COSGRIFF - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Senior Counsel
• Vice President
• Campaign Director With the Cosgriff Company

For the past 23 years, Mr. Draney has served as Campaign Director with the Cosgriff Company conducting programs for churches, schools, museums, art centers, theater renovations, zoos, colleges, universities, and other civic-based organizations. His successes are numerous with community wide campaigns carrying goals in excess of $10,000,000. Alan has worked in fundraising and development for over 25 years of his professional life. Prior to joining Cosgriff, he taught at Franconia College in New Hampshire and Antioch College in Ohio and was Development Director for West Virginia State College. Alan loves gardening and classical music. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Mr. Draney graduated from Creighton Preparatory School and earned a B.A. degree in English Literature from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He has also done graduate study in Comparative Literature at Princeton University.

Job Titles:

• Senior Counsel
• Vice President

Mr. Griffee has nearly 15 years of capital campaign experience with Cosgriff Company and over 20 years of experience in fundraising prior to joining Cosgriff Company. Since joining our firm, he has led over 25 successful campaigns and innumerable feasibility studies. Bill has a long record of accomplishment including successful large gift identification, solicitation, and grant writing proposals, having secured grants for several universities, many churches, schools, and other organizations. He is widely recognized by his peers around the country as a leader in this field around the country. He is experienced in multi-parish and diocesan-wide capital campaigns and is a powerful motivator with campaign volunteers and an engaging public speaker. His strong personal skills and marvelous sense of humor, teamed with his organizational abilities, are his greatest assets and are key factors, in enabling him to exceed the campaign goal on each of his campaign projects. Organized and disciplined, he orchestrates campaigns into manageable components, making volunteers feel richly rewarded for their efforts and creating a sense of urgency for the project tasks. These characteristics, combined with a strong work ethic, make Bill a consummate winner as a campaign director and he is frequently requested by clients for successive campaigns. Bill and his wife enjoy traveling, sailing, archeology, genealogy, Greek Classical literature, their children and grandchildren. Mr. Griffee received both a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and a Master of Divinity degree from Drake University. He also taught at Northern Iowa University, Wartburg College, Iowa Central College, and the University of Northern Iowa.

Job Titles:

• Vice President and Special Counsel to the President

Mr. Schoppe has experience forming, creating and maintaining alumni databases, directing development committees, planning and implementing annual giving campaigns and ongoing development programs. Jerry's great talent is his ability to work with people from all ages and backgrounds. His personality and attitude will help any campaign reach their goal, making it an enjoyable experience along the way. A great fit in any parish because of his great love for his faith, he is highly motivated, organized and hits the ground running. This experience has translated into directing over goal campaigns for new construction projects as well as difficult debt reduction projects. In 1985, Jerry won the Great American Family Award from President Ronald Reagan. He has served on school boards and been active in the church his entire life, but prior to joining Cosgriff Company, Mr. Schoppe was a Development Director with three different Catholic institutions. Jerry is a resident of Fredericksburg, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin before receiving Masters in Business at Webster University. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel United States Marine Corps.

Job Titles:

• Senior Counsel
• Vice President

Mr. Keeley delivers successful campaigns with 28 years experience as a fund-raising professional and an unmatched record of accomplishment for successful capital campaign projects unequaled in the field. His sense of organization, timing, and ability to work with people allow him to manage campaigns building teamwork where all who participate feel part of the team and encouraged to excel. His track record speaks for itself with a history of exceeding campaign goals each time. John received a B.A. degree at Western Illinois University and has graduate work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. Mr. Keeley also served in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1966. Prior to entering the fundraising field, Mr. Keeley worked as Planned Giving Director at Mercy Hospital in Davenport and was Director of Development at the Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science in Davenport, Iowa. He was a member of the faculty and Development Director at Notre Dame High School, Burlington, Iowa; Development Director at Alleman High School, Rock Island, Illinois: Teacher and coach at Washburn High School, Washburn, Illinois; and Glenwood High School, Glenwood, Iowa. John and his wife Rosie have three boys, enjoy traveling, and visiting with their four grandchildren. He is an ardent Notre Dame and Chicago Cub fan.

Job Titles:

• Senior Counsel
• Vice President
• Lead Campaign Executive for Cosgriff Company

Mr. Spitler has been a lead campaign executive for Cosgriff Company since 1965. He has an outstanding record of achievement, serving approximately 175 clients and raising more than $500 million for our clients. A native of Fostoria, Ohio, Dick attended Western Michigan University and began his career as a production company director of historical centennial celebrations, pageants, and musical revues. When he moved from directing productions to directing capital campaign projects, he brought with him an extraordinary ability to communicate, helping clients see the long-range goal and the steps needed to achieve that vision. Mr. Spitler has a wealth of diversified experience including high schools, parishes, Catholic hospitals and colleges.

Job Titles:

• CEO
• President

For his first decade with Cosgriff Company, Mr. Spence's duties as executive vice president included conducting successful campaigns and feasibility studies with goals ranging from $500,000 to $22,000,000 in all regions of the United States and overseas for parishes, parish schools, libraries, and Catholic radio. Additional responsibilities included marketing and sales of the firm and company administrative duties. He has also planned and executed public relations communication strategies and post-campaign planning, developed financial internal control concepts and programs, designed in-kind contractor gift programs, as well as ongoing capital funding programs. His organizational skills, leadership, follow-up skills, and executions of the campaign plan are exceptional. He is also very personable making many friends in each project. Prior to joining to the Cosgriff Company, his background included operating businesses and developing commercial properties, including family holdings in the Southeastern U.S. A native of Boca Raton, Florida, his family has been involved in and contributed greatly to the arts and Catholic community. Mr. Spence was educated at Creighton University with concentrations in management and finance and did graduate work at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in commercial real estate. Robb has always given back to the community in the form of time, talent, and treasure, including service on campaigns for his parish church, as board member to museums, as well as being active in the Serra Club, Catholic and civic affairs, and rodeo. He and his wife have reared three girls; all educated in Catholic schools. They have also hosted 15 international exchange students.

Job Titles:

• Feasibility Study Director

Mr. Givens has excellent people skills and is a master in conducting feasibility studies. His experience in education administration provides unique insights, resulting in extremely accurate study results, which become over-the-goal campaigns. His ability to communicate with people and interview them is why he is so successful in studies and campaigns. Roger attended Immaculate Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri and graduated from Wayne State Teachers College with a BAE in Education. He then earned a Master of Arts in Education from Creighton University in Omaha. Roger has also completed certification in Educational Administration at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Before joining the Cosgriff Company, Roger held teaching positions in Des Moines, Iowa, and Bellevue, Nebraska, then served as Assistant Principal at Bellevue West Sr. High School for 17 years before becoming their Principal.

Job Titles:

• President

Job Titles:

• Senior Counsel
• Vice President

Dr. Helzer has more than 15 years of planning experience ranging from strategic planning using consensus building techniques to successful grant writing proposals with more than ten millions dollars in funding to date. He has been a project manager responsible for projects funded at more than $500,000 per year. His more than 25 years in academics at all levels of education make him an effective communicator with all age groups. He has been recognized with national teaching awards as he crafted his instructional and management skills. Dr. Helzer holds an earned doctorate from Texas A&M University and Masters and Undergraduate degrees from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Scott, or Doc as his colleagues call him uses an organized and professional approach to planning and the execution of those activities with attention to detail. One of his most successful planning activities required him to work with a divergent group of over two hundred and fifty people as they generated a strategic plan that all members had ownership in, which continues to be used and modified to this day. He has taught at Florida State, Tallahassee Community College, the University of Northern Iowa, Texas A&M University, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He has authored several books, numerous articles, and over two hundred invited presentations. He holds certifications as a trained facilitator with the Pacific Institute program Investment in Excellence, several quality systems, and process audit mapping. Scott enjoys automobile restoration, aviation, sailing, hunting, fishing, and his three adult sons Rob, James, and Andrew. His wife is a nursing instructor for a community college in Florida where they make their home.