Meet the CapDev Team

Ann Bennett-Phillips

President

Ann joined the CapDev team in 2006 after 20 years in banking. Ann and Allan are owners of the company and in 2022, she was named president. Ann manages all client services and CapDev’s senior counsel team, ensuring that every client’s needs are met.

Ann is a graduate of North Carolina State University and the North Carolina School of Banking. She has volunteered with many nonprofit organizations and served on several boards, including the NC Center for Public Television, the Forsyth Tech Foundation, chair of the Forsyth Tech Board of Trustees, and chair of Central YMCA of Winston-Salem.

A native of Winston-Salem, she has two sons. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, playing all racket sports, horseback riding, snow skiing, hiking, and traveling.

Amy Cavas Bridges

Manager of Search Services

Amy joined CapDev in 2023 as the Search Manager, responsible for managing all aspects of executive and candidate search. She previously worked with Blue Rock Wealth Management in operations and with Mensh Insurance as director of client relations and marketing.

A native of Towson, MD, she graduated from Elon University as has called Winston-Salem her home for the last 30 years. She has volunteer experience with the schools, W-S Lacrosse and her church, and enjoys time with her four kids, great food, reading and any beach.

Allan Burrows

CEO

Allan joined the CapDev team in 1994. Named president in 2006 and CEO in 2022, his expertise is in organizational strategy, leadership engagement, major campaigns, and staffing.

A devout UNC Tarheel alumnus, Allan has served the nonprofit sector since 1986, beginning with the Baptist Children’s Homes of NC and the NC Child Advocacy Institute. Allan volunteers in many capacities and has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and is a noted featured speaker and author on philanthropy and giving trends. Allan was awarded the Triad AFP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

A native of Warrenton, NC, Allan and his wife Laura live in Winston-Salem and have two grown children. When time allows, Allan enjoys golfing, travel and any reason to be at the beach.

Stephanie Flores de Valgaz

Client Development & Marketing Manager

Stephanie joined the CapDev team in 2023 after 13 years in education. She is a seasoned community leader and has served on several nonprofit boards including the Novant Health Foundation and Bookmarks. Stephanie collaborates with the marketing team to develop and execute CapDev’s communications and business development plans.

After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill, Stephanie spent time living in Santiago Chile and traveling throughout South America. Having grown up in Winston-Salem, she returned to her roots with a commitment to community engagement. In addition to teaching, Stephanie has expanded her professional skill set to include DEI facilitation, strategic planning, and organizational leadership training.

Known as a connector, you can often find Stephanie participating in Winston-Salem’s vibrant arts and culture scene and supporting the city’s nonprofit ecosystem. She also enjoys walking with her dog Matilda, dining with friends and family, and traveling.

Kathleen Hansen

Development Client Services Associate

Kathleen joined the CapDev team in 2025 as the Development/Client Services Associate. Having spent six years in the nonprofit sector focused on donor stewardship, communications, and marketing, she is known for her ability to build strong and meaningful relationships. Kathleen is passionate about the ways CapDev supports nonprofits across the Southeast.

Kathleen received her undergraduate degree from Wingate University and a graduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She serves on the Wingate University Alumni Board and has held many leadership positions in the Junior League of Winston-Salem, including serving two years on the Board of Directors.

Kathleen, and her husband, Kyle, are both North Carolina natives and have enjoyed living in all of the major cities in North Carolina, but find Winston-Salem feels the most like home. They have a resilient and playful young son and two curious cats. In her free time, Kathleen enjoys reading, tending to her temperamental hydrangeas, and attending group exercise boot camps at a local gym.

Maggi Jackson

Director of Client Services

Maggi joined the CapDev team in 2014. Having worked at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History and the American Association of Museums, Maggi also served as assistant to the director of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for seven years, and was introduced to CapDev through former Senior Counsel, Dr. Betsy Bennett.

She has also shared her skills as a volunteer in the school system and as a reading tutor. Maggi and her husband, Chris, a law professor and associate dean at Wake Forest University, have two children. They live in Winston-Salem and love cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Clare Jordan

Vice President

Clare joined the CapDev team in 2006 and was named vice president in 2022. She previously held positions in both development and marketing for nonprofits. She manages the firm’s business development, study of philanthropic trends, conference engagements, and partners in strategic roles with CapDev clients.

A graduate of North Carolina State University, Clare is an avid volunteer, starting the NCSU Campus Chapter of Habitat for Humanity in college; and past roles as chair of the Advisory Council for NCSU’s Institute for Nonprofits; chair of NCSU’s Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship;  chair of UNC School of the Arts Board of Visitors, among other board service. She currently serves on the NCSU College of Humanities Advisory Board, and is chair of the Arbor Acres Board of Directors. She was awarded Distinguished Alumna of the Year in 2021 for NCSU’s College of Humanities & Social Sciences, and named to the Triad’s “40 Under 40” in 2009.

A Winston-Salem native, Clare and her husband, Fred, have four adult children. She enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and family time on the New River.

Conner Phillips

VP, Search & Client Services

Conner joined the CapDev team in 2024 and serves as Vice President for Search & Client Services. In this role, he helps manage the firm’s client services team and collaborates with colleagues to oversee CapDev’s Executive Search division and related services, including candidate sourcing and transition planning. Prior to joining CapDev, he worked as a Product Manager at Hanes Companies, where he developed a user-centered approach to strategic planning and execution.

Conner is a graduate of North Carolina State University. He volunteers with a variety of nonprofit organizations and currently serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County.

A native of Winston-Salem, Conner and his wife, Caroline, moved back home after college, where they enjoy traveling, skiing, fly fishing, hiking, and spending time with their two dogs.

Brandy Vandergriff

Client Services Associate

Brandy joined CapDev as the Client Services Associate in 2023. Returning to development work after starting her career as the Associate Director of the Annual Fund at Washington and Lee University, Brandy is a proud alumna of UNC-Chapel Hill and has volunteered extensively and served on boards with local nonprofit organizations for many years. Working with CapDev enables her to further foster her love of the nonprofit sector.

Brandy and her husband, Daniel, a renewable energy attorney and Wake Forest law graduate, are both North Carolina natives and have called Winston-Salem home for over 15 years. They have two amazing adult children plus one lazy golden retriever. Both love their community and spend time traveling, reading, exercising, and hosting parties together.

Nancy Appel

Senior Counsel

Nancy Appel has more than 25 years of fundraising experience as a director of philanthropy at The Trust for Public Land, director of development at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, among others. Nancy was director of development at the Coastal Conservation League for ten years before recently leaving to become a senior counsel with CapDev, a fundraising consulting firm. Nancy has a master’s degree in public administration and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.

Lilly Skok Bunch

Senior Counsel

Lilly joined the CapDev team in 2016. She has made a career serving in the philanthropic sector as both a practitioner and a consultant.

As the CEO of her own consulting firm for eight years, Lilly worked with a diverse set of clients. Before joining CapDev, she served as the interim president of the Culpeper Wellness Foundation in Culpeper, Virginia, and she led Helping Hands Clinic in Lenoir, NC. Lilly also served as the Vice President of External Relations and Development of Peace College in Raleigh, NC, and Alumnae Director of her alma mater, Hollins University, in Roanoke, Virginia.

Lilly’s was a former Rotary Club president and served on the board of the Catawba Valley Community Foundation. She and her husband, Al, have one son, and live in Winston-Salem. She enjoys walking with friends and traveling.

Andy Clifton

Senior Counsel

Andy joined the CapDev team in 2026. He brings a wealth of experience and proven success in philanthropy, business development, and relationship management.

Prior to joining CapDev, Andy was the Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Forsyth Country Day School, where he led the most successful period of philanthropy in the school’s history—raising over $15 million, securing the largest gift ever at $2 million, and exceeding annual fund goals each year.

Andy has also held key roles in business development and customer management roles with Inmar Intelligence as well as AccuMED Corporation. His ability to cultivate senior-level relationships and deliver strategic solutions has been a hallmark of his career.

Andy is a Virginia native. He attended NC State for his undergraduate studies and holds a Master’s degree from Wake Forest University.

Andy now resides in Lewisville, NC. He and his wife, Meredith, have two daughters, Anna and Caroline. In his free time, Andy enjoys a variety of hobbies, including hiking, movies, and travel.

Anne Hurd

Senior Counsel

Kevin Jacques

Senior Counsel

Kevin joined the CapDev team in 1998. With over 40 years of nonprofit and institutional advancement experience, Kevin has guided many successful development programs, capital campaigns, and staff searches.

He is a graduate of Western Washington University. Prior to CapDev, Kevin served as Vice Chancellor of Advancement at UNC Wilmington; Executive Director University Development at Northern Arizona University; Director of Development College of Sciences and Arts at Washington State University; and Director of Annual Giving at the University of Puget Sound.

Known for his patient guidance and expertise in the nonprofit sector, Kevin is loved by his CapDev clients who rely on him as their “teacher” in the course of philanthropy. Kevin and his wife live in Wilmington, NC where he especially loves spending time with his grandchild.

Jennifer Hanes Sullivan

Senior Counsel

Leila Thomas

Senior Counsel

Leila comes to CapDev with a strong background in philanthropy, strategy, and nonprofit finance, along with a track record of driving sustained revenue growth and building meaningful, mission-aligned relationships.

Prior to joining CapDev, Leila served as Vice President of Development & Strategy at Marbles Kids Museum, where she led Marbles’ first-ever capital campaign through a highly collaborative and community-centered effort, raising $9.1 million, exceeding their $8 million goal. In addition to directing the organization’s fundraising and strategic initiatives, Leila expanded corporate partnerships, individual giving, and foundation and government support, and played a key role in navigating funding challenges during the pandemic.

A Raleigh native Leila began her career as an analyst in the Private Bank at J.P. Morgan in San Francisco before transitioning to the nonprofit sector as a Financial Analyst at WestEd, a national education research organization. A graduate of Broughton High School, she earned a double major in Economics and Spanish from the University of Virginia. Leila lives in Raleigh with her husband, Sterling, and their two elementary-aged sons, Gilliam and Elliott. In her free time, Leila enjoys staying active, especially playing tennis, and soaking up the great ages of her children.

Mac Bennett

Strategic Counsel

Kristye Brackett

Strategic Counsel

Marcy Engler

Counsel

Amy Heath

Bookkeeper/Controller

Eddie Huffman

Writer

Tory Gillett

Writer

Shannyn Smith

Writer

Naveen Vinukonda

Senior Consultant, Fundraising Analytics & AI

Mr. Naveen Vinukonda is an early pioneer in the application of data analytics to nonprofit fundraising. His career has been built at the intersection of philanthropy, data strategy, and relationship-centered fundraising, helping organizations identify their most valuable prospects and direct limited resources toward the relationships and opportunities with the greatest potential impact. Today, his work also includes helping understaffed nonprofit organizations strengthen their fundraising infrastructure through the thoughtful integration of Artificial Intelligence. 

Mr. Vinukonda’s work reflects the increasingly transformative role of analytics and AI in advancing nonprofit fundraising. His expertise supports organizations seeking to deepen donor relationships, sharpen campaign strategy, and improve overall fundraising performance. Prior to beginning his consulting work with CapDev, Mr. Vinukonda served as Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Analytics at a global fundraising consulting firm based in Chicago. In that role, he advised some of the nation’s largest nonprofit institutions and helped shape strategy for multiple billion-dollar fundraising campaigns. 

Beyond his institutional leadership roles, Mr. Vinukonda has consulted with a broad range of nonprofit organizations across the southern United States, including universities, independent schools, museums, zoos, community foundations, and other mission-driven institutions. His expertise is particularly valuable to organizations with lean teams and expansive prospect pools, where data-informed strategy can help prioritize outreach, strengthen engagement, and focus attention on the most meaningful relationships. 

In addition to his consulting and advisory work, Mr. Vinukonda teaches applications of Artificial Intelligence to MBA students at Winston-Salem State University.