2024 Advancement Institute | Speakers

Kurt is a senior vice president for CCS where he manages CCS’ South Florida strategic growth initiatives. He works with members of the region’s executive leadership team to identify and implement strategic priorities related to business development, communications, institutional partnerships, and client engagement.

Kurt serves on the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers’ Benchmarking Committee. This cooperative venture of NCI-designated centers provides the only annual review of cancer center giving trends across the United States. He is a past board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Maryland Chapter where he co-chaired the membership committee. Kurt also serves on the Association Foundation Group’s research committee.

Kurt graduated from Loyola University Maryland Sellinger School of Business with a MBA and from Penn State University with a bachelor’s in business management and marketing.

Nana joined CCS with over a decade of experience in development and nonprofit management, including securing funding for nonprofit programs in underserved communities across the Washington, DC region. She has partnered with more than a dozen nonprofits- assisting teams, volunteers, and other stakeholders to identify and implement, the most effective management and fundraising strategies to achieve their goals and mission. She recently served as the Project Manager for UNCF (United Negro College Fund). In this role, she led both a development assessment and a feasibility and planning study. Following the onset of COVID-19, and with UNCF, Nana directed an initiative to secure essential funds to prevent a disruption in the education of students at HBCUs and other higher education institutions. More than $80 million was secured in just 7 months.

Nana serves on the Development Committee for Childhood Education International and is a Neighbor Ride volunteer – providing seniors with reliable transportation. She previously served on the Montgomery County Board of Social Services and the grant review committees for Montgomery Coalition for Adult Education Literacy, DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation, and DC Office of Latino Affairs.

Nana received her M.P.A. in international development and nonprofit management from The George Washington University and B.A. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

A seasoned fundraising and consulting professional, Allyson’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, major and principal gifts, foundation and corporate relations, and development staff management, training, and evaluation.

Allyson holds a B.A. in psychology and a M.L.A. with a concentration in urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She has served on the boards of the Center for Responsible Funding and the Bread and Roses Community Fund.

Bob Weston brings to CCS 30 years of independent school experience and expertise as an educator, administrator, and fundraiser. Over the span of his career, Bob has held several senior administrative positions, and worked extensively on hiring and recruiting faculty, collaborating on institutional strategic planning, and directing annual, major gifts, and capital campaign fundraising programs.

In his most recent role as associate head for external affairs at St. George’s School, Bob directed the communications, alumni relations, and development offices, while also serving as the school’s chief fundraiser. He spearheaded the school’s From These Walls capital campaign, which raised over $32 million for programs, facilities, and endowment. He also directed the fundraising efforts to raise $3.5 million for the construction of two turf fields, and he helped to grow the annual fund during the school’s capital campaign.

As an experienced fundraiser and school administrator, Bob’s deep knowledge of independent schools’ culture, programs, and fundraising needs uniquely positions him to serve our independent clients well.

Bob received his M.A. in English literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and his B.A. in English from Amherst College.