PHILANTHROPY & ENGAGEMENT WELCOMES TWO TEAM MEMBERS

To start the 2021-22 fiscal year, the office formerly known as Rockhurst High School’s Advancement Office rebranded to the Philanthropy & Engagement Office . The team is led by Dr. Diane Marty, CFRE, who joined the Rockhurst staff as a consultant in August 2020 and assumed the in-house leadership role in January 2021.

The Philanthropy & Engagement Team works with Rockhurst alumni, families, and friends to advance the mission of the school. The team consists of nine members who lead fundraising and engagement efforts inclusive of volunteer involvement, stewardship, scholarships, events, data management and analytics, communications, and more.

“It’s definitely never the same day twice,” said Marty. “Everything we do is motivated by the fact that our work directly impacts every experience at Rockhurst, whether you’re a student, alumnus, parent or grandparent, faculty or staff member, or prospective Hawklet and their family. And we’re blessed that those who recognize that invest so generously.”

Philanthropy & Engagement welcomed two new members in the fall of 2021. Meredith Suarez is the director of alumni engagement and George Weir is the director of data & analytics.

Originally from Chicago, Suarez earned her Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago. Prior to coming to Rockhurst, Suarez served for eight years at Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City (JA) focusing on NE Kansas & NW Missouri where she directed the gala celebration of the agency’s 100th Anniversary. In 2013 she left Girl Scouts to join Junior Achievement (JA) of Greater Kansas City, focusing on corporate and foundation relations and fundraising, moving through various roles with increasing responsibility to her final role as director of development & marketing.

At JA, Suarez led a significant expansion of fundraising efforts and special events; created a monthly giving program as well as stewardship programs that increased donor investment; and led a successful database conversion for the agency. She also served on the leadership team while overseeing fundraising operations for a capital campaign that included the creation of the Junior Achievement Youth Learning Lab presented by the Mallouk Family Foundation, a 22,000-square foot space that includes the JA Innovation Center, JA Career Center, and the signature capstone program, JA BizTown, presented by CommunityAmerica Credit Union—all to provide meaningful real-world learning opportunities to K-12 students.

Raised on the east coast, Weir attended a Catholic high school (Cardinal O’Hara in Springfield, PA) and then earned his BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems (MIS) from Saint

Joseph’s University, a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia. Originally trained as an auditor, Weir has leveraged that experience along with his MIS knowledge as a business and analytics consultant focused on accessing data to derive actionable insights.

Weir spent five years at H&R Block in Kansas City before turning to analytics consulting and business advisory work through McKesson Corporation in their Information Technology Connected Analytics group. He was an officer in Toastmasters during his time at H&R Block; a former president and board member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and a founding member of the Heart of American Chapter of HIMSS. He also served on the Alumni Board of Governors at Saint Joseph’s University from 1985-1995.

To learn more about Rockhurst’s Philanthropy & Engagement Team, and how you can make the difference in the life of a Hawklet, visit www.rockhursths.edu/giving.

Contact Meredith Suarez: msuarez@rockhrsths.edu 816.363.2036 ext. 537.

Contact George Weir: gweir@rockhursths.edu 816.363.2036 ext. 539.