana schools, she raised more than $2 million to support blood cancer research and patients, and became a mentor to colleagues in other chapters. In 2018, Julie took on a more personal role as she managed her daughter’s LLS Student of the Year campaign, which raised $63,107 in seven short weeks. Julie began her nonprofit career as a chapter relations specialist with Sigma Theta Tau, International, the Honor Society of Nursing.

Julie earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs, specializing in public policy, from Indiana University School of Public & Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana.

Sarah serves as a “navigator” for IPA’s GIFT VII community leadership work funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc.

For the past seven years, Sarah has been the director of development for Starke County, part of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation (NICF). In that role, Sarah has had the opportunity to work with a number of coalitions and partnerships, including ones focusing on community health and early childhood education, as well as an effort to achieve a Stellar Community designation. Sarah brings to the role a real passion for community philanthropy with a particular interest in community development. Prior to her work with NICF, Sarah held positions at The Heritage Foundation, the John Jay Institute for Faith, Society, and Law, and the Colorado State House of Representatives.

Sarah graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Political Science and earned her Certificate in Fundraising Management at IUPUI.

Jalen has worked with IPA’s GIFT team since 2016. She is responsible for supporting GIFT initiatives and coordinating event logistics for all GIFT programs, including in-person workshops, boot camps, and online trainings. Jalen also directs GIFT’s Office Manager Deep Dive Days and Luncheons, and she assists extensively with the IPA Conference.

Jalen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Global and International Studies and minor in Religious Studies from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. She is passionate about her community and currently volunteers as a facilitator for Girls Inc., and is a faithful volunteer at the Lincoln Center. 

Lissa oversees IPA’s communications and marketing strategy. In this role, she is a skilled communications jack-of-all-trades—maintaining IPA’s website and CRM integration, managing IPA's brand and outreach efforts, and overseeing IPA's digital communication strategy.

Lissa currently serves as a member of United Philanthropy Forum’s Knowledge Management Collaborative, which unites philanthropy supporting organizations across the country in an effort to improve a shared CRM and website technology platform based on Salesforce and Drupal. She is also the Forum's Communications Peer Community Co-Chair and on the Forum's 2020 conference planning committee held in Seattle.

Prior to joining IPA in 2016, Lissa worked in the corporate sector as senior marketing associate with American Structurepoint, a nationally ranked design firm. In this role, Lissa assisted architectural, urban planning, and engineering marketing and business development efforts for the following markets: federal, municipal, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, education, transportation, environmental, and commercial. Lissa also supported the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts by directing wellness initiatives for 400+ staff in nine offices, while actively participating in the company's volunteer service projects.

Lissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with Studio Art minor from Indiana University Bloomington. While achieving her degree, Lissa served as president of Golden Key International Honor Society, public relations assistant to the Eskenazi Museum of Art, and collections curator for IU Mathers Museum of World Cultures.

Marilee manages accounting files, membership records, data management, HR administration, and other office operations. She serves as a liaison with outside vendors and service providers. Marilee also supports Board and Audit Finance Committee meetings.

Marilee serves IPA’s lead Salesforce administrator. She is also a member of the United Philanthropy Forum’s Finance/Administrative Peer Community and the Knowledge Management Collaborative, which unites philanthropy supporting organizations across the country in an effort to improve a shared CRM and website technology platform based on Salesforce and Drupal. 

Marilee has an Associate of Arts degree, majoring in Humanities, and a Certificate of Secretarial Sciences from Wabash Valley College. She has worked for IPA since 1993.

Michael's work revolves around building and optimizing IPA's organizational processes, measurement systems, and infrastructure to maximize results in operations and services. 

Michael has extensive knowledge in process improvement, having obtained a Project Management Professional Certificate through Project Management Institute (PMI), Six Sigma Black Belt from Purdue MEP Extension, and a LEAN Certificate. 

Prior to joining IPA, Michael served as a performance consultant for the City of Indianapolis in the Office of Audit and Performance under Mayor Joseph Hogsett. This work centered on improving processes, coaching/leadership development, performance management, and strategic planning in an effort to maximize efficiency City-County wide.

Michael currently serves as president of Indy Lightsaber Academy (ILA), where he oversees fundraising efforts, community outreach, staff and board relations, and fiscal budget.

Michael has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Indiana University.