Karen Lam

Secured funding acquisition efforts exceeding $30 million for health sciences campus by enhancing relationships with stakeholders and promoting CU's teaching, research, community outreach, and patient care objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Cultivated and secured significant investments exceeding $1 million from ultra high net worth individuals.
• Advised campus partners on external relations, communications, and university compliance strategies.
• Championed schools and colleges among elected leaders, alumni, corporate partners, and foundations.
• Delivered expert guidance and services on comprehensive funding partnerships across a four-campus system.
• Hired, trained, and mentored a growing team of direct reports.

Achievements:

• Oversaw spending plans for more than $20 million in university assets.
• Generated over $5 million in one-time gifts. Surpassed all essential performance metrics by a minimum of 150% each year.
• Engaged in media discussions to promote awareness of higher education support, including a 2021 feature on undiscovered wealth and philanthropy.
• Facilitated faculty engagement to secure over $10 million investment in campus infrastructure and workforce development initiatives.
• Worked with CU president’s office to deploy $12 million of discretionary funding for diversity scholarships.
• Co-authored Colorado Senate Bill 22-172—bringing $1.2 million to rural Colorado’s health care community.
• Led COVID-19 pandemic crisis fundraising for student needs and emergencies; coordinated partnerships across the 4 campus CU system.
• Coordinated communications rollout for key diversity initiatives, like the Blackwood Endowment.

Delivered benefactor relations strategies resulting in $8+ million in funding to support new lectureships, professorships, and scholarships to enhance the campus impact. Forged relationships across divisions and units—like financial aid and student affairs—to promote a more effective working environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Solicited and closed one time gifts exceeding $500,000.
• Engaged a diverse portfolio of more than 150 contacts, including alumni, patients, corporations, and foundations.
• Utilized research analysis to adapt strategies for engagement and outreach on behalf of university.
• Developed and authored proposals, external communications, and financial reports.
• Hired, trained, and mentored a growing team of direct reports.

Achievements:

• Implemented a Planned Giving Challenge Fund—parlaying $50,000 into more than $14 million in estate gifts.
• Guided intra-departmental review of more than 200 CU Foundation accounts to ensure proper oversight, spending plans, and drive strategic investments.
• Successfully exceeded all core metrics by at least 100% in 2017 and 2018.
• Worked with clinical departments to utilize reserves to invest in infrastructure and capacity building, like establishing the first endowed chair honoring a woman faculty member in campus history.
• Provided ideas, contributed content, and coordinated student participants for annual report stories.
• Expanded School of Medicine Dean’s Distinguished Scholarship Program, to address LCME accreditation findings regarding diversity and student debt.
• Partnered with assistant vice chancellor to implement best practices and consistency to school-based development teams, including routine check-ins, peer-mentoring, and strategic donor communications.

First campus staff person to hold dual appointments in Alumni Relations and Advancement. Boosted alumni affinity and participation measurements to the highest levels. Translated engagement into substantial financial support for CU. Track record paved way for a merger between Alumni Relations and Advancement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conducted extensive data analysis to better guide office strategies.
• Interfaced regularly with governing boards, volunteers, and campus stakeholders.
• Hired, trained, and mentored volunteers, student employees, administrative team, and others.
• Gained extensive training in state financial systems including revenues sourced through tuition and fees, taxpayer funding, and philanthropic resources.

Achievements:

• Lead alumni partner in cross-departmental collaboration resulting in two, multi-million dollar bequests.
• Expanded office program budget by 20+%; increased staffing by .5 FTE within first year of tenure.
• Increased investments to the medical alumni endowment funds by 100% within two years.
• Boosted medical school alumni philanthropy by more than 30% during tenure.
• Maintained accounting records in accordance with state requirements for more than 15 accounts.
• Collaborated closely with the Director to add new performance management and professional development systems to the department, including DiSC, Strengthfinders, and other procedural changes.

Appointed inaugural assistant dean to spearhead external relations, strategic partnerships, and mission-driven communications strategies to elevate the School’s role, reputation, and impact throughout the Rocky Mountain Region.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as principal advisor to the dean and executive leadership on external engagement, media strategy, and legislative priorities.
• Advise faculty and staff on critical issues related to government relations, public policy, and effective communication strategies.
• Author and approve all external communications to ensure alignment with school messaging and brand.
• Lead strategist for state and federal appropriations benefitting the School of Public Health.
• Manage all media and public relations on behalf of faculty, researchers, and school leadership.

Achievements:

• Directed budget management for resources exceeding $2 million to optimize strategic allocation.
• Currently leading the formation of two, new strategic initiatives—expanding rural and frontier public health programming and revamping the school’s focus on Latino public health.
• Enhanced relationships with local and national media resulting in more earned media coverage for the school, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNBC, 9News, The Colorado Sun, and many others.
• Facilitated organization of press conferences and roundtables to enhance media engagement on critical research regarding gun safety, injury prevention, and driving under the influence.
• Developed strategy resulting in 40% increase in social media followership in first 2 years of tenure.
• Guided school state and federal government relations strategies resulting in $5 million for (1) expanded rural public health workforce funding; (2) investments in public health awareness campaigns; and (3) securing one-time gifts in excess of $2 million for the school’s initiatives.
• Established or enhanced partnerships with the Colorado Health Initiative, Colorado Public Health Association, and others to study the possibility of universal health care in Colorado.
• Collaborated with CU government relations team to secure $5 million in funding for the school amidst challenging state financial conditions.

Oversaw donor relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations, leveraged local and national funding sources and managed fundraising events. Maintained donor data, system maintenance, administrative operations, and strategic communications.

Key Responsibilities:

• Enhanced donor communications, capacity, and engagement while expanding the donor base.
• Cultivated corporate partnerships, enhanced relationships within foundations, authored grant proposals.
• Aligned funding priorities with other issue advocacy organizations, to increase capacity and preserve resources.
• Collaborated with program, communications, and lobbying leadership on proposal drafting, pursuing new funding sources, and monitoring revenue goals.

Achievements:

• Shepherded a successful $1.5 million fundraising campaign for the 2012 electoral cycle.
• Increased year-to-year investments among 80% of major donors.
• Awarded cross-sector civic engagement grant focused on environmental issues and communities of Colorado.
• Increased membership engagement statewide, through regional outreach events.

• Led external relations, community engagement, and resource development strategy for leading women’s leadership development organization. Promoted from regional director to national director within the first 6 months of employment.
• Key Responsibilities:
• Grant writing, leadership and annual giving, and board relations.
• External communications and community engagement through newsletters, events, and in-person visits.
• Financial analysis, cost reductions, and organizational operations among five regions across the US.
• Achievements:
• Supervised 5 direct reports, including regional directors, contractors, and development writer(s).
• Increased revenue by 50% for Rocky Mountain Region programming.
• Managed, coached, and mentored field development staff; successfully secured more than $750K in revenue.
• Direct supervision for interns and partnered with universities to establish work study programs.
• Recommended cost saving measures to stabilize the organization and improve financial conditions including reducing operational overhead and relocating national headquarters.