Mary Beth Congdon, guest speaker at the Norwalk seminar, is Deputy Director, planned giving, at Yale University. She previously served as director of planned giving at Quinnipiac University, director of planned giving at Simmons College, and associate director of development and planned giving at The Masonic Charity Foundation. She holds a B.A. from Albertus Magnus College, an M.S. from Southern Connecticut State University, and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. Mary Beth has spent more than 25 years working in the major and planned gift field, and has spoken at conferences sponsored by CASE, LEAVE A LEGACY® CONNECTICUT, and at regional Planned Giving Councils. She is a former board member of the Planned Giving Group of New England (PGGNE), and a past president of the Planned Giving Group of Connecticut (PGGCT).[top]

Thomas P. Lockerby, guest speaker at the Boston seminar, is Vice President for Development at Boston College, where he also serves as Campaign Director. In these roles, he directs a comprehensive campaign effort, which has an ambitious goal of $1.5 billion. Thom oversees BC’s Principal Gift, Leadership Gift, Gift Planning, Annual Giving, School Development and Organizational Giving areas. Thom has spent his entire career working in or consulting with charities, primarily focusing on major and planned gift fund raising. His expertise is advising donors and families about strategies to effectively maximize their philanthropy in concert with overall financial, estate planning, and wealth transfer goals.

Prior to joining BC, Thom served as Director of Gift Planning at Dartmouth College. Previously, he was Relationship Manager at Kaspick & Company, an investment firm specializing in charitable trusts and endowments; Vice President at PG Calc Incorporated, a development software company; and Director of Development Relations at Harvard Business School. Thom has been a presenter at regional and national conferences, and his articles have appeared in Planned Giving Today and the Journal of Gift Planning. He is the immediate past Chair of the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning, is on the Board of Polaris Project, and is a past president of the Planned Giving Group of New England. Thom is a graduate of Harvard College. [top]

Wayne Mones, guest speaker at the New York City seminar, was a career development professional from 1971 until his retirement in 2011. He served as Vice President of the National Audubon Society, where he directed its nation wide planned giving program between 1984 and 2011. During his career at Audubon the planned giving program realized over $250,000 million in revenue from matured bequests, life income gifts, and other planned gift vehicles, and approximately $300,000,000 in future commitments. He also closed a number of complicated real estate gifts.

Wayne has served as Treasurer, Vice President, and President of the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York from which he received the distinguished service award in April, 2011. He was a founding board member of the National Committee for Planned Giving where he served as Vice President , and chaired the education committee which produced the first syllabus for gift planners. Wayne has also been a speaker at many professional conferences around the country.

Wayne has published articles on gift planning, fly fishing, fly tying, and birding optics, and been an active blogger on the Audubon web site. He has also served as a planned giving consultant to a number of charitable organizations. [top]

Ellen O'Connor Shugart, guest speaker at the Sturbridge seminar, is vice president for planned giving for the American Heart Association. Previously, she served as associate vice president for planned giving at the Arthritis Foundation, and as director of planned giving and major gifts for the Connecticut chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, where she established the chapter's first formal planned giving program. Ellen formerly served as director of development and public relations at the Hartford Camerata Conservatory of Music. She is a past president of PGGCT, and a regular speaker at conferences across the country. [top]