Development & Alumni Relations Staff
Meet the team responsible for making sure your gifts make the biggest impact.
Betsy Clardy, CFRE | Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations
Betsy Clardy, CFRE joins TLU after 14 years of serving as the Vice President & Chief Development Officer at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). Prior to her time at UTMB, Clardy served as the Vice President Development & Alumni Relations at TLU from 2001 to 2006, leading the largest-ever comprehensive campaign in TLU history at the time, raising more than $52 million. Clardy served as TLU Regent from 2019 to 2023. Her fundraising career started in 1994 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a Director of Development for Principal Gifts, a title she held for over seven years. Clardy holds a BA in Political Science from Texas Lutheran University where she served as student senator and president of Beta Alpha Sigma.
Fonda Mathis | Associate Vice President for Development Services
Fonda earned her bachelor’s degree at Southwest Texas State University. She started her career in the information technology field supporting software platforms for a variety of business applications. Eventually moving to a position in the development office, as Associate Vice President for Development Services, where she oversees database management, advancement reporting, gift recording, data integrity, data security and research. Fonda enjoys volunteering and community service.
Sharon Huffman Murphy '17, '18 | Assistant Director for Development Services & Research
Sharon, a two-time alumna of TLU, earned her Bachelor's of Business Administration degree with a concentration in Marketing in 2017. A year later, she graduated with a Master's of Science in Data Analytics, becoming a member of the first graduating class in said program. Prior to joining TLU, she managed data for other nonprofits in the San Antonio area. In her current role, she is in charge of the department's prospect research as well as the portfolio, data, and budget management. Sharon enjoys reading and traveling with family in her free time.
Alissa Sommers '20 | Development Events & Stewardship Coordinator
Alissa is a proud Texas Lutheran University alumna earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology Exercise Science. She previously served TLU in the Admissions department. Alissa and her husband, Chris '02 have three boys. Outside of work she enjoys spending time hiking, traveling, and cheering her kids on at their sporting events.
Barbette Wills | Gift Coordinator
Barbette has served as the Gift Processor/Data Coordinator for Development and Alumni Relations since 2007. She and her husband, Casey, have five children and eight grandchildren, and are known as Gigi and Papa. Their family farm is home to cattle, goats, chickens, nine dogs, and one cat. TLU has been a great blessing to the Wills family.
Jennifer Coulter | Development Services Coordinator
Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and English with a minor in Psychology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She has extensive experience working in Federal, State, and City level governments, as well as non-profit and private corporations. In her positions, she handled fundraising, grants, events, recruiting, training and supervising volunteers. Jennifer worked with adjudicated youth and helped many students get their high school diplomas or GED and later assisted them transitioning to college and trade schools. She strongly believes that education will change an individual’s life and has been an advocate for many first-generation students from various ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. As the development services coordinator, she oversees maintaining gift entry, data entry, updating donations and relations information. Jennifer and her husband Jim are the proud parents of their daughter, Emily, who graduated from Texas Lutheran University.
Kim Gannon | Assistant Vice President for Philanthropy
With over 30 years of experience in higher education and alumni relations, Kim leads the team of gift officers at TLU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications and has a background in fundraising, volunteer management, event planning and program management. Prior to joining TLU, she worked for Texas State University. Outside of work, Kim enjoys listening to live music, baking, playing with her animals and spending time with family. Kim works with alumni and friends in the Houston and San Antonio areas to increase engagement and secure giving.
Jason Derscheid | Director of Leadership Gifts
Jason is a graduate of Tulane University where he completed a self-designed major titled Music Industry Studies. After Hurricane Katrina, he returned to New Orleans and shortly thereafter began his nonprofit career and attended his first NFL game for the reopening of the Superdome making him a Saints fan forever, WHO DAT! He is an avid outdoorsman whose favorite places include Big Bend and the Boundary Waters.
Robert Burns | Associate Director of Development
Robert received a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Social Studies Education from Miami University. He has previous experience in development having worked for a wildlife rescue non-profit and a children’s mental health hospital. Prior to his experience in development, Robert served as an eight grade history teacher and a baseball coach. He currently serves as the associate director of development where his main duties include engaging with alumni and prospective donors. Robert is married to Brittany and together they welcomed baby Claire in fall of 2022.
Delia Saucedo-Milam | Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
Delia Saucedo-Milam is a seasoned professional who has been working in annual giving, fundraising events, capital projects, and grant writing for almost a decade. She recently joined the TLU Development and Alumni Relations team in September 2023, where she serves as the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations. Delia is a proud Texas State University alumna, where she played softball and earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies in 2014. In 2022, she completed her master's degree in international management with a specialization in finance from Colorado State University. Delia has worked for several nonprofit organizations before joining TLU, where she has led annual giving, capital projects, and grant writing efforts. Delia and her husband, Austin Milam, along with their two dogs, Uma, and Mr. Milo, reside in New Braunfels.
Jereme Matthews '98 | Assistant Vice President for Giving & Alumni Relations
Jereme Matthews joined Texas Lutheran University as the Director of Annual Giving and now serves as the Assistant Vice President for Giving & Alumni Relations where he oversees Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, and Development Communications. He is a proud TLU alumnus of 1998, where he earned a bachelor's in mathematics and business administration. Prior to joining higher education, Jereme worked in secondary education for 23 years as a mathematics teacher, coach, assistant principal, and associate principal. During this time, Jereme maintained his close connection to TLU and served on the alumni board. He is married to Courtney Erickson Matthews, 1999 alumni.
Gaby Alvarado | Director of Alumni Relations
Gaby received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts and Master of Arts in Administration degree from the University of the Incarnate Word. Prior to joining TLU, she served as the Associate Director of UIW’s Department of Alumni & Parent Relations focusing on communications, activities and networks for the alumni and parent associations. In addition to her work in higher education, she has broad experience in event planning, volunteer organization, and non-profit management having worked at Silver & Black Give Back, the non-profit partner of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, and the San Antonio Zoological Society. In her current role at TLU, Gaby will lead the alumni association in reconnecting graduates to Texas Lutheran and providing resources and engagement opportunities throughout the year for our Bulldogs.
Valerie K. Wood '17 | Associate Director of Annual Giving
Valerie Wood is a proud TLU Bulldog having earned her Bachelor's in Business Administration focused in Marketing in 2017. In addition, she completed her Master's in Science from the University of North Texas in Digital Communication Analytics in 2020. Her experience includes corporate communications, nonprofit marketing and fundraising. In her current role, Valerie assists in annual giving efforts by working with the Bulldog community to spread awareness on philanthropic opportunities to support students. In her free time, Valerie enjoys trail running and spending time with family.