Board of Directors
President
Harry Stillerman
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Harry Stillerman is the Vice President for Advancement and External Affairs at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) and the Executive Director of the PVCC Educational Foundation. In this capacity, he has oversight of the college’s fundraising and development activities, marketing and communications, and grants development and administration. Prior to joining PVCC in 2016, Harrt held development and fundraising positions with Guilford Technical Community College, Mitchell Community College, and Foundation for The Carolinas; and worked in retail and small business banking with Branch Banking and Trust, and First Citizens Bank. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and an M.A. in Community College Administration from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Harry serves on the Board Development Committee and is an ex-officio member of all other committees.
Vice President
Kendra Stribling
Hantzmon Wiebel LLP
Kendra Stribling is a partner with Hantzmon Wiebel CPAs and Advisors in Charlottesville. She helps owners focus on their businesses by working with them to keep their accounting and taxes organized. She has particular knowledge and certification in regard to planning for significant life events, including starting or acquiring new businesses and planning for succession and expansion. Kendra likes to work in her garden, visit wineries and breweries, and spend time with family.
Kendra serves on the Membership Committee.
Treasurer
Caroline Emerson
United Way of Greater Charlottesville
Caroline serves on the Communications and Board Development committees.
Secretary
Rachel Martin
The Salvation Army
rachel.martin@uss.salvationarmy.org
Rachel Martin serves as one of the Associate Planned Giving Directors for The Salvation Army Potomac Division, where she is the primary planned giving representative for ten Salvation Army commands across Central and Southwest Virginia. With more than 13 years of experience in nonprofit management and development, Rachel brings a deep understanding of organizational strategy, donor relations, and mission-driven leadership. Her career is guided by a passion for the nonprofit human services sector and a heartfelt commitment to serving “the least of these” — individuals and communities who are too often overlooked.
Rachel lives in Roanoke with her husband and their three children — Anna, Judah, and Knightley — and their mischievous Jackapoo, Origen. In her free time, she enjoys home DIY projects, cooking, reading, and discovering new places through travel.
Rachel serves on the Program Committee.
Communications Chair
Kimberlee Barrett-Johnson
ArkWise Wealth
kimberlee.a.barrett-johnson@ampf.com
Kimberlee Barrett-Johnson is the founding president of the Charlottesville Area Planned Giving Council (CAPGC) and served again as president 2020-2022. Kimberlee is Private Wealth Advisor, President and Chief Executive Officer of ArkWise Wealth, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, where she also serves the practice's higher net worth clients. Fostering philanthropy has long been an interest, and Kimberlee enjoys helping clients achieve their personal family goals while also engaging in philanthropic planning strategies that further their generosity and community impact goals; and helping non-profits engage their donors in planned giving. Empowering people to be more philanthropic by increasing their knowledge and confidence around philanthropic planning strategies is one of the things Kimberlee finds most rewarding about her work.
When not working with clients, ArkWise Wealth team members, or non-profit boards, Kimberlee enjoys spending time with her husband of over 35 years and her four adult children, as well as reading, walking/hiking, skiing, and tennis.
Kimberlee is happy to share her experience with CAPGC members regarding helping clients establish private foundations, charitable remainder trusts, pooled income funds, donor advised funds, as well as utilizing charitable qualified distributions, charitable beneficiary arrangements and other philanthropic strategies. Kimberlee is available to speak to non-profit boards on how to recognize opportunities and encourage planned giving among their donors.
In addition to chairing the Communications Committee, Kimberlee serves on the Board Development Committee.
MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
Lauri Wilson
Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge
Lauri Wilson serves as Vice President of Development for Westminster-Canterbury of the Blue Ridge. With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and development, Lauri most enjoys building meaningful relationships and facilitating donors’ philanthropic goals.
Past experiences include the Martha Jefferson Foundation, The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville, and Hospice of the Piedmont.
In addition to chairing the Membership Committee, Lauri serves on the Communications Committee.
Programs Chair
Geoffrey Close
IMPACT Philanthropy Partners
A graduate of the University of Virginia, Geof spent 40 years as a wealth advisor with Morgan Stanley in Morristown, N.J. During his tenure, he assisted families with intergenerational wealth transfer, often with a focus on philanthropic strategies. After retiring, he founded IMPACT Philanthropy Partners, which helps nonprofit organizations achieve long-term sustainability through planned giving.
A member of numerous boards and councils, Geof is a proud husband, father, and grandfather.
At large
Shirley Davis Carter
Augusta Health
Shirley Davis Carter is executive director of the Augusta Health Foundation and vice president of philanthropy. As such she provides executive leadership to the foundation and partners with stakeholders to advance the mission of Augusta Health through philanthropy.
Before joining Augusta Health, Shirley served as executive director of the Carris Health Foundation in Willmar, Minn., and the Ellsworth Municipal Hospital Foundation in Iowa Falls, Iowa. She also previously served as national assistant with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Monrovia, Liberia.
Shirley serves on the Program Committee.
At large
Lora Hamp
Community Foundation of Central Blue Ridge
Lora serves as Legal Counsel and Director of Nonprofit Relations for the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge. Prior to joining the Foundation, she practiced law for many years in the areas of estate planning, estate administration, and elder law. Throughout her legal career, she especially enjoyed helping clients incorporate charitable giving into their estate plans—work that naturally connected her to the Community Foundation, first as a board member and now as part of the Foundation team. She enjoys work that promotes planned giving, builds nonprofit capacity, and fosters strong partnerships that advance philanthropy across the region.
Lora serves on the Membership Committee.
At large
Karen J. Ratzlaff
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Karen Ratzlaff joined the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank team in July 2013 to lead its advancement team, and to share with donors, volunteers, and friends the often-hidden face of hunger in our community.
Past experience includes leading the development team at Hospice of the Piedmont in Charlottesville, as well as alumni engagement and fundraising for the University of Virginia School of Nursing. She has also worked as a consultant.
Karen serves on the Communications Committee.
Immediate Past President
Les Helmuth
Consultant
I love to listen to the stories of what people want to do with what they have left over as they consider their legacy.
As a retired professional fundraising executive, I enjoyed listening as donors shared their dreams, and together we solve the challenges that face our community and strengthen the mission and vision. One of the most rewarding experiences was helping an individual or family achieve their goals through philanthropic solutions that meets the needs of others.
What I'm really good at: designing fundraising plans for planned giving, annual giving, board training for fundraising, face-to-face donor conversations and the art and science of the fundraising process.
In my retirement I enjoy time with my family - a wife, two daughters and their families; singing, serving as Executive Director of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and growing my golf course review business, Virginia Golf Course Reviews. I enjoy occasional presentations to professional fundraising staff and boards on topics that include how to incorporate planning giving into the development process.
Les serves on the Board Development and Membership committees.
