President and Chief Executive Officer

Jake Lemon is president and CEO, overseeing operations of the UConn Foundation and its fundraising, alumni relations, and investment activities in support of the University of Connecticut, including all campuses, its Division of Athletics, and UConn Health. Prior to being appointed president and CEO in 2021, he served as vice president for development for five years, raising support for the University of Connecticut, including all campuses, its Division of Athletics, and UConn Health. Previously, Lemon served as was an executive leader and fundraiser at the Florida State University Foundation for seven years, where he was elevated to assistant vice president for development and principal gifts. Lemon led planned giving and major gifts programs, corporate and foundation fundraising, and annual giving. Lemon held major gifts positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he specialized in athletics development, and the University of Mississippi, where he launched a planned giving program for the university’s pharmacy school. Jake earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of Mississippi. He holds a certificate in financial planning from Florida State University.

Senior Vice President for Stakeholder Engagement and Chief Operating Officer

Mo Cotton Kelly is senior vice president for stakeholder engagement and chief operating officer (SVP-COO), with responsibility for driving operational and capital campaign strategy, overseeing key administrative functions, guiding a culture of inclusivity, and managing alumni engagement for UConn’s 255,000-plus alumni worldwide. Cotton Kelly oversees the departments of alumni relations, marketing and communications, and annual giving. She joined the UConn Foundation in 2014 with a national reputation for strong leadership built over two decades in higher education advancement. Previously she was executive director of Bowling Green State University’s Alumni Association. Mo received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BGSU. She is active in the Council for Alumni Association Executives and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

General Counsel

Suzanne O’Conor manages and coordinates legal work for all departments within the UConn Foundation. Before assuming her current role as General 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 in Hartford, Conn. A member of the Connecticut Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Suzanne graduated with high honors with a JD from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and with honors with a BA in economics from the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Senior Vice President and CFO

David L. Carney, CFA was named senior vice president and CFO of the University of Connecticut Foundation in September 2021. In this capacity, he oversees the finance, investment management, and fund administration for the Foundation’s endowment. Prior to joining the Foundation, Carney served as a managing director and investment manager at BlackRock. During his sixteen-year tenure at BlackRock, he managed investment portfolios for endowments, foundations and other institutional clients, overseeing over $20 billion in assets under management, and earlier served an advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of NY and other financial entities and central banks in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Before arriving at BlackRock, Carney held various roles in commercial banking with Bank of America and BNY Mellon. Carney holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a Master of Business Administration from Boston College.

Vice President of Human Resources

Teresa Johnston is the Vice President of Human Resources and oversees talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits, payroll, HR operations, and organization planning & development. Prior to joining the UConn Foundation in June 2015, she was the associate chief HR officer for Community Health Center, Inc. where she led a team of HR professionals responsible for staffing, employee relations, compensation, HRIS, and operations. Additional experience includes several HR consulting assignments, roles in higher education and positions of increasing responsibility in HR for companies in the for-profit sector. Teresa earned a BS in Business and BA in Personnel from the University of Kansas and a MA in Education from the University of Hartford.

Vice President of Advancement Services

Jennifer leads Advancements Services operations at the UConn Foundation with a focus on utilizing data, technology and innovation to propel the Foundation forward. This includes the oversight of gift processing, pledge management, programming services, research/prospect management & business intelligence. Jennifer joined the Foundation in 2001 as a Research Analyst and has served in many capacities during her career including Director of Research, Prospect Management and Data Services, where she played a key role in the implementation of the Foundation’s CRM platform. She is a member of the Blackbaud Higher Education Executive Advisory Board and holds a BS in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University.