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Our Talent

Our talent are our greatest asset. They are from diverse backgrounds, inside and outside higher education, some with previous fundraising experience and others with no prior fundraising experience. We are always open to fresh ideas about how to serve the University and our constituents.

We are an organization where egos are small and hands are eager. Our teams care about the work and the mission. They know that strong fundraising is a delicate balance of art and science, where relationship building is at the center. They show up and lean in to the work and the team that surrounds them. Regardless of where you come from, you will find we are dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture that celebrates our people and their experiences.

Qualities of Our Talent

  • Mission and Service-oriented

    You have a passion for higher education philanthropy and understand the significant role that our Jesuit values play in our work and culture. You want to do meaningful work for the greater good. You recognize that by serving others, you are able to uplift the community, make an impact, and become a better person each day.

  • Intellectual Fortitude

    You are intellectually curious: you are resourceful and do not stop at “I don’t know.” You are perceptive, learn quickly, think critically, infer information not readily stated, and can recall, connect, and synthesize information.

  • Results-oriented

    You are motivated and can deliver meaningful impact. You seek to achieve results in order to contribute to the institution and create a culture of excellence.

  • Initiative

    You have a character of courage, resolve, persistence, resilience, and strength. You demonstrate innovation and proactivity in planning, and identify needs and take action to improve the work.

  • Coachable

    You are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and get the job done. You seek out feedback from your supervisor and peers on your progress and areas of improvement. You view constructive feedback positively and incorporate the feedback into the work that you are doing to continuously improve, personally and professionally.

  • Flexible and Adaptable

    You understand that, from time to time, situations occur and challenges arise. You are not deterred by roadblocks, delays in a process, or ambiguity; you find creative solutions to challenges and difficulties eagerly, efficiently, and collaboratively.

  • Collaborative

    In part of being mission- and service-oriented, you are a team player. You seek out opportunities where you can work with others to get the job done. You are not afraid to ask for help or to help others. You understand that people think and behave differently; you seek to understand others, so that you can work together as a team. When you learn something new, you teach others and bring them along with you in your education and growth.

  • Resourceful

    You demonstrate strong problem-solving, leverage as many resources as possible to acquire an answer, solution, or information needed to effectively perform the work, and utilize creative problem-solving to develop innovative solutions for improvement.

Thoughts from Our Talent

Deneen Williams-McHarris

“OA encourages a healthy work-life balance with flexibility. This increases productivity, reduces stress, and keeps staff engaged. Growth for me has come from widening my skill set through learning how to lead, as well as organizing work structures to be more efficient. Advancement is made up of people who work hard and care about how their work benefits others.”

—Deneen Williams-McHarris, Director, Gift Processing and Data Analytics, Gift Processing

christian conant

“I was motivated to join OA, in part, by opportunity. The Georgetown brand was attractive, as was the development work involved. I learned in detail what the Georgetown mission and OA work entails. The success and career growth that I’ve had at Georgetown mirrors what you learn on the frontline of fundraising–that relationship development is key: getting to know people, building trust, and proving you have an apptetite for learning more. While sitting in conversations with the executive team and brainstorming on how to tackle challenges, people are brought up because of the strong relationships that are built and fostered in OA. Mentorship opportunities carry a lot of weight here and were very helpful for me as I developed my career. Building relationships with experienced colleagues who can share their wisdom and experience with you is a great benefit to working at OA.”

—Christian Conant, Chief Operating Officer

Brandi Durkac

“The people and mission-driven nature of my colleagues, the faculty, and students are what keep me at OA. There is a genuine commitment to do good for the world. From a Development Officer’s perspective, there is flexibility and autonomy in the way you can approach your work. In transitioning from the private sector to higher education advancement, I learned about the patience required when moving from sector to sector and how to adapt to the culture of Georgetown. There is a great deal of significance in relationship building when interacting with donors and colleagues. From a Development focus, each year gets better and more fun. You are rewarded for longevity in the role.”

—Brandi Durkac, Senior Director of Development, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regions