Team

Claudia Cummings is the president & CEO of Indiana Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), one of the largest statewide networks in the country created to boost philanthropy’s impact in communities throughout its state borders. 

A strategic leader and dedicated public servant, Claudia brings a distinct vision and passion to maximizing the impact of Indiana’s foundations, corporations and social investors that collectively hold more than $21 billion in assets and make more than $850 million in grants annually.

During her tenure leading IPA, Claudia has worked with leadership to inspire innovation and action; to engage members in collaborative forums to address key issues; and to amplify the diverse voices that make up Indiana’s philanthropic sector. 

Prior to joining IPA, Claudia served as vice president of strategic development at Conexus Indiana, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) initiative that has positioned the Hoosier state as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to invest, employ, and succeed. For more than ten years, she served in senior leadership at Conexus Indiana, overseeing nationally recognized collaborations on workforce development and education between industry, academic, philanthropic, and public sector partners.

Prior to her work with Conexus Indiana, Claudia served as Deputy Commissioner at the Indiana Department of Administration (IDOA), where she focused on small business development. In addition to her role at IDOA, Claudia previously worked in various policy, communications, and leadership positions for the Mayor of Indianapolis, Speaker of the Indiana House, Marion County Clerk, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

Claudia is deeply involved in her community, including service on the boards of Sagamore Institute, Goodwill Education Initiatives, Indiana University Public Policy Institute and the Bowen Center for Public Affairs at Ball State University.  She previously served as a member of the Indiana Election Commission, State Workforce Innovation Council, and the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Local Public Improvement Bond Bank.

Claudia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Franklin and Marshall College; a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University's O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and an executive certificate from the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business.

Maddison oversees public policy initiatives, executes strategic initiatives and fundraising, and secures partnerships to further IPA's mission. She also directs the John M. Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute. 

Maddison joins the team at IPA after a successful tenure as chief executive officer of the Brown County Community Foundation. Under her leadership, the organization achieved record fundraising, completed a successful GIFT campaign, shepherded its community through the pandemic response, administered hundreds of impactful grants and scholarships, and built new institutions to meet the socio-economic needs of its community. Those efforts included a preschool scholarship program, a high-quality early education center, a state-of-the-art student-run manufacturing facility, and a capacity-building program for small, undermanned nonprofit organizations.  

Before becoming immersed in the ecosystem of Indiana nonprofits, regulatory landscapes, and cross-sector partnerships, Maddison spent a decade in state government. Her time at the Indiana Statehouse includes being a legislative staffer in various capacities, association lobbying, and driving advanced data analytics projects within Indiana’s government agencies.  

Maddison currently sits on the boards of the Brown County Chamber of Commerce, Youth Enhancement & Training Initiative, and the South Central Community Action Program.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Ball State University and her Master of Arts in nonprofit management from Indiana University. She and her husband, Alex, live in Brown County with their daughter, Ruby.  

Lissa oversees IPA’s communications and marketing strategy—amplifying the impact of philanthropy, maintaining website and CRM integration, managing branding and outreach efforts, and overseeing digital and print communications.

Lissa currently serves as a member of United Philanthropy Forum’s Knowledge Management Collaborative, which unites philanthropy supporting organizations across the country in an effort to improve a shared CRM and website technology platform based on Salesforce and Drupal.

Prior to joining IPA in 2016, Lissa worked in the corporate sector as senior marketing associate with American Structurepoint, a nationally ranked design firm. In this role, Lissa assisted architectural, urban planning, and engineering marketing and business development efforts for the following markets: federal, municipal, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, education, transportation, environmental, and commercial. Lissa also supported the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts by directing wellness initiatives for 400+ staff in nine offices, while actively participating in the company's volunteer service projects. 

Lissa has served various communications and public relations roles for the Eskenazi Museum of Art and IU Mathers Museum of World Cultures. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University, where she graduated Cum Laude.

Amy leads IPA’s Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. She oversees board and staff training, consulting, and networking opportunities that strengthen Indiana's 94 community foundations.

Before joining IPA, Amy served for eight years as executive director of Blue River Community Foundation based in Shelbyville, Indiana. In this role, she built cross-sector partnerships for greater impact, transitioned the foundation to a catalytic model, improved operational efficiencies and nearly doubled the foundation’s assets.

Prior to her work at the community foundation, Amy had a successful career in community development. She was the redevelopment director for the City of Shelbyville and the executive director of Mainstreet Shelbyville. As redevelopment director, Haacker led collaborative plans for community and economic development efforts as a Stellar Communities program finalist. She also helped create a workforce development partnership with the City of Shelbyville and Rose Hulman Institute of Technology that provides local career pathways in engineering, science and technology.

Amy earned her master’s degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and bachelor’s degree from Purdue University’s School of Agriculture. She completed Ball State University’s Building Better Communities Indiana Economic Development course, has a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from IU Lilly School of Philanthropy and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive.
 

John develops and direct a comprehensive offering of IPA’s education, networking, and collaboration programming, including biennial conference, regional forums, peer communities, skill-building workshops and webinars, and cross-sector issue collaboratives.

Prior to joining IPA, John was a Fellow at The Patterson Foundation (TPF) based in Sarasota, FL. His dynamic fellowship consisted of collaborating within and/or managing multiple special projects across several different initiatives to provide strategic value and further innovation. His primary roles included serving as manager of the Digital Access for All initiative and being intimately involved with the creation of multiple offerings within TPF’s Nonprofit Thrivability initiative.

Previously, he spent three years with Indiana United Ways in a variety of roles dedicated to supporting all local United Ways throughout Indiana. Prior to that, John was in hospitality for more than 18 years in a myriad of roles, including trainer and manager. He is passionate about helping people and organizations thrive.

John received his degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, the world's first school dedicated solely to the study and teaching of philanthropy. He was named Chancellor's Scholar for his graduating class and proudly serves as chair of the Alumni Association's board of directors.

Keva directs finance and operations, providing a platform for IPA’s talented staff to serve our mission and our statewide partners.

Keva recently served as an administrator at the Indiana University School of Medicine, including roles in geriatrics, internal medicine, global health, and pediatric neonatology. She renovated IU’s medical library, developed an emerging medical technology lab, and built an onboarding and training program for new hires in finance. She has presented at national events and volunteers on community boards, providing insight into operations and governance. She spent nearly a decade on the advisory board providing training and structure for emerging leaders transitioning into higher-level departmental leadership roles. 

Keva’s commitment to public service extends her family’s legacy of community service, including family members in executive government positions and parents who invested in international literacy and education on two continents. Keva’s global projects include Kenya, Africa where Indiana University partners with a local medical school and hospital system in developing rural and urban healthcare interventions. She employed her music education at the American Pianists Association in Indianapolis, working in career advancement for classical and jazz pianists, and public arts education.

Her international education includes primary education in Brazil, South America, and study abroad during undergrad at Oxford University in England. She earned a Bachelor’s in Business with a minor in Music from Taylor University, a Master of Business Administration from Taylor University, and a Master of Jurisprudence from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. She holds a certification through the Society of Human Resources Management as a SHRM-SCP.

JoAnna works with IPA's GIFT team to develop educational training opportunities and resources for community foundations.  

Previously, JoAnna was employed as the communications director at Steuben County Community Foundation (SCCF). In addition to managing donor communications and marketing, JoAnna participated in a variety of projects related to grantmaking and program development. JoAnna led the development of a regular nonprofit capacity building series to provide support and learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders in Steuben County. JoAnna also managed the intern program and served as a navigator for SCCF’s youth philanthropy program, FIST. Her appreciation for the community foundation sector began as a participant in youth philanthropy and later internships with the Community Foundation of Noble County.

JoAnna graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management and earned her master’s in Philanthropic Studies through the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy in Indianapolis.

Kristen supports the IPA through working with the Mutz Institute, membership, and public policy.  

Before joining IPA, Kristen served as the executive director for Zionsville Alliance for Mental Wellness, where she advocated for mental health and wellness through community education. Kristen has also worked as a nonprofit and philanthropic consultant, and grantmaking and community leadership initiatives at a community foundation in South Carolina. While working in South Carolina, Kristen led philanthropic initiatives related to disaster relief & recovery, local journalism, placemaking through arts & culture, rural communities, nonprofit employee mental healthcare, and trust-based grantmaking.

Kristen has a bachelor’s degree in public relations and master’s degree in nonprofit management from Ball State University. She lives in Zionsville with her husband Ryan, their two sons, and a massive Saint Berdoodle named Muncie. 

Clare Sheehan serves as the communications manager for IPA, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping our organization's outreach efforts.

Her primary responsibilities include supporting communications and marketing strategies, amplifying member news, managing social media channels, and overseeing website management.

Prior to her tenure at IPA, Clare honed her talents working in the marketing agency realm. In her previous roles, she developed tailored cross-platform content and organic marketing strategies for various clients including nonprofit organizations such as: Women4Change, Women & HighTech, and the Starfish Initiative.

Clare earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the Herron School of Art and Design where she worked as a dedicated student mentor and academic coordinator. Outside of the office, she provides grant writing support to nonprofits in Nashville, TN.

Working with IPA's GIFT team, Lauren supports event logistics for community foundation programs and provides administrative support for the Community Foundation Internship (CFI) grant program. 

She was previously employed at Salesforce under the Customer Success Group. As part of the Nonprofit Cloud team, Lauren bolstered nonprofit customers’ mission-focused work by helping to streamline their behind-the-scenes operations.

She also developed E-Learning content at the training software company Lessonly by Seismic. Before that, Lauren had her professional start in the nonprofit sector in Indianapolis in different capacities. 

She earned her bachelor’s degree in public affairs with a nonprofit emphasis from the IUPUI O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Outside the office, Lauren volunteers at a farm animal sanctuary in Brownsburg and has served as a summer apprentice at Growing Places Indy. She leads a very active lifestyle, aims to take at least one solo trip (preferably international) per year, and can play the violin.

Logan supports the IPA team by managing and streamlining office operations, efficiency, and continued growth.

Before joining IPA, Logan served as brand manager of Asphalt Materials Inc. at The Heritage Group. She defined marketing strategy to personify and elevate brands in the asphalt industry. Prior to that, Logan worked as director of operations for Onya, a state-ranked marketing agency in Fishers, where she supported business development efforts by identifying KPIs for programs, processes, and systems implementation.

Logan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational leadership & supervision and spanish language & literature from Purdue University. Outside of the office, Logan has served as Court Appointed Special Advocate® (CASA) as a judge-appointed advocate for children’s best interests. She is fluent in American Sign Language, Spanish, and French. Logan resides on the east side of Indianapolis with her cats, Greenbean and Pickle. 

Julie supports IPA professional development programs and peer communities. She can assist you with event registration and inquiries for youth philanthropy training and technical assistance.

Before joining IPA, Julie spent four years with the Indiana Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as the Student Series Campaign manager. Working with thousands of students at hundreds of Indiana schools, she raised more than $2 million to support blood cancer research and patients, and became a mentor to colleagues in other chapters. In 2018, Julie took on a more personal role as she managed her daughter’s LLS Student of the Year campaign, which raised $63,107 in seven short weeks. Julie began her nonprofit career as a chapter relations specialist with Sigma Theta Tau, International, the Honor Society of Nursing.

Julie earned a bachelor’s degree in public affairs, specializing in public policy, from Indiana University School of Public & Environmental Affairs in Bloomington, Indiana.

Alisa provides technical support to Indiana community foundations, with input and support from GIFT staff and Experts in Residence. Alisa also facilitates IPA's National Community Foundation Boot Camp and training services, which are offered to foundations across the country.

Alisa most recently served as the executive director of the Rush County Community Foundation (RCCF) and is a graduate of the Mutz Philanthropic Leadership Institute. She led RCCF through growth in staff, assets, and two successful GIFT initiatives, and created innovative partnerships and grant opportunities to position the foundation as a recognized leader in Rush County. Alisa is on the board of the Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation and is an active member of the Rotary Club and Glenwood United Methodist Church. She attained her BS in sales management from Purdue University and a master’s degree in public health from Indiana University.

Phil Purcell, MPA/JD, provides expert legal and planned giving guidance through IPA's Foundation Legal Help Desk and GIFT Expert in Residence service. 

With an extensive and varied experience background, Phil offers specialized knowledge in grantmaking, scholarships, fund management, planned giving, nonprofit law, the Pension Protection Act, UPMIFA, and other laws that specifically affect the operations of a foundation. READ MORE

Contact Amy Haacker to learn about GIFT Expert in Residence services.

Sonya administers IPA's Foundation Legal Help Desk service.

Sonya has been in the philanthropic field for more than 25 years. Sonya has taught as adjunct faculty with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, created and lead Franklin College’s nonprofit certificate program, directed Indiana’s I-GIVE program, and served on the Johnson County Community Foundation’s board of directors for ten years before becoming its president/CEO.

Sonya has compiled, edited, and published an extensive guidebook for families to consider charitable estate planning. She is also a longtime board member of JCCF, co-founder of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana, president of Bowlingtown Heritage Association and Delta Delta Delta Alumnae Association, and volunteer for several other local and state organizations.

Sonya is an alumna of Franklin College, Leadership Johnson County, and the University of Indianapolis. She resides in Greenwood (Center Grove), Indiana, with her daughter Meredith.