Since 1991, Don has served as president of the Seattle Pacific Foundation. He is responsible for the Foundation’s investment management and oversight of the Seattle Pacific University Endowment and Charitable Trust Portfolio with over $95 million in assets. Don earned both a B.S. in math and economics (1971) and an M.B.A. (1988) from Seattle Pacific. He also completed The Endowment Institute training at Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

Don also serves as SPU’s vice president for business and planning. In this role, he assumes executive leadership of the University’s business, finance, and planning units that employ over 120 staff. He also oversees the University’s budget, and he is the primary liaison to the finance and facilities committee of the Board of Trustees. Prior to joining SPU in 1980, he served as a certified public accountant with a Seattle CPA firm and was comptroller of an international mission agency headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois.

Gordon serves as vice president, treasurer, and chief investment officer of the Seattle Pacific Foundation, which he joined in 1988 after a successful administrative career in banking. He has earned a B.A. in business administration and economics (1973) and an M.B.A. (2005) from Seattle Pacific. In addition, Gordon serves as president of the Seattle Pacific Gift Fund, assistant vice president for endowment and gift planning for SPU, and sits on the Executive Advisory Committee of SPU’s School of Business and Economics, where he is an adjunct instructor in finance.        

Gabrielle earned her B.A. from Seattle Pacific in 1982. She joined the Seattle Pacific Foundation as assistant director in November 2006. She brings over 20 years experience in gift planning from prior positions at the University of Washington, Washington State University, Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, and as a private fundraising consultant serving nonprofit clients in Washington and Oregon. 

Michael W. Potratz
Foundation Accountant
206-281-2390
mpotratz@spu.edu
Mike graduated from Oregon's Judson Baptist College in 1984 with a B.S. He started work in Seattle Pacific University’s finance area in February 1985. He has served as the Foundation’s accountant since October 1988.

Kay-Lynn Wild
Administrative Assistant
206-281-2810
wildk@spu.edu
Kay-Lynn joined the Seattle Pacific Foundation team in May of 2008 as an administrative assistant. She brings with her an extensive background in education from South Whidbey School District and experience in non-profit fundraising and grant writing from the YMCA. She is currently completing a B.S. in business/psychology from Eastern Oregon University and is excited about participating in SPF’s mission of endowing the future of Seattle Pacific University. 

Marlon earned his B.A. from the University of California-Berkeley in 1975 and M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1979, and he is licensed as a certified financial planner. He has served Seattle Pacific University since 2001, and he has over 28 years of gift-planning and development experience, including previous years of service at World Vision, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Compassion International and Fuller Seminary.

Dean Carrell
Gift Planning Specialist
206-281-2083
carrell@spu.edu
Dean joined the gift-planning team in September 2006 as a gift planning specialist. Prior to that he served Seattle Pacific University for seven years as their annual giving director. He is a 1987 SPU alumnus, earning his B.A. in political science, and brings more than 16 years of fundraising experience from previous positions with The Bush School, Oregon Episcopal School, United Way of King County, and United Way of Pierce County.

Kristi Nelson
Gift Planning Specialist
206-281-2313
knelson@spu.edu
Kristi joined the gift planning team in July 2008 as a gift planning specialist. She has been with Seattle Pacific University since 2002, having served as the University Fund manager for Annual Giving, and as an undergraduate admissions counselor and representative for the University for five years prior to that. Kristi has earned both a B.A. in Christian theology (2002) and an M.B.A. (2008) from Seattle Pacific.

Melissa Eller
Administrative Assistant
206-281-2993
ellerm@spu.edu
Melissa joined the gift planning team in May 2008 as an administrative assistant. She earned her B.A. in communications from the University of Washington and came to SPU from World Concern, where she served as the child sponsorship coordinator. Melissa supports our gift planning specialists in their work related to endowments, charitable remainder trusts, and gift annuities.