Joe has over 30 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit fundraising for organizations in the areas of major gifts and planned giving. Joe joined Gulf Coast Community Foundation as the Vice President of Philanthropy in June 2024 after working with the Oklahoma City Community Foundation for twenty plus years, the last sixteen spent in the role of assisting donors and organizations with planned giving.
He is a current board member of the Advancement Network, member of the OKC Estate Planning Council, and member and past president of the Oklahoma Association of Charitable Gift Planners. He is a graduate of the American College’s Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) program and currently serves as the moderator for the OKC CAP cohorts. Prior to Gulf Coast, he held positions as the Chief Development Officer for Children’s Hospital Foundation, Associate Director of Development for St. Gregory’s University, Director of Admissions for St. Gregory’s University and Associate Athletic Director at Oklahoma City University. Joe received his undergraduate degrees in Finance, Marketing and Economics from Oklahoma City University where he attended on a baseball scholarship. He and his wife, Lori, have an eighteen-year-old son, Jaxon who will be attending CO School of Mines in the fall.
Sasha joined Gulf Coast Community Foundation in May 2022. Sasha is an experienced and accomplished Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), who has spent her career inspiring transformational philanthropy and engaging communities for meaningful impact. Sasha feels fortunate to work with generous donors to help realize their philanthropic goals.
Prior to joining Gulf Coast, Sasha served as Director of Advancement and Strategic Partnerships at the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, Executive Director of AdventHealth Zephyrhills Foundation, and Director of Philanthropy at Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
Sasha enjoys live music, shopping locally, cooking, and spending time on the water with her husband, baby boy, and their two pups.
Lauren joined Gulf Coast Community Foundation in 2022. A seasoned philanthropic steward with over 20 years in the nonprofit industry, Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in music business and flute performance from DePauw University. In her role as a Philanthropic Advisor at Gulf Coast, Lauren works directly with donors to maximize their philanthropic impact in our region. Prior to joining Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Lauren served as Director of Donor Engagement, Individual and Corporate Giving with Sarasota Orchestra. Lauren has also held development positions at The Out-of-Door Academy, Girls Inc. of Sarasota, Young Concert Artists, and the New York Philharmonic.
Lauren enjoys walking the beach, gluten-free baking, and spending time with her husband, two teenagers, and mini-dachshund. She is a former board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Southwest Florida Chapter and a 2016 graduate of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute.
As a member of our Philanthropy Team, Kristin engages with our donors, allowing them to realize their philanthropic potential. In addition, she is responsible for overseeing Gulf Coast’s scholarship program, which provides greater access to postsecondary education for local area students. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2011, Kristin worked in the fast-paced world of television news as a video editor for WWSB ABC7 in Sarasota. She earned her bachelor’s degree in telecommunication production from the University of Florida. (Go Gators!) Her claim to fame is representing the country as a member of Team USA at the Bally Total Fitness World Aerobics Championship in 1999. She did not help lead the team to victory. For exercise these days, she and her husband can be found chasing around their two children.
Priscilla joined Gulf Coast Community Foundation in May 2022. She has spent much of her career in donor development, having worked with several not-for-profit organizations in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Using her development and coordination skills, Priscilla works with our Philanthropy Team to connect with our donors, enhancing their experience and helping to answer questions about their funds. Priscilla holds a Bachelor of Arts in strategic communication from Cornerstone University and was a member of the Venice Leadership Class of 2023. Her favorite leisure activities include traveling, exploring nature, and having game nights with friends.