Board Candidates

President-Elect – a three-year term where one serves one year each as President-Elect, President, and Past-President 

Treasurer - a two-year term

Secretary – a one-year term

At-Large member – each a two-year term  

Running for the President-Elect position.

Experience

Prior to working with Duke University Libraries Blue served as the Executive Director of Library Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, Blue served as the Executive Director of Development of Major and Leadership giving at Duke Health from 2011- 2019, first overseeing the Duke Heart Center, then managing the development team for the Department of Medicine, and finally the Duke Health System.

Before moving to North Carolina, Blue worked at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 2006 – 2011. She served as the Director of Development for the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences where she built a strong donor base of alumni and friends and surpassed the College’s Campaign for Tennessee goal five months before the close of the campaign. Blue began her development work at UTK with the University Libraries serving as the Director of Development.

Prior to her time with the University of Tennessee, Blue served as the Director of Development for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In this non-profit fundraising role, Blue managed the chapter office, all fundraising and special events, and 100+ volunteers across east Tennessee. Blue was repeatedly recognized for meeting and exceeding fundraising goals and ultimately received the Foundation’s highest annual achievement award.

Additional non-profit work includes the Knoxville Museum of Art where Blue served as the Director of Volunteer and Visitor Service.  Blue was responsible for recruiting, training, and nurturing all museum volunteers and planning volunteer staffing. Blue was also the public spokesperson for the museum in an effort to create greater awareness for museum exhibits, programs, and community educational outreach.

Community

Blue is active in the community and serves on various boards and non-profits including the Duke Faculty Club Board of Governors, The Expedition School Board of Directors, The John C. Hodges Society for the UTK University Libraries, and PORCH Hillsborough.

Blue is native Tennessean and UTK graduate. She has two children, Ava age 21 and Max age 15. They live in Hillsborough, NC.

Blue joined Duke University Libraries on March 28, 2022 as the Associate University Librarian for Development. Prior to Blue’s arrival at Duke, she served as the Executive Director for Library Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Blue also worked with Duke Health Development at Alumni Affairs for eight years, serving most as the Executive Director of Development for the Department of Medicine, Duke Heart Center, and Duke Health System.

Blue began her career in academic fundraising at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville first serving as the Director of Development the University Libraries and then serving as the Director of Development for the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Blue has two children – Ava, age 21, and Max, age 15. They moved from Knoxville, Tennessee in 2011 and reside in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Personal statement

Blue and her family have been members of the DFC since 2015. She has participated in various club activities over the years including children’s camps, tennis, swim team, and most recently yoga.

Blue served on the DFC Board as president and as Member at Large. She was on the Board during COVID, as well as during the Executive Director transition. She is interested in continued service as the DFC restructures our relationship with Duke to help ensure we maintain the current DFC culture.

Running for the Treasurer position.

We have been members of DFC for almost 40 years.  I’ve served several times on the Board in various capacities.  I was directly involved in planning and paying for the construction of our new building which was a major undertaking.  Covid provided many financial challenges to the Club which we have navigated well.  With the upcoming new arrangement with Duke, it is important that the DFC actively manages that relationship at all levels, especially financially.  I am interested in helping to oversee this new transitional for the Club with particular focus assuring thsta we are financially secure.  In particular, I am interested in continuing to improve our facilities.  While much has been done, there are additional facilities improvements would enhance the DFC experience for all of us. 

Running for an Secretary position.

John is the Principal of John H. Taylor Consulting, LLC, an independent advancement consulting practice. He has served in various consulting capacities since 1994. John was Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services and Interim Campaign Manager at North Carolina State University. He previously was the Vice President for Research and Data Services at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) in Washington, DC. Before that, John was the Director of Alumni & Development Records at Duke University for nearly 15 years. He holds a BA in Mass Communications and Socio-Political Change from Vanderbilt University and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

John formed one of the largest advancement-related listservs in the world, FundSvcs. He has spoken at hundreds of conferences internationally and received the CASE Crystal Apple Award for outstanding teaching. John is a founder, member, and Former President of the Board of the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp). In 2012, he received the aasp Jonathan Lindsey Lifetime Achievement Award.

CASE distinguished John as a CASE Laureate in 2019. He is the editor for all four editions of the CASE Advancement Services book and served as contributor and editor for the 3^rd & 4^th editions of the CASE Guidelines and the 1^st edition of the CASE Global Reporting Standards. John is a Paul Harris Society member of Rotary International and an active member of the Durham Rotary Club. He resides in Durham, NC, with his wife and children.

Personal statement: 

My family and I have been active members of DFC for nearly thirty years. In fact, my oldest daughter was a lifeguard some twenty years ago, and my two youngest daughters have been or are members of the swim team. DFC is like family!

I believe so strongly in ensuring the DFC's success that I have served on the Board twice before - 24 years ago and again in 2017-2020, when I concluded my term as Board President.

My interest in serving again is not driven by any concerns or personal interest in any specific area of focus for DFC. Rather, I have been so impressed with the Club's strategic direction and improvements that I want to contribute more directly to its bright future. 

With a profound belief in cultivating a strong sense of community among our members and prospective members, I am committed to leveraging my experience in organizational leadership to help facilitate engaging programming and initiatives that promote collaboration, networking, and fun! By serving on the Board, I aim to play a pivotal role in ensuring that the Duke Faculty Club continues to serve as a vibrant hub where members can come together to share ideas, build relationships, and enjoy enriching experiences that contribute to the continued growth in services and programming the DFC offers.

Running for a at-large position.

Jeff Russell is co-founder and managing partner of icEdge, LLC, which provides personalized assessments, expert advice, and training tools to support effective communication across diverse demographics, cultures, and nationalities. Prior to icEdge, Jeff was the Director of Research Operations at the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where he created innovative collaborations with fortune 100 companies, advisories, and other top-tier business schools. At CIBER Jeff launched the Global ORN Financial Services Roundtable, a research-driven community providing actionable insights and benchmarking to global workforce strategy and sourcing executives of leading banking, and insurance companies.

Before his career at Duke, Jeff immersed himself in Chinese language and culture through extensive work and study in China and Taiwan. His cross-cultural experiences have deeply influenced his approach to business and research. He graduated with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and Asian Studies from the University of Arizona and studied at Peking University, Taiwan Normal, and UNC-Chapel Hill. Beyond his professional endeavors, Jeff serves on the advisory board of Jackleg Press. His first book of poetry, By the Time This Teaches You, will be published by selva oscura press in 2024.

Personal statement:

A few months ago, a family from Atlanta staying at the Washington Duke Inn walked over to the DFC and told several of us who were sitting down on the patio after playing mixed doubles, how amazed they were by the beautiful facilities. I share their sentiment. My family and I have been members for over ten years, and we appreciate all that makes the DFC unique. As a swimmer and avid tennis player, utilizing the facilities multiple days a week, I recognize that the DFC is unlike other clubs with similar amenities. With a four-year wait-list that continues to grow, I believe we are at an inflection point. I would like to join the DFC Board of Governors as a member-at-large in order to continue to foster the kind of growth that builds on the strengths and established character of the club. I want us to provide new kinds of services and experiences that will encourage members to become more involved with the exceptional DFC community. Our club should not be just a summer hang-out but a year-round fitness and recreation destination.

Running for an at-large position.

Bio: Carrie Gonnella is Managing Director at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  CASE is a leader in the field of social innovation, serving as a hub for research, teaching, and practitioner engagement.  As Managing Director, Carrie supports CASE strategy, is responsible for operations and finances, and contributes thought leadership to practitioner tools and resources. Carrie is a Duke alumna who graduated with an MBA from Fuqua and a Masters of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment.

Statement: I’ve attended the last few board meetings and have enjoyed seeing the hard work that happens behind the scenes to make this club so fantastic.  I’m interested in increasing member engagement in governance – starting with myself in volunteering for the board.  As a board member, I would be sharing my perspective as a Duke staff member with young kids.  We’re big users of the pool, summer camp, and family-friendly events.  I’m also an enthusiastic member of the pickleball community and would be excited to represent that group. I bring to the board experience from my day job in strategy, operations, finance, and using data (such as from the new DFC annual survey!) to inform decision-making.