Meet the Planned Giving Day Presenters

Learn from experienced professionals working across fundraising, charitable gift planning, philanthropy, law, tax, wealth management, and donor advising.

Attendees are welcome to move between tracks throughout the day and build an educational experience that best fits their interests and professional goals.

Plenary Sessions

Understanding Donors

Explore donor motivations, philanthropic behavior, family dynamics, relationship-building, and the human factors that influence charitable decisions.

Session I - Getting to Yes: Helping Donors Overcome Obstacles to Giving

What happens when a donor who seemed ready to give suddenly hesitates? This session will explore the obstacles that can prevent donors from moving forward and strategies gift planners and advisors can use to help donors navigate those barriers.

Amy Secor
Senior Wealth Advisor, Mariner

With over 25 years of experience, Amy brings deep expertise and a personal, relationship-based approach to financial advising. She is a dedicated wealth advisor who partners with families to simplify complexity and bring clarity to their financial lives. She delivers comprehensive wealth management and personalized planning strategies, helping clients grow and protect their wealth through guidance in areas such as tax and estate planning, risk management and retirement income planning.

Prior to joining Mariner, Amy served as a senior wealth management advisor at TIAA, where she worked extensively with professionals in academia and the nonprofit sector.

Austin Kellogg
Estate Gift Planning Director, Cascade PBS

Austin Kellogg is the Estate Gift Planning Director at Cascade PBS. With over a decade of fundraising experience, she currently works with donors to help them include Cascade PBS in their estate plans and find giving options that align with their personal and financial goals.

Liz Ryan, JD
Assistant Vice President and Director - Gift Planning, Washington State University Foundation

Liz Ryan, JD, Assistant Vice President and Director, Gift Planning has spent her 25-year career with the Washington State University Foundation helping donors meet their financial and personal goals through creative gift plans that transform students, research, and communities.

Amy Scott
Board Member, Washington Planning Giving Council

For over 24 years, Amy helped University of Washington donors make an impact through gifts of real property, gifts in wills, gifts that pay an income, and endowed gifts.

Session II - We Are Family: Family Dynamics in Philanthropic Planning

Charitable estate planning rarely happens in isolation. This session will examine the role family relationships and dynamics can play in philanthropic decisions and how professionals can navigate those conversations thoughtfully and effectively.

Michael Longyear, JD
Member, Reed Longyear

Michael Longyear has over 30 years of experience helping clients make decisions regarding their personal and estate planning, guardianship proceedings, and probate and trust administration.

Michael has been recognized as a 2025 Super Lawyer in 2001-2010 and 2014-2024. He was also named Seattle Best Lawyer in 2001 and 2003 by Seattle magazine. Michael received the Highest Possible Peer Review Rating in Trusts & Estates from Martindale-Hubbell for being rated AV Preeminent by his peers. He is a Children’s Legacy Advisor at Seattle Children’s, a member of the Estate Planning Council of Seattle, and a member of the Washington Planned Giving Council.

Gina Cittadini
Director, Estate and Gift Planning, American Cancer Society

Gina Cittadini is Director of Estate & Gift Planning for the American Cancer Society, serving the Pacific Northwest. With more than 20 years of experience in financial services and philanthropy, she has worked with individuals, families, and professional advisors navigating complex financial, estate, and legacy decisions.

A Washington native with deep roots in the state and a large, close-knit family, Gina brings both professional experience and a personal appreciation for the complexities of family dynamics. She is an active member of the Washington Planned Giving Council, East King County Estate Planning Council, and South Sound Planned Giving Council.

James Mahoney, MSF
Wealth Manager, Laid Norton Wetherby

James draws on over two decades of experience in finance and client advisory services to provide the analysis, insights and guidance clients need to make the best possible decisions around family goals and financial stewardship.

His fields of expertise include working with public company executives, concentrated stock and stock option diversification strategies, and multigenerational wealth transfers. Within LNW, James serves as a thought leader on these and other multi-faceted strategies.

Prior to joining LNW, James was the Chief Operating Officer, advisor and shareholder at Filament LLC, a wealth advisory firm that merged with Laird Norton Wealth Management, LNW’s predecessor.

Amy Scott
Board Member, Washington Planning Giving Council

For over 24 years, Amy helped University of Washington donors make an impact through gifts of real property, gifts in wills, gifts that pay an income, and endowed gifts.

Session III - Beyond the Gift: What Multigenerational Families Can Teach Us About Human Flourishing, Generosity, and Legacy

Explore what multigenerational families can teach us about generosity, purpose, legacy, and the deeper motivations that shape philanthropic decision-making.

Janell Turner, CSPG, CAP, Certified 21/64 Advisor
Managing Director, Phila Engaged Giving

Janell is Managing Director at Phīla Engaged Giving, a full-service philanthropic advisory firm. She provides thought leadership about giving with purpose and values, with an eye toward the intersection of personal fulfillment and impact. She also serves as Phīla’s liaison to family offices and is a connector with allied professionals in financial services and estate planning. Janell enjoys partnering with people who desire to align their lifetime giving with their legacies.

Janell stewards her knowledge of the field to help philanthropists navigate the how, what and why of social change so that their giving is more joyful, purpose-driven, and informed.

Building Stronger Programs

Sponsored by U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management

Discover practical approaches for strengthening planned giving programs, building internal and external partnerships, and creating systems that support sustainable growth.

Session I - Partnering with Professional Advisors for Planned Giving Success

Professional advisors can be powerful partners in helping donors achieve their charitable goals. This session will explore how nonprofit professionals can develop productive relationships with advisors and work together more effectively on behalf of donors.

Jill McIlroy
Senior Philanthropy Advisor, US Bank

Jill McIlroy, CAP®, is a Senior Philanthropic Advisor with U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. She advises nonprofit organizations, families, and business owners on charitable planning, governance, fundraising, and complex gift strategies. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Jill spent more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector, including as a Philanthropic Advisor with the Arizona Community Foundation. She holds a master's degree in Nonprofit Studies from Arizona State University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Philanthropic Studies from the University of Kent in the UK. Jill serves on the Board of Directors for Arizona Charitable Gift Planners and resides in Phoenix.

Session II - ONE DISCOVERY PLAYBOOK: GROWING PLANNED GIVING THROUGH BETTER DONOR CONVERSATIONS

Most planned gifts begin with a conversation. This session offers one set of discovery questions that works for both major and planned gifts, includes a live, unscripted donor conversation with the audience, and shows how to decide where each donor belongs.

Lina Miller
Founder and Principal, Miller Impact Collective

Lina Miller is the Founder & Principal of Miller Impact Collective, partnering with nonprofits to build and strengthen major and principal gifts programs. With over 25 years of fundraising leadership, she has led high-performing major gifts programs at Earthjustice and The Nature Conservancy, securing hundreds of millions in philanthropic support for nature conservation, climate, human rights, and social justice organizations. She has helped organizations of all sizes envision and build values-aligned fundraising programs that secure six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts. Lina brings a heart-centered, systems-minded approach to every engagement, with a track record of building lasting fundraising teams.

Session III - In the Trenches: A Panel of Local Professionals Sharing Successes and Lessons Learned when Growing a PG Program

Hear directly from local professionals about what it really takes to grow a planned giving program. This practical panel will share successes, challenges, lessons learned, and ideas attendees can take back to their own organizations.

Alex Kerl, CSPG
Planned Giving Officer, Woodland Park Zoo

Alex Kerl joined Woodland Park Zoo as their first Planned Giving Officer in 2023. She has worked in development, volunteer engagement and community building for the past thirteen years. Alex is excited by the unique ways legacy giving builds stronger donor relationships, helps inspire increased engagement, and is an accessible way for everyone to make a positive impact on their communities. Alex earned her Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) designation in 2025. When she is not at the zoo, Alex can be found birding around Puget Sound and learning to play banjo and steelpan.

Katrina Harvie-Watt, JD
Associate Director of Leadership Giving, KEXP

Katrina Harvie-Watt is the Associate Director of Advancement, Leadership Giving, at KEXP — Seattle's independent, listener-powered music station. She's a former attorney who traded courtrooms for community-building over 15 years ago, starting out as a volunteer at her kids' schools before finding her way to KEXP. Today she's a Major Gift Officer and leads the station's planned giving program, the Reverb Society, which launched back in 2018. She's looking forward to swapping stories about what it really takes to build a planned giving program from the ground up (legal background included, estate planning expertise very much not).

Rachelle Nesta, MBA
Director of Philanthropy and Planned Giving, The Seattle Public Library Foundation

Rachelle Nesta is Director of Philanthropy and Planned Giving at The Seattle Public Library Foundation, where she oversees the major gifts and planned giving programs. She brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience, primarily with organizations serving youth in foster care and survivors of domestic violence. Rachelle is passionate about donor engagement, philanthropy, and the transformative power of libraries. Outside of work, she enjoys crocheting, paddleboarding, tabletop gaming, and any opportunity to talk about Wyoming, her home state.

Structuring Complex Gifts

Build technical knowledge and explore strategies for navigating sophisticated assets, tax considerations, and complex charitable giving opportunities.

Session I - Equity Compensation: Opportunities for Transformational Gifts

Explore common forms of equity compensation and the charitable planning opportunities they can create, including considerations for working with donors whose wealth may be concentrated in equity-based assets.

Ashley Francis, CPA, PFS
Private Client Services Director, Andersen

Ashley Francis is a director in the Private Client Services practice at Andersen with experience advising high-net-worth individuals and their related entities on complex tax matters. She provides tax planning, compliance, and advisory services to support clients’ long-term wealth and estate planning objectives.

Angie Meyers, CFP
Wealth Advisor, LNW

Angie is a wealth advisor who partners closely with individuals and families to design and implement integrated, tax efficient wealth strategies that support their long term goals. She brings more than a decade of experience in client service and planning across both private and nonprofit organizations, grounding her work in thoughtful analysis and genuine care for the clients she serves.

Session II - Demystifying Complex (Illiquid) Asset Donations

Complex and illiquid assets can create significant philanthropic opportunities—but they also require careful planning. This session will help attendees better understand these gifts and the considerations involved in accepting and structuring them.

Ruby Pediangco, JD
Charitable Strategies Group Senior Manager, DAFgiving360®

Ruby is Senior Manager of the Charitable Strategies Group at DAFgiving360®. She educates advisors and donors on tax and legal issues on complex gifts and conducts the due diligence review of donated assets.

Ruby has two decades of experience in nonprofit and financial services, with expertise in planned giving, private foundations, wealth planning, and business exit strategies.

Ruby earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Irvine and a JD from University of Washington School of Law. She is a member of the California and Washington state bars, Minnesota Gift Planning Association, and National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.

Session III - Turning Tax Challenges into Philanthropic Opportunities

Tax considerations often shape donor decisions and can create opportunities for thoughtful charitable planning. This session will explore strategies for helping donors navigate tax challenges while advancing their philanthropic goals.

Frances Olsen, CPA, MST
Tax Principal, Clark Nuber, P.S.

As a Principal in the firm’s Tax Services Group, Frances advises not-for-profit organizations, private foundations, and high-net-worth individuals with a passion for philanthropy. Working at the intersection of charitable organizations and the donors who support them provides her with a unique perspective on the tax, governance, and planning considerations that influence meaningful giving. She enjoys helping clients align their philanthropic goals with thoughtful tax strategies that maximize both impact and long-term outcomes.

Carrie Hobbs, JD, LLM
Private Client Services Associate, Ashurst Perkins Coie LLP

Carrie is a nonprofit and charitable planning attorney in the Private Client Services Group at Ashurst Perkins Coie, where she helps individuals, families, and exempt organizations turn charitable intentions into lasting structures. She counsels clients on the formation, governance, and tax compliance of private foundations, public charities, and donor-advised funds. She also advises individuals and families on charitable giving alongside their trust and estate planning. Her counsel is practical and grounded in extensive litigation experience and U.S. Tax Court matters. Carrie is invested in her clients' goals and in relationships built on trust and discretion.

Diana Shiner, JD, CTFA
Trust Services Wealth Manager, Laird Norton Wetherby

Diana is passionate about developing and implementing comprehensive strategies for wealth management that align with the goals of each client and their family. Diana utilizes her wide-ranging experience in private banking, estate planning/settlement, business formation/governance, real estate and family law to tailor sophisticated solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families with complex finances and asset holdings. Known for her candid communication style and ability to simplify intricate concepts, Diana allows clients to explore possibilities which result in informed, confident financial decisions. Diana’s career spans more than two decades in law, wealth management and private banking.