The Brakeley Search Team
George A. Brakeley, III joined what is now Brakeley Briscoe Inc. in 1969 after four years in sales and marketing with Humble Oil (now Exxon-Mobil).
During his more than four decades in the profession, George has served more than 190 institutions and organizations in the United States and overseas in campaign management and strategic consulting as well as organizational development and capacity-building. He has counseled campaigns with goals ranging from $750,000 to $700 million, including 17 campaigns with goals of $100 million or more. His current and recent clients include Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (NY), American University of Armenia, Little Rock Zoo (AR),, Christopher Newport University (VA), the U. S. Naval Institute (MD), Cone Health System (NC), Finger Lakes Museum (NY), Norwalk Community College (CT), Centers for Disease Control Foundation (GA), York College (CUNY-the City University of New York), and the Rochester Institute of Technology ( NY). He is a past chairman of the American Association of Fund Raising Counsel (now The Giving Institute).
George is a graduate of St. Andrew’s School, Princeton University (A.B. in History), and the University of Connecticut (M.B.A.). He served as a Captain for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps (Artillery) and won a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle (swimming) in the 1963 Military Olympics, in Barcelona, Spain.
A practicing volunteer, he is in his 32nd year as secretary of his Princeton class, of which he was president from 1976 to 1986, and is a Trustee of Staying Put in New Canaan, a services-for-seniors organization in his long-time home town. At Princeton he has served two terms on the Alumni Council Executive Committee and on the Advisory Council of the Department of History and the Annual Giving Committee. He recently received the Princeton Alumni Council Award for Service to Princeton. He is a former Trustee of the University of Connecticut Foundation as well as the Congregational Church, Community YMCA and United Way, all of New Canaan, CT.
George and his wife Tamara reside in Norwalk, CT, his having lived in nearby New Canaan for more than four decades. They are avid rackets players and downhill skiers. His daughter Kristin, a Miami University graduate, resides in Pittsburgh, PA with her family, while son Bill, who spent four years as a pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system, resides in Connecticut. George is a member of the New Canaan Field Club.
Alden has served in the public, private profit-making, and private nonprofit sectors.
At Brakeley Briscoe he has counseled more than 40 non profit clients, participating in or leading more than 35 capital campaign- or development-planning studies, and providing executive search services to a diverse set of clients. In addition he has participated in numerous other projects including software audits, strategic planning, and board training. Recent or current clients include Blessed Sacrament Parish (Seattle, WA) Barton Health Foundation (South Lake Tahoe, CA); Marshfield Public Library (Marshfield, WI); Tallahassee Community College Foundation; East Bay Agency for Children (Oakland, CA); Bermuda High School for Girls (Pembroke, Bermuda); Friends of the San Francisco Public Library (San Francisco, CA); Gillispie School (La Jolla, CA); Grace Cathedral (San Francisco); St. Agnes Hospital Foundation (Baltimore); San Diego Foundation; The Marine Mammal Center (San Francisco, CA); Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Napa Valley Museum (Napa, CA); North East Community Center (Millerton, NY), San Jose Taiko (San Jose, CA), Rising Sun Energy Center (Oakland, CA); and World Wildlife Fund-Mexico.
He has taught in inner-city schools in Baltimore and New Haven, in an independent school in South Carolina, and at the undergraduate and graduate level at San Jose State University, the University of San Francisco, and on three campuses of Golden Gate University. He has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard.
Alden has consulted on employment programs for unemployed and underemployed youth and adults in Kentucky, Cleveland, and Washington, D.C. He was co-author of a national study, funded by U.S. Department of Labor and the Ford Foundation, on the organization of state and local governments for employment and training programs.
In Flint, Michigan, as manpower planning coordinator, Alden developed a multiagency plan for integrated local delivery of employment training programs by local agencies including the Urban League, Community Action Agency, Opportunities Industrialization Center, Michigan Employment Security Commission, and the local community college. He later managed a $15 million manpower development system for the unemployed providing coordinated delivery of training and employment services through service delivery contracts to 12 agencies in 3 counties.
In his volunteer activities he was Chief Referee for American Youth Soccer Organization’s Region 418 for five years, Board Chair of Fred Finch Youth Center, and a member of the George School Resources Committee. He recently served as Treasurer of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
In the profit-making sector he has worked for Information Science, Aon Consulting, and Oracle, as client services manager and software product manager. He has consulted on the use of systems and technology for clients in the public, private, and private nonprofit sector.
Susan has worked in nonprofit fundraising management for public and private educational institutions, social service agencies and public policy organizations for more than 40 years.
Susan has served as a corporate officer at five major nonprofit organizations. As President/CEO of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) she managed and directed a $5 million business of gift shops, transportation services and food outlets, raised sales per visitor and maintained profit margins. She also re-engineered member and donor services and re-activated Board structure. She established fund raising and investment policies, a major gifts committee, an endowment program, and a governmental relations program. She initiated GLAZA participation in two county assessment campaigns, benefiting the Los Angeles Zoo with $40 million and represented the 40-person board to public, city and federal officials, and 45,000 members. Susan managed 40 full-time, 150 part-time employees and 700 trained volunteers.
In Washington DC she served as deputy director of marketing and development for Special Olympics International and vice president for development for Business Executives for National Security (BENS).
At UCLA, she directed the $35 million dollar management school component of UCLA’s capital campaign. She developed a board of advisors to raise the funds, conducted a feasibility study, developed recognition opportunities and worked with the University of California and the UCLA Foundation to ensure that University policies and donor interests received equal attention. Before the campaign ended, the management school had exceeded its campaign target, expanded its goals to include a new facility for the school, and renamed the school for one of its donors.
Prior to that position, she headed the award-winning Governmental Relations Program at UCLA. Designed to bring influential alumni and state legislators together on campus and in Sacramento, the program has grown to be one of the largest of a publicly assisted university in the nation. And at Santa Monica College, she advised the president on fund raising and community relations, developed a board of advisors for the Library Sculpture Garden and assisted in the establishment of a foundation.
Since 1997, with Brakeley Briscoe, Susan has managed or provided counsel on 13 capital campaigns. In addition, she has provided training to, or has counseled with, UCLA Extension, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the University of Judaism, Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame, Indiana), Pepperdine University, Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, Southeast Symphony Association, Charles R. Drew University, U.S.Vets, The RAND Corporation, Aspen Institute, SRO Housing Corporation, International Human Rights Law Group, United States Institute of Peace, the East Timor International Support Group, Brentwood School, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Writers Guild Foundation, Latino Theater Company, Friends of Ballona Wetlands, Wilshire Boulevard Temple , and the Westside Children’s Center. Susan taught a hybrid graduate course at Pepperdine University for 4 years. Prior to fundraising, Susan taught political science at Santa Monica College, served the League of Women Voters of California as president, and co-chaired or led seven nonpartisan ballot measure campaigns.
She serves on the board of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education (www.yestohighered.org) and on the board of directors of her homeowners association. She is an investor and board member of RADLINK, a medical imaging device company. She also serves on advisory boards at UCLA, Saint Mary’s College and Pepperdine and in legislative advocacy positions with the League of Women Voters. In July, 2020, she began a 2 year term as President of UCLA Women & Philanthropy. She served 3 three-year terms as a trustee of Saint Mary’s College (ND) 3 two-year terms on the UCLA Foundation Board and 21 years on the board of regents for Pepperdine University and served on each institution’s campaign cabinet. She completed eight years of service on the board of the fundraising certification organization, CFRE International, her last two years as board chair Susan has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumna by Saint Mary’s College, and the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology. Also honored with the Leadership Founders Award by the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles and by Pepperdine University. She holds an Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive credential (ACFRE), and Administrator and Supervisor Credentials from the California Community Colleges. Susan has written articles on fundraising for Advancing Philanthropy andco-authored “Women, Money and Political Clout” in Women as Donors, Women as Philanthropists, Von Schlegell and Fisher, eds, Jossey-Bass, 1994. (in reprint)
Tom Ryan provides 35 years of experience in the advancement profession at the college and secondary school levels, plus service on the boards of non-profit organizations. He has extensive experience in capital campaigns, annual giving, major gift solicitation, alumni relations, volunteer management, public affairs, and government & community relations.
For thirteen years (1999-2011), Tom served as the Vice President for Advancement at Assumption College in Worcester, MA. In this capacity he planned and directed the college’s $30 million Centennial Campaign, which finished 10% over goal. During this time the Annual Fund exceeded $1 million for the first time in the school’s history. Tom also oversaw alumni relations, public affairs, and the government and community relations effort.
Prior to his service at Assumption, Tom worked 21 years in various capacities in the development office of his alma mater, the College of the Holy Cross. This included 10 years with the Annual Fund, which experienced 52%-58% alumni participation during that time, director of the $60 million Campaign for Holy Cross (1989-1994) which finished at $76 million, and Director of Development.
Most recently, Tom served for two years as the Chief Advancement Officer at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury, MA where he previously served three terms as a member of the Board of Trustees. The Saint John’s Fund exceeded $1 million for the first time in the school’s history in 2012 and exceeded that total in 2013. Alumni participation rose from 15% to 21% during that time.
Tom’s volunteer service includes participation on the boards or executive committees of: Catholic Charities of Worcester County, CASE District 1, Jesuit Advancement Administrators (representing the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the US), Worcester Economic Club (president 2012-13), Saint John’s High School Board of Trustees (Shrewsbury, MA), and Jesuit Volunteer Corps: East Board. He is currently a member of the Hanover Theatre Development Committee (Worcester, MA), the Associates of the Boston Public Library, the Brewster Historical Society Development Committee, the Ursuline Academy (Dedham, MA) Board of Trustees and his parish finance committee. Tom has been a frequent presenter at CASE District I conferences.
Recent clients include: Clark University (Worcester, MA), Cleveland Zoo, The Brewster Historical Society (MA), Whitinsville Christian School (Northbridge, MA), the Akron (OH) Zoo, Worcester Historical Museum, Cambridge College (MA), Bishop O’Dowd High School (Oakland CA), Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Middlesex Community College (MA), the Little Rock Zoo (AR), Holy Name High School (Worcester, MA), Roger Williams Park Zoo (Providence, RI), and St. John the Evangelist Parish (Attleboro, MA).
Tom received his A.B. degree in economics from the College of the Holy Cross in 1976. He served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps for two years in inner-city Philadelphia before returning to work in the Holy Cross development office. He has served as the Class Chair for the HC Class of 1976 since his graduation and his class has set new Reunion Gift records in each reunion year. In 2009 Tom received the college’s In Hoc Signo Award, the highest honor awarded by the Alumni Association.
Tom is married with two adult children. He and his wife Patti, a teacher in the Worcester Public School system, live in Holden, MA.
Anne Storch has 25 years of demonstrated success in cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, campaign organization, and staff and volunteer management, specifically in independent schools. Her key areas of expertise include an excellent record of closing gifts, campaign management, recruiting, training and motivating volunteers, cultivation and relationship building, coordinating and implementing fundraising events, preparation for major donors, and staffing.
Recently, Anne retired after 8 years from being Director of Advancement at Saint Edward’s School in Vero Beach, Florida. Prior to that, she spent 15 years at George School in Newtown, PA, first as major gifts officer and the last five as Director of Advancement. She has been with Brakeley Briscoe for seven years.
She has managed two capital campaigns at George School and two campaigns at Saint Edward’s School, one to retire a $14 million debt and the other to increase the endowment. During her 15 years at George School (of which she is an alumna), first as major gifts officer and then as Director of Advancement, Anne was responsible for closing a $128.5 million gift, the largest single gift yet given to an independent school. Her consulting clients include Westtown School (West Chester, PA), Oak Hall School (Gainesville, FL), Chandler Hall (Newtown, PA), Hutchison School (Memphis, TN), Alzheimers/Parkinson Association (Vero Beach, FL), Bermuda High School for Girls, Tallahassee Community College Foundation, Embraer Corporation Foundation (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Antilles School (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands), Riviera Beach Library Foundation (Riviera Beach FL), and Riverside Theatre (Vero Beach, FL).
Her long and varied career has also included consulting within the restaurant business, family counseling in pediatric hospitals for seventeen years, and work as assistant director of Admission and College Counselor at Ursuline College and Rosemont College, respectively. She has also served on various boards and committees in Pennsylvania and has authored numerous publications.
Anne received her B.S. in Psychology from Ursinus College and her Master’s in Education from Villanova University. She has been a board member of Mercer Street Friends in Trenton, NJ, Chandler Hall in Newtown, PA, the Youth Sailing Foundation in Vero Beach FL, the Indian River Hospital Foundation in Vero Beach FL and the Board Committee for Institutional Advancement at George School in Newtown PA.
Anne and her husband split their time between Vero Beach, FL, and Pennsylvania