We Have the Expertise You Need for Success
Partnering with CapDev means you benefit from a full team of experienced professionals and a designated senior counsel. With our guidance, you’ll have the expertise—and comfort level—needed to ensure your project’s success.
We’re Known for Our People
At CapDev, we have a team of experts who know nonprofits and leadership across the Southeast. With our proven knowledge and experience, you can confidentially convey to your nonprofit’s staff, board, and donors that your project is in good hands.
Meet Our Staff & Management 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
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; chairing the Advisory Council for NCSU’s Institute for Nonprofits; chair of NCSU’s Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Board; and chair of UNC School of the Arts Board of Visitors, among other board service. 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, traveling, and family time on the New River.
Conner Phillips
Chief Operating Officer
Conner joined the CapDev team in 2024 as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his tenure at CapDev, he worked as a Product Manager at Hanes Companies where he developed a user-centric approach to strategic planning and execution.
Conner is a graduate of North Carolina State University. He volunteers at 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 fiancée Caroline, moved back home after school 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.
Meet Our Senior Counsel Team
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.
Kristye Brackett
Senior Counsel
Kristye joined the CapDev team in 2019. Kristye’s passion for philanthropic excellence is undeniable and fuels her commitment to ensuring that her clients have the skills and tools necessary to transform and sustain the organizations they lead.
A Raleigh native and Broughton High School and Meredith College alumna, Kristye over the years, has worked in leadership giving roles at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School on the Carolina First Campaign; New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center on the Advancing the Clinical Mission Campaign; and Meredith College on the Beyond Strong Campaign. Prior to joining CapDev, she worked as the VP of Philanthropy for Transitions LifeCare overseeing 3 of their campaigns: Power of 10, Champions for Children and 1979: Sustaining the Impact.
Kristye lives in Raleigh, NC, and enjoys spending time with family, her dog, and friends. In her free time, she enjoys adventures of all kinds; whether reading books of various genres, fly fishing, or dining in unique restaurants, her love of exploration directs the hobbies Kristye pursues.
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.
Anne Hurd
Senior Counsel
Anne joined CapDev in 2025. Previously, she served as the VP of Institutional Advancement at Greensboro College. During her tenure at Greensboro College, she successfully planned and directed a $21 million capital campaign among many other notable achievements. Similarly, she also led impressive campaigns at both Greensboro Day School and Canterbury School.
Anne is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She also has a strong background in written and communications, having served as the Director of Communication for the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro and as an UNC-Greensboro adjunct professor. Additionally, she oversaw a $27 million federal and foundation fundraising grant for a government agency.
As a native of Greensboro and proud alumna of Greensboro College and UNC-Greensboro, Anne is deeply committed to her community and excited to bring her fundraising, leadership, strategic planning and development skills to CapDev and the nonprofits we serve.
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
Jennifer joined the CapDev team in 2022. She previously served seven years as Director of Advancement for Cape Fear Academy. A Greensboro, North Carolina native and graduate of North Carolina State University, Jennifer was elected class president, a position that placed her on the Board of Directors for the NCSU Alumni Association. She then started her career in Admissions at NC State University and took her first fundraising role with the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. She was then recruited back to her alma mater to serve as the Director of Alumni Clubs with the NC State Alumni Association.
She holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from UNC Wilmington, where she finished first in her class. She also worked with the Alumni Association and chancellor on fundraising for special projects while at UNCW. Following graduate school, she moved to Fayetteville, NC and became the director of the Cape Fear Botanical Garden. She has also raised funds for the Duke Cancer Center.
Jennifer lives in a historic home in Wilmington, NC. In her spare time, she loves to travel (including a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro), spend time with friends, garden, exercise, and read.
Ann Thomas
Senior Counsel
Ann joined the CapDev team in 1995. Her first job was teaching school in Kenya, and she now considers her job as “teaching philanthropy.” Her background in development stems from work at The Nature Conservancy and at Duke University.
Originally from Greensboro, NC, Ann attended college in Los Angeles. She then earned a Master’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill. Ann considers her strength to be guiding and directing campaign leadership and devising appropriate solicitation strategies for major gift prospects, with a goal of ensuring the client’s success.
Ann makes her home in Pittsboro, NC with her husband, Sledd. They have two adult daughters. When not working she enjoys traveling with family and friends, and has even climbed the second highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kenya.
Meet Our Specialists
Mac Bennett
Strategic Counsel
Mac joined the CapDev team as a Senior Counsel after serving in roles as chief executive officer at both the Central Carolina Community Foundation and the United Way of the Midlands in Columbia, SC.
An alumnus of the University of South Carolina, Mac began his career as an assistant in the Office of the President at his alma mater and served 11 years at the university in various roles, including Chief of Staff for the President.
Now semi-retired, Mac and his wife live in Beaufort, SC where he enjoys time with family, fishing, boating, and golfing, as well as occasional strategic consulting work with CapDev.
Paula Hall
Writer
Paula joined CapDev in 2019 to craft cases for support. Since graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her professional career has led to nonprofit experience in public health, senior care, and education, including 20 years of service to the Moravian Church.
She lives on a family farm in King, NC with her husband and seven children, along with a menagerie of animals. She writes about their homesteading escapades in a blog, and enjoys giving back to the community.
Paula believes that we all have words within us that can positively impact the world we live in, and she feels fortunate to help in that discovery.
Amy Heath
Bookkeeper/Controller
Working with CapDev is like being supported constantly by a family of partners, mentors, and advisors.
Johnny Burleson, NC Museum of Art
Capital Development Services has been a true asset to our capital campaign. We appreciate their team approach to client service. They have been most responsive to our requests and a valued partner.
Ragan Folan, former CEO, Old Salem Museum & Gardens
CapDev is an incredible partner and friend to Operation Home and most of all, the families we serve! Their team is the definition of professional and goes above and beyond at every turn. Finding a partner that combines top notch expertise with passion for your mission creates a very special relationship and Operation Home considers them a part of our family.
Miriam Langley, Executive Director, Operation Home, Charleston SC
It has been a really wonderful gift to work with Capital Development on the campaign. We accomplished great things in our fundraising effort - perhaps far more than we should have expected given where we started. None of it would have been possible without the extra-mile support of the extended family that is CapDev.
Anita Brown-Graham, former Director, NC State University Institute for Emerging Issues