Maximize Your Board's Capacity and Impact

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Meet the Presenters

Clarity is one of the most powerful tools a board can have. When everyone knows why the board exists, what it owns, and how it partners with the institution, the work becomes more strategic, more enjoyable, and more impactful. This on-demand course is designed to help you build that clarity - step by step, lesson by lesson.

Across the lessons, you’ll connect policy to practice: how an MOU anchors your partnership, what responsibilities boards hold, how to define the culture you want to create, how to recruit and onboard excellent members, and how to support strategic planning, fundraising, and engagement in ways that truly matter.

Think of this course as a guided path through the most important building blocks of a strong, aligned, high‑functioning board. You’ll encounter short lessons, practical frameworks, stories from seasoned leaders, and opportunities to reflect on how these ideas show up in your own context.

Course type: This course is fully on-demand, so you can work through it at your own pace at any time.
Estimated Time to Completion: 60 - 90 minutes.

John Wolfkill
Executive Director, Community College of Aurora Foundation

John Wolfkill serves as Executive Director of the Community College of Aurora Foundation, leading strategic fundraising and partnership development to expand student access and workforce impact.

Last year, the Foundation awarded more than $1 million in scholarships and emergency assistance to over 500 students and recently completed an $18.3 million capital campaign for CCA’s Center for Applied Science and Technology.

John holds a Master of Science from the University of Southern California. His career spans urban planning, youth and family development, community philanthropy, and public K-12 education leadership.

He previously held senior roles with Tulsa Community Foundation and KIPP Tulsa, where his team achieved a 97% high school graduation rate and helped more than 80% of students enroll in college. His career has focused on aligning education, employers, and community investment to create upward economic mobility and long-term community vitality.

Diana Pollard
Vice President for College Advancement, SUNY Delhi

Diana Pollard serves as the Vice President for College Advancement at SUNY Delhi, where she leads the institution’s fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and philanthropic initiatives. With more than three decades of experience in advancement, she is recognized for strengthening organizational capacity, building meaningful donor relationships, and elevating the impact of educational institutions through sustainable philanthropic growth.

Over the course of her career, Diana has held progressively senior roles in advancement, guiding teams, campaigns, and foundation operations with a focus on long‑term mission alignment.

She is an active contributor to the SUNY advancement community, having served on the SUNY Council for University Advancement Board of Directors and co‑chaired programming for the SUNY Community College Chief Advancement Officers annual retreat for more than 12 years.

Diana has presented at numerous conferences for SUNY, AFP, CASE District II, and the CASE Community College Conference, and her work has been recognized through honors such as the AFP Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award and leadership of teams that earned the CASE Educational Fundraising Excellence Award.

Diana holds a Certificate in Fundraising Management (CFRM) from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and an MBA in Marketing.