I have been in the prospect development space for over 13 years. I have worked for non-profits in higher education, the environment, religious and architectural preservation, and international disaster relief.

My prospect research story, in a very real sense, begins in 1915 when my great-grandfather, Fred (a first generation Swedish immigrant), bought a dairy farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and relocated himself, his wife Emma, and twelve of their thirteen children there from Minnesota (the eldest, by this point married and with children of his own, declined the move). The farm, never a large proposition, is still located on Arden Station Road, although now it’s little more than a half-collapsed house and deteriorating buildings surrounded by fields leased to other farmers.

My grandfather, who was 2 at the time, grew up, served in the Maryland National Guard, was federalized, and deployed to Europe as a company commander in the 29th Infantry Division: “The Blue and the Gray,” named as it comprised units from Maryland and Virginia which fought on opposite sides during the American Civil War. He saw action cleaning out pockets of German resistance in Normandy, holding the line north of the Battle of the Bulge, and making it even to Aachen, Germany. He returned home with two Purple Hearts but only one and a half ears.

After Fred (figuratively) bought the farm, my grandfather, George, (literally) bought the farm.  It was never a large property, but it seemed massive when I was a kid. There were cows, and sheep; I have a memory of a bull. As a child, I remember a random goat, and some chickens. And of course, very many barn cats (my absolute favorite farm animal).

My grandfather, in addition to being a farmer, was an avid reader. My dad graduated from college, with a brief stint in the U.S. Army (and immersion language training in French) during the Vietnam War, and pursued a career adjacent to farming, as a technical writer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He inherited his father’s love for reading, and passed that along to me.

Many years later, I graduated from Towson University in Maryland with an English degree, and a goal to find a career where I could read and write for a living. Prospect Research gives me all of that.

Most of my experience has been in providing research in support of individual giving programs, including major and principal gifts, and planned giving. I have also designed and developed systems for moves management.

My favorite part of this job is helping fundraisers connect with the donors who have the ability to make a significant impact on our society with their generous donations.