Profile
David E. Johnson, Ed.D.
David is ardent about education and brings years of experience to developing and implementing approaches that improve institutional performance. He believes in public education, thus the firm’s mission.
David earned his doctorate from Indiana University- Bloomington and has a range of experiences at all educational levels. His particular interests are social justice, leadership, administration, and institutional advancement.
David is also a decorated United States Air Force and Reserve veteran, an experience that helped mold his leadership skills and work ethic. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and achieved the rank of colonel.
A lifelong learner himself, David also maintains a deep commitment to diversity and inclusion.
John A. Fallon, III, PhD
John is the Senior Associate of the company. He received his formal educational preparation from Western Michigan University (B.S.), Northern Michigan University (M.A.), and Michigan State University (Ph.D.), and spent most of his professional career in higher education as an executive-level administrator, lobbyist, fundraiser, and consultant.
John served as President of three universities—William Penn University, the State University of New York at Potsdam, and Eastern Michigan University—and as the Vice President for Public Affairs at Saginaw Valley State University, founding Executive Director of the Institute for Business and Economic Development Services and Associate Vice President for Economic Development and Community Engagement at Ball State University.
John has planned and managed six multi-year institutional capital campaigns, managed annual fund operations, energized alumni networks, secured a variety of multi-million-dollar gifts, and raised tens of millions of dollars for his institutions.
Beyond higher education, John has served as CEO of an Indiana-based technology company, managed several regional nonprofit initiatives, and served on dozens of boards and commissions. These assignments involved considerable private foundation and governmental financial support.
Among John's early experiences in public school resource development is the AlumniAdvance™ initiative in his hometown in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Sara D. Bender
Sara is the Executive Associate, specializing in local education foundations. Sara attributes her results-driven pragmatic approach to her diverse educational background. She holds B.S. degrees in marketing and business management from Olivet Nazarene University, an M.S. in hospitality and tourism management from Purdue University, and she is currently completing a Ph.D. in educational studies with an emphasis on culture and policy at Ball State University.
Sara holds a Certificate in Education Foundation Leadership (CEFL) from National University and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Lilly School of Philanthropy, as well as graduate certificates in diversity studies and computer education from Ball State University. Sara's research is focused on investigating the Hidden Economy of Public Schooling, which takes a critical look at the role of educational philanthropy in K-12 public schools.
After spending the first fifteen years of her career driving sales and marketing success in corporate America, Sara now channels her expertise toward support of educational nonprofits. Since 2014, she has advanced through roles of Business Development and Institutional Advancement at Olivet Nazarene University, Executive Director/CEO of the Avon Education Foundation, Adjunct Professor of Resource Development & Marketing at National University and is currently the CEFL Program Director for the National Association of Education Foundations.
Sara sits on many nonprofit boards and is a founding member of the Hendricks County Professional Women, which focuses on empowering women through education.