Frank Pisch
Chairman and CEO
The Compass Group

Frank S. Pisch is a senior fundraising executive and nonprofit leader with more than 25 years of successful experience. His strengths include strategic planning, board and staff development, the effective utilization of volunteers and all aspects of fundraising, including creating effective fundraising teams.

A principal of the firm, Mr. Pisch has consulted to a wide spectrum of nonprofit organizations – private and four-year colleges, public universities, community colleges, university foundation boards, hospitals and medical centers, human service and environmental agencies, youth groups, arts organizations, and trade associations — in relation to capital campaigns and strategic planning.

He has raised over $3 billion for his clients and as a major gifts specialist, he has been involved in the successful solicitation of more than 150 gifts of $1 million or more.

Mr. Pisch has also been Vice President for Advancement for Berry College in Rome, Georgia; Vice President for Resources and Public Affairs for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in Washington, D.C.; Director of Development for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and a senior executive of two other national fundraising consulting firms.

A Connecticut native, he holds a BA from the University of Connecticut School of Education. After 10 years as a teacher, he created, funded, and directed the Adventure Challenge School, Inc. in Manchester, Connecticut.  This experiential learning center was founded on the principles of personal growth through adventure activities, hands-on learning experiences that were directly related to school curricula, and participation in community service.

Mr. Pisch presents frequently at national conferences sponsored by CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education), AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals), AGB (Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges), and many others.  He has been a Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) since 1987.

Mr. Pisch has served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Outdoor Leadership School, in Lander, Wyoming, Co-Chaired their capital campaign and recently served as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Youth for Tomorrow in Bristow, Virginia.

Pete Viele
Vice President for Development and Societal Engagement
American Association of People with Disabilities 

Pete has three decades of successful non-profit executive leadership, management, and fundraising for organizations in the health and human services arena, specializing in children, youth, and family services, as well as education, museum and military causes, fundraising over $200 million.

Pete is a real "Conch" being born in Key West, Florida to a Navy Submarine Captain and his wife.  He began his career in service to children, youth, and families as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Norfolk, Virginia.  He quickly became frustrated with the "revolving door" of the juvenile justice system and founded his own nonprofit organization called the "Wilderness Challenge School", a treatment, and prevention program for at-risk youth based on the Outward Bound model combined with reality therapy, extensive counseling, follow-up life skills, and small group process.  After 5 years of intensive evaluation by the funding agency, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Wilderness Challenge School demonstrated an 80% success rate.  The Dept. of Justice selected the program as a National Exemplary Model Program in 1983, which led to the development of many similar programs across the country.  The program was awarded permanent funding from the General Assembly of Virginia and all seven cities of South Hampton Roads in 1985 and continues to serve at-risk youth today.  It was here that he learned the art and science of fundraising, communications, marketing and lobbying. 

Pete continued to hone these skills as he directed the local United Way's first capital campaign for $11 million to build two new Boys & Girls Clubs, two new YMCA's, a Boy Scout Camp, and the area's first Foodbank.  He went on to lead the local Boys & Girls Clubs, building two more clubs to serve at-risk children and youth from four public housing projects and started five new before and after school Boys & Girls Clubs programs in low income elementary schools.  The significant growth and expansion led to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's "Gold Award for Marketing and Program Growth" in 1989.  Pete was then selected to lead the local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency where his leadership, creation of a school based mentoring program and significant growth in private and public funding of the agency led to the Big Brothers Big Sister's of America's "Agency of the Year Award" in 1996.

Looking to enter the national nonprofit arena, Pete moved to Washington, D.C. to work with Easter Seals of the National Capital, helping to create Easter Seals programs for children, youth, adults and seniors with developmental and medical disabilities in the Central Maryland area.  He assisted former Governor William Donald Schafer to build the area's first "Breakaway Program" for seniors with disabilities and six new childcare centers in the DC area for $16 million.  Then he worked for St. Luke's House, Inc., a group home psychiatric treatment program for adults with serious mental illness and youth with emotional disabilities.  There he built a complete development program from scratch and saved the agency from extinction as the State of Maryland cut back mental health funding. His fundraising and marketing campaign to save the agency led to its recognition as the most effective mental health program in the country by the "National Alliance for the Mentally Ill" and the President's "Commission on the Employment of People with Disabilities".

Pete's career turned west when he was recruited to direct his first national capital campaign to replace the sinking USS Arizona Memorial Museum & Visitor Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for $58 million.  He created the "Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund" and recruited a National Campaign Cabinet led by Dr. Ron Sugar, Chairman, CEO & President of Northrop Grumman, Senator Daniel K. Inouye (HI), Senator John McCain (AZ), Governor Linda Lingle (HI) and Tom Hanks as the National Celebrity Chair. Four years and 200,000 frequent flyer miles later, the campaign was completed.  Pete and his wife, Jayne moved back to the mainland where he was recruited to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation to create and launch another national capital campaign called the "American Patriots Fund".  The "American Patriots Fund" was structured to raise $50 million to double the amount of higher education funding for children of Marines and Navy Corpsman killed in action in the "Global War on Terror".

Pete graduated from Admiral Farragut Academy, a Naval Honor School, summa cum laude.  He studied two years of economics at Hampden Sydney College, holds a bachelor's degree in history from Old Dominion University and has done master's level course work in social work and public administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Pete has also completed extensive studies in fundraising and marketing with the University of Virginia, Harvard, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals CFRE curriculum.  He is a graduate if the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William & Mary.

During his career in organizational development and fundraising, Pete has won five national awards and raised $200 million. He is a published and frequent speaker and teacher at professional conferences.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the United Way of South Hampton Roads, the Hunton YMCA, the Hampton Roads Child Abuse Prevention Council, the National Association for Experiential Education, the Virginia Council for Outdoor Adventure Education, Virginia Beach Jaycees, the Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce in Norfolk, Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Honolulu, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Conference Committee and the Planned Giving Society of Greater Washington, D.C.  Pete and his wife Jayne have three adult children, Peter, Allie, and Jonothan and their dog, Zeus.  They reside in Alexandria, Virginia and enjoy the beach, salt-water fly-fishing, boating, golf, tennis, surfing, skiing, and reading.

Quote: "One Team. One Purpose."

Audley (Buddy) Wolfe, Jr.
Senior Associate
Lawson Associates, Inc.

Audley (Buddy) Wolfe Jr. enjoys sharing his over 30 years non-profit experience as a fund raising professional, consultant, board member and volunteer. This includes over 38 capital campaigns and work with leading colleges and universities, national fraternities, medical institutions, art institutions, The Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters International, the Environmental Fund of Ohio, and other organizations. 

His speaking varies from motivational keynotes to seminars on board development, major gift solicitation, making “the ask”, building relationships, and capital campaigns for leadership volunteers and professional staff.  He has spoken at meetings of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, CMW Seminars, the Council for Non-Profit Innovation, “To The Point” Seminars, the National Interfraternity Council, and Mediate-Affiliate Seminars.

He is currently the Founder and Senior Counsel of WOLFE Consulting, Inc., and part owner and Senior Associate of the fundraising firm Lawson Associates, Inc.   His leadership in the field of fundraising includes extensive work with the Boards of more than 100 nonprofit organizations as well as serving as a Board member and officer himself for seven organizations.  Buddy also created the "Board Calling Program," an effective training program for Trustees that involves on-site training on how to speak to and solicit prospective supporters and “Relationship Marketing” a training program that helps nonprofit leadership build teamwork and donor relationships using the simple concepts of “Family, Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers.”