Committees & Volunteer Opportunities

The Washington Planned Giving Council (WPGC) has several standing committees where Board members and non-Board Council members work to ensure that our educational offerings and communications are valuable, compelling, and current. Committee membership is a great way to build your planned giving network and expand your knowledge of the field.  New committee members are always welcome! For questions on how to get more involved, please contact Board President John Creahan at john@cairn-law.com or (206) 621-5848.

Awards Committee
Chair: Howard Johnson
The Awards Committee is in charge of selecting the honoree for the annual Professional Achievement Award at the WPGC Planned Giving Day Conference. The award is to publicly recognize a career of dedication and a remarkable accumulation of knowledge in the field of planned giving.

Communications Committee
Chair: Charisse Valtinson
The Communications Committee oversees the WPGC website and email correspondence sent by the WPGC as well as cross promotion with other organizations.

Membership Committee
Chair: Kristi Mathisen
The Membership Committee is in charge of recruiting new members, promoting membership benefits and discovering new ways to engage our over 150 existing members.

Mentor Program Committee
Chair: Albert Thurmond
The Mentor Program Committee works with new members to identify and connect them with the best gift planning mentors for their background and gift planning goals.

Planned Giving Day Conference Committee
Co-Chairs, 2013 Conference: Christina Lui and Greg Whitney
The Conference Committee plans all aspects of the premier Planned Giving Annual Conference in this region each year. This includes selecting a theme to address the most relevant gift planning topics of the day, inviting and scheduling speakers for all conference sessions, securing the date and location of the conference, preparing conference materials, and marketing the event. 

Program Committee
Chair: Lorraine del Prado
The Program Committee selects the topics for our luncheon programs, invites and schedules speakers, and compiles the follow up surveys.  The monthly luncheons are core of WPGC’s array of educational offerings. 

Sponsorship Committee
Chair: John Creahan
The Sponsorship Committee secures support from corporations and foundations each year to support our Planned Giving Day Conference. The Sponsorship Committee oversees the recognition of our sponsors and promotion of our sponsorship opportunities year round.

Other Volunteer Opportunities
In addition to joining the committees above, you can volunteer to assist with Council activities, from working the day of our Planned Giving Day Conference, to running the registration table at our luncheons, to hosting our Virtual Seminars. Volunteering is another way to get the most from your WPGC membership! For questions on how to you can volunteer, please contact Board President John Creahan at john@cairn-law.com or (206) 621-5848.