Terry A. Fairholm

President

Terry is the founder and President of Advancement Partners, Inc. He lives in Dublin, Ohio with his wife Diana and their three sons: Mark, Bryan, and Curtis. He's an avid hockey player, coach, and runner (he's completed three marathons). He also enjoys music and plays the guitar.

Terry has a business background and significant development experience. A graduate of Loyola High School (Montreal, Canada) and Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, New Hampshire), he has earned both a B.B.A. and an M.B.A. at the University of Notre Dame. From 1986 to 1989, he served as Regional Director of Development during Notre Dame's $450 million "Strategic Moment" campaign, supervising a comprehensive fundraising operation in a 10-state area and eastern Canada. He became involved in the development consulting business in 1989 and is now owner and President of Advancement Partners Inc.

Terry's blend of development and business expertise provides a valuable perspective in addressing the needs of private high schools and non-profit organizations. He has demonstrated significant success throughout his career and is eager to provide your school with the proven services he and his partners have developed and enhanced over the course of many years at varied schools and settings.

Jeffrey O. Strine

Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

Jeff lives in Dublin, Ohio with his wife Lisa and their five children. Jeff and his family enjoy the outdoors and can often be found camping and jet skiing.

Jeff has extensive experience in finance and banking, providing significant insight in addressing the funding and development needs of private schools and non-profits. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration/Finance at The Ohio State University with a minor in international business. He continued his graduate studies at Capital University and the College for Financial Planning (Denver, CO). After graduation, Jeff spent sixteen years in the banking industry, participating as a founding member of the Advancement Partners' Advisory Board. He has been involved in every campaign since joining the firm in 1997.

Jeff's banking knowledge and campaign experience enable him to effectively and comprehensively address the financial situations of schools and non-profit institutions. Jeff looks forward to assisting API clients in achieving their financial and development goals.

William J. Acton

Senior Vice President

Bill has over twenty years of hands-on experience in organizational advancement and capital campaign management. Bill is a graduate of Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL) and the College of Holy Cross (Worcester, MA). Prior to his consulting career, which began in 1993, he worked for Cardinal Bernardin at the Archdiocese of Chicago as the first Director of Development for the Seminary System and then as the first Director of the Cardinal's Appeal.

Over the past fifteen years, Bill has specialized in capital campaign management, major gift solicitation and development operation re-engineering. He has engaged in over 4,000 major gift solicitation calls ranging from $5,000 to $10,000,000.

Bill lives in Elmhurst, IL with his wife Sheila and their two daughters, Mary Alice and Margy.

Brian T. Dilworth

Client Manager

Brian has over fifteen years of experience in capital campaign management and strategic planning. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University, (Kalamazoo, MI) with degrees in Business and Public Administration. He has worked several successful capital campaigns totaling over $50 million, including the Athletic Department and College of Engineering at Wayne State University (Detroit, MI), the Michigan Humane Society and the UMRC Heritage Foundation (Chelsea, MI) a faith based, assisted living community.

In addition to his extensive background in fund development, Brian has worked as the Director of Corporate Development for an international automotive supplier, leading its comprehensive and strategic planning efforts. He also has worked in the economic development fields at the state and local government level.

His capacity to lead effective campaigns while poising the institution for long term lasting success is a key attribute he brings to the table.

Brian lives in Sterling Heights, Michigan with his wife Julie and has three sons; Colin, Tyler and Connor. He is an avid golfer and played and coached soccer at the college and professional levels.

Matthew M. Sturges

Client Manager

Matt lives in Dublin, Ohio where he also grew up. He is an avid snowboarder and skier, passions he picked up while attending college at Western State College, in Gunnison, Colorado.

Matt has spent over 5 years working for the United States Congress in the House of Representatives. He started out working with Education and Military policy then moved into the role of Coalitions Director, assembling support for the passage of pending legislation. He also worked as the Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the Republican National Committee where he was responsible for all communications and affairs with the U.S. House of Representatives.

Matt joined Advancement Partners in 2007, after returning to Dublin, Ohio. Since then he has been involved in over a dozen projects including feasibility studies, capital campaigns and numerous other advancement-related engagements. He has a proven track record of success and is a valued addition to the API team, bringing with him excellent experience, creativity, energy and passion for his work.

Diana A. Fairholm

Director of Finance

Diana has over twenty five years of experience in accounting and financial management. Diana has a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in accounting from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She started her professional career in Cleveland, OH as Accounting Manager for Artistic Manufacturing then became Director of Finance for the Notre Dame Credit Union in South Bend, IN.

Diana has been with Advancement Partners since its founding in 1996 and is responsible for all financial matters within the company. She specializes in financial analysis, cost allocation and auditing. Diana is married to company President, Terry Fairholm, with whom she has worked for over fifteen years. Together they have three children, Mark, Bryan and Curtis and they live in Dublin, OH. Diana enjoys reading, aerobics and playing golf.

Abbi V. Failla

Director of Marketing

Abbi has over ten years of experience in marketing and event coordination. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Abbi previously worked in the office of the Governor of Ohio as the Events Coordinator for both the Governor and First Lady. Abbi has produced several award-winning events including Ohio's Smart and Sober Celebration and the Nationwide Children's Hospital name change events.

Abbi joined Advancement Partners in 2007 as the Director of Marketing. Abbi currently lives in Dublin, Ohio with her dog, Lilly May.

Gregory S. Jeffrey

Foundation Strategies and Grants

Greg has been working with Catholic schools and churches since 1986, consulting with 33 Catholic schools nationwide in a variety of development functions. Well versed in all aspects of development, he has solicited nearly 4,000 individuals on behalf of Catholic education. Over the last five years he has turned increasing attention to grant writing. Since 2003 his efforts have earned seven Catholic schools a collective $4.3M in grant awards. "While grants comprise a modest piece of the development pie, for many schools foundations represent a new revenue stream," claims Greg. "I not only write the proposals but help schools develop relationships that typically precede foundation grants."

Greg holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA Theology from Franciscan University. He and his wife Stella reside in Fargo, North Dakota where she serves the local diocese as Director of Catechesis and Evangelization.