Brookfield, WI 53045
*Dinner and drinks provided during event
Gunnar Crowell is a Senior Advisor at the American Heart Association serving as the organization’s subject matter expert and senior planned giving officer for the Midwest. He works with individual donors and professional advisors to facilitate impactful and tax-wise gifts to the Association. He is a licensed attorney with over 13 years of experience in gift and estate planning. Prior to joining American Heart, Gunnar served as VP of Legal Services at Renaissance Philanthropic Solutions where he consulted with individual and institutional clients on the use and administration of donor advised funds and charitable trusts. Gunnar received his law degree from Indiana University and his bachelor’s degree from Hanover College. Gunnar resides in Oregon, Wisconsin with his wife and two children.
Joan Nesbitt is a fifth generation Oklahoman with Native American heritage (enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation). She earned a BA in Communication from The University of Tulsa and an MA in Organizational Dynamics from The University of Oklahoma. She has more than 30 years’ experience in university advancement, the last 17 at the executive level, and she has been a part of four successful comprehensive campaigns. She and her teams have been recognized multiple times for fundraising and engagement excellence by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including two national CASE awards in 2016 and 2020 for overall fundraising. In 2020, Joan and the Advancement team at Missouri S&T closed a $300 million charitable gift, the fifth largest of all time to a public university and the largest in Missouri history.
Maggie Tate Techtmann serves as the Executive Director of the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS). Maggie joined HAWS in 2018 as Director of Organizational Development. In 2024, Maggie transitioned to the role of Executive Director. At HAWS, Maggie oversees 80 employees and over 250 volunteers that work together to support pets and people in Waukesha county. Each year, HAWS supports more than 11,000 pets.
Maggie's career began in social services. Prior to joining HAWS, Maggie spent a decade working with individuals with intellectual disabilities and nonprofit management. Maggie combines this background in the animal welfare space and works to bridge divides that can naturally present as barriers when working with animals and humans.
Maggie is a current UW-Madison Shelter Medicine Fellow and a Certified Animal Welfare Administrator (CAWA).
Maggie is passionate about collaborative leadership within the shelter system and beyond; Maggie serves on committees for both the Waukesha County Women and Girls Fund and First Stage.