Challenges and Opportunities in Institutional Advancement and Development: A Master Class with Leading Experts
In late 2024, Perfect Image assembled a group of widely respected education and nonprofit leaders from the U.S. Southeast and East Coast to meet and discuss the most salient issues of the day in the field of Advancement and Development. Challenges and opportunities are presented in a professionally filmed and produced master class video series, providing valuable insights into distinct areas of this evolving field of specialization at today’s educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.
The discussion, which was conceived and produced for the benefit of allied professionals and those who aspire to leadership roles in this critical field, resulted in the production of eight videos that home in on specific topics, including these and more:
Evolution of the professionalized roles of today’s Advancement and Development leaders - Talent retention challenges and the importance of strong organizational leadership
- Strategies for building community, engagement, and constituent and donor relationships
- The value of storytelling and prioritizing in-person communications in today’s digital era
- How to engage and cultivate support and advocacy among younger generations
“Bringing together such an exceptional group of leaders made for an authentic and compelling discussion,” says Ira Jackson, president of Perfect Image, who hosted and moderated the event in Atlanta. “We created short videos from the roundtable discussion to provide Advancement and Development professionals the flexibility to go straight to the issues and opportunities that are most relevant to their needs and journeys in the field. It’s all gold, with no footage left on the cutting room floor. There's no doubt that these perspectives and meaningful commentary will be of great value to other Advancement and Development professionals for years to come.”
Meet the master class experts
Douglas Tieman
Former President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, and Principal of Tieman Advisors
Douglas Tieman’s tenure in the field of behavioral healthcare includes more than 25 years as President and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers, one of the United States’ largest nonprofit addiction treatment centers. During this time, Caron’s revenue increased tenfold, and philanthropy grew to exceed $20 million annually. As president emeritus, Tieman continues to serve as advisor to Caron’s current CEO and board. Upon his retirement from Caron in 2021, he founded Tieman Advisors, a leadership consultancy for other mission-driven organizations.
Tieman is chairman of the boards of New York-based Arcs Health and the Florida-based Toxic Abusive Relationship (TAR) Network. He also serves on the board and governance committee of Tower Health in Pennsylvania, is a board member of Pennsylvania’s Alvernia University, serving on the philanthropy and development committee, and is a board and executive committee member of the Satell Institute in Pennsylvania. Tieman is a frequent public speaker and author of “Flying Over the Pigpen: Leadership Lessons Learned on the Farm.” He has authored many articles for professional journals and received numerous industry awards. Tieman earned a Doctor of Law degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science Composite from Concordia University in Nebraska, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Northwood Institute in Florida.
Emilie Henry
Vice President for Institutional Advancement, The Westminster Schools
Leadership development and advancement executive Emilie Henry joined The Westminster Schools in 2013 as Vice President for Institutional Advancement. She previously served as Director of Advancement for Atlanta’s Trinity School and earlier as Director of Development for Yellowstone National Park. Henry is a frequent speaker and educator at national advancement conferences and consults across the United States in the areas of leadership development and advancement operations.
She currently serves as chair of the U.S./Canada Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and is a former chair of the CASE Independent Schools Leadership Group (ISLG), a consortium of top-performing chief advancement officers. Henry also served for six years on the faculty of the CASE Summer Institute for Independent Schools (now known as the School Advancement Institute). She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Montana.
Janel Margaretta
Chief Impact Officer, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA)
Janel Margaretta is a nonprofit leader and executive with 25 years of fundraising, leadership development, and communications experience in the philanthropic space, specializing in the Jewish community. Prior to her 2023 appointment as Chief Impact Officer for the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Margaretta served for 15 years as the organization’s Chief Development and Communications Officer. She is a transformative leader, storyteller, speaker, trainer, and relationship builder in overseeing the MJCCA’s financial resource development, leadership development, and marketing and communications functions.
As of 2024, under her leadership, Margaretta and her team had helped the MJCCA secure more than $100 million in contributions and grants. Margaretta’s collective experience also includes multiple leadership and consultancy roles in service to the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and the Jewish Federations of North America. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University.
Juan McGruder, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Meharry Medical College
Dr. Juan McGruder was appointed Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Meharry Medical College in 2023, following more than 25 years of experience in leadership, program development, and management. He arrived at Meharry Medical College from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, where he drove business development as Vice President of Advancement.
McGruder earlier served as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Junior Achievement of Georgia, which was preceded by his service to the institutional advancement teams of Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. McGruder earned a Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, and a Master of Education degree in Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University. Additionally, he holds a Master of Arts degree in Counseling and Human Development and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Clark Atlanta University.
Stacey Jones Spillers
Director of Foundation Relations and Strategic Partnerships, Berry College
Stacey Jones Spillers was appointed Director of Foundation Relations and Strategic Partnerships at Berry College in 2018, following 16 years of service to the institution after a series of roles, including Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer and Senior Advancement Officer. Jones Spillers’ career spans the education, nonprofit, marketing, and economic development sectors in the state of Georgia, contributing to her unique perspective and expertise in effective relationship building, institutional advancement, and executive leadership.
In addition to her position at Berry College, she has served as a member of the board of trustees for the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation in Atlanta since 2022, following her role as advisor to the Foundation in 2020. Jones Spillers earned a Master of Science degree in Marketing from Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Mississippi State University.
Host and Moderator — Ira Jackson, Jr.
President, Perfect Image
Host and moderator Ira Jackson is a staunch advocate of educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. Beyond his firm’s decades of service as a commercial printing partner for these community pillars, Jackson has served the missions of many as a board director and development committee member. He currently serves on the board of trustees of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, the Atlanta Youth Academy Foundation, and The Westminster Schools in Atlanta. Jackson also serves on the corporate board of trustees for Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Caron Treatment Centers, where he is a member of the marketing committee and chair of the Atlanta Regional Advisory Board.
In 2024, Jackson received the Benjamin Franklin Award from the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG), the highest honor conferred to an individual for major contributions to the state's print and graphic arts community. His firm was named the 2024 Minority-Owned Business of the Year by the Cobb County, Georgia, Chamber of Commerce, and a Cobb County Top 25 Small Business of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Jackson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Rhodes College in Tennessee, is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Summer Venture in Management Program in Massachusetts and completed the Advanced Management Education Program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Chicago. He also attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
View the Master Class Video Series Here
About Perfect Image
Based in Marietta, Georgia, since 1982, Perfect Image is a full-service commercial printer and marketing support provider, and a certified minority business enterprise (MBE). The firm specializes in serving educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and small to mid-sized businesses in Georgia, the Southeast, and nationwide. Services include high-end offset lithography (including UV LED printing), variable digital printing, wide format printing, specialty production, post-press finishing, distribution, tracking, and strategic marketing support services.
