Executive Biographies

John has more than 40 years of experience in higher education management. Previously, he was vice chancellor for advancement at the University System of Maryland and president/chief executive officer of the University of Maryland Foundation. At the University of Bridgeport, he was vice president for university relations. He has served as both a member and chair of the Foundation Leadership Committee of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB). Additionally, he has served as treasurer of the Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education (CASE), as well as chair and member of numerous CASE committees. He has earned three CASE awards, including the District I Distinguished Service Award (1977), the District 2 Distinguished Service Award (1991) and the Professional Leadership Award for a foundation with more than $100 million in assets (2002).

Currently, John is a member and chair of the Nominating Committee for the Hartford Club. He earned a B.S. in business administration and an M.B.A. from the University of Bridgeport.

Lisa Baronio
Vice President for Development
860.486.4618
lbaronio@foundation.uconn.edu
Lisa oversees fundraising activities to ensure that the Foundation’s goals are met. She serves as the chief development officer and provides leadership to the Foundation’s team of development officers. Lisa plans and oversees constituent development, annual giving, gift planning and principal and major gifts. She also cultivates and manages a portfolio of principal and major donors. Before joining the Foundation in 2005, Lisa was associate vice president for development at the Wichita State University Foundation and held positions in management and development at the University of Nebraska Foundation. Lisa earned an E.M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She earned a B.A. in computer science and a B.B.A. in management science from the University of Iowa.

David Vance
Vice President for Finance and Controls
860.486.6684
dvance@foundation.uconn.edu
David has been a member of the senior management team since joining the Foundation in 2003. Among his leadership responsibilities are overseeing financial accounting and reporting as well as budget development and control. Additionally, David supports stewardship activities and oversees the handling of financial information and compliance with state, federal and Foundation regulations. David has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Previously, David was controller at Wesleyan University for 18 years and held leadership positions at Rutgers and Princeton Universities. David is a Certified Public Accountant. He earned an M.B.A. from Michigan State University and a B.S. from Purdue University.

Kevin A. Edwards
Associate Vice President for Treasury Services
860.486.1203
kedwards@foundation.uconn.edu
Kevin, who joined the Foundation in 1997, manages the investment of assets, cash, debt compliance and deferred gift administration. He is a member of the steering committee for the Student-Managed Fund, which gives UConn business students the opportunity to manage the portfolio of a $2-million endowment from the Foundation. Kevin is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the Hartford Society of Financial Analysts. Additionally, he sits on the boards of directors for the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association and the Granby Education Foundation. Previously, Kevin worked for eight years at George Weiss Associates managing accounting and reporting for domestic and international hedge fund partnerships. For four years prior, he worked in public accounting at Blum Shapiro & Co. PC, focusing on the audit of investment firms and non-profit organizations. Kevin graduated cum laude with a B.S. in accounting from the University of Connecticut.

Suzanne M. O’Conor
Counsel
860.486.4436
soconor@foundation.uconn.edu
Suzanne manages and coordinates legal work for all departments within the Foundation. Before assuming her current role as counsel in 2000, Suzanne served as a development officer in charge of planned gifts from 1995 to 1999. Prior to joining the Foundation, Suzanne was an associate at Shipman & Goodwin. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Suzanne graduated with high honors with a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and with honors with a B.A. in economics from the College of Holy Cross.

Brian J. Otis
Associate Vice President for Campaign Management
860.486.5960
botis@foundation.uconn.edu
Brian serves as the point person for the Foundation’s capital campaign. Brian’s responsibilities include planning and implementing effective fundraising strategies. He identifies and solicits top-tier prospective donors and works closely with major contributors. Brian also supervises a staff of five development officers. Since joining the Foundation in 1998, Brian has held positions as an assistant director for major gifts and both associate director and director of development for the School of Business. Previously, he served as a development and major gifts officer at Cheshire Academy, a preparatory school in Cheshire, Conn. Brian earned a B.A. from Castleton State College and an E.M.B.A. from the School of Business at the University of Connecticut.

Dina Plapler
Vice President for Development
Office of Development and Alumni Relations, UConn Health Center
860.679.8077
dplapler@foundation.uconn.edu
Dina is responsible for the management of fundraising activities associated with the University of Connecticut Health Center. She has extensive fundraising management experience, with expertise in major giving, special events and planned giving. She comes to the UConn Foundation from the new Connecticut Science Center, where she was responsible for a multi-million dollar major giving program and helped them to achieve their campaign goal of $160 million. Well-known and highly respected throughout the community, Dina has well-established relationships with senior corporate executives and community leaders. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University, a law degree from Georgetown University and is an adjunct graduate faculty member of Bay Path College.

Hal C. Reed
Assistant Vice President for Planned Giving
860.486.6135
hreed@foundation.uconn.edu
Hal solicits and stewards major and principal planned gifts, which include deferred and non-cash donations such as bequests, annuities, real estate and life insurance. He also provides charitable estate planning information to donors and their financial advisors. Before joining the Foundation in 2006, Hal spent nearly 10 years managing planned giving programs at Auburn University and the University of Central Florida. Prior to entering the non-profit field, Hal was a practicing attorney, and then a trust banker for more than 15 years. Hal is a Certified Fund Raising Professional. He is a member of the Planned Giving Group of Connecticut, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Bar Association. Hal earned a B.A. from Southwestern College and a J.D. from the University of Kansas.