Strategic advisory for university advancement leaders and teamsFor leaders who care as deeply about how they lead as the fundraising outcomes they achieve.
Who’s on your
speed dial?
Most chief advancement executives don’t wake up thinking, “I need a strategic advisor.”
You’re thinking about the donor visit at 8:15. The budget meeting at 11. The donor briefing you haven’t had time to read. And then you’re pulled into an unexpected conversation with the president.
That’s when you wish you had someone you trust in your corner to tell you what you’re not seeing.
For many advancement executives in universities and academic medical centers, that’s where I come in.
Experience you can lean on.
Advancement leadership is demanding because every important decision involves people. Balancing the competing priorities of your president, your leadership team, your board, your fundraisers, and your institution means serving multiple perspectives that don’t always align.
I advise in the in between moments.
Having managed teams of nearly 50 professionals, raised 7-, 8-, and 9-figure gifts, and advised executive leaders across higher education and academic medicine, I understand firsthand the opportunities and challenges facing advancement and translate that experience into practical, compassionate guidance leaders and teams can implement immediately.
This is how you’ll achieve the fundraising results your university is counting on.
Our Client Partners
“Shanna is my go-to for wisdom and advice on all things leadership and advancement. Fundraising is about so much more than donors and stewardship, so as I progress in the field, I’ve come to appreciate how important it is to have access to experts who ‘get it.’ It’s always affirming to speak with someone who understands the core aspects of a development organization as deeply as Shanna.”
—Sam Duplessis, Associate Vice President, University Development, University of Pennsylvania Development and Alumni Relations
Featured In
Your Personal Leadership Advisor in Your Pocket
My book offers a practical, actionable roadmap to achieve your personal and professional goals with intention and joy through a single, measurable act each day. Drawing from 20+ years of experience leading advancement teams, I reveal the transformative mindsets that help you fulfill your leadership and career potential.
Whether you're navigating workplace challenges, building confidence, or learning to lead in a way that feels true to you, One Bold Move a Day helps you advance your career, grow as a leader, and develop as a person—one meaningful action at a time.
One Bold Move a Day is published by McGraw-Hill Business and widely embraced by advancement professionals, university leaders, and executives across industries.
What people are saying…
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“Shanna is my one-stop shop for mentoring, coaching, team development, thoughtful strategic advice, and encouragement. She’s well-versed in fundraising and understands the nuanced environments, challenges, and opportunities facing us because she’s been in similar situations herself. We’ve had a successful fundraising year and much of what we’ve been able to accomplish correlates to the support provided to us by Shanna.”
– Heather Culp, Chief Philanthropy Officer, University of Maryland Medicine Philanthropy
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“I have never encountered a fundraising consultant as effective as Shanna. The proof is in the pudding—we have met or exceeded all of our fundraising targets. Shanna brings high-level strategic insights to every conversation, plus practical on-the-ground solutions. I wouldn’t just highly recommend Hocking Leadership—I would shout it from the rooftops for any organization looking to elevate their fundraising game.”
– Amber Hacker, Chief of External Affairs and Chief Financial Officer, Interfaith America
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“Shanna brought clarity, energy, and purpose to our executive team and advancement department during a time of transition in both our organization and our profession. Because of her own experience as a fundraiser, she understands the pressure and the promise of our work, and that makes every conversation more grounded and actionable. Our team leaves each session feeling more connected to each other and the mission, more focused on roles and goals, and more confident in how to lead forward—together.”
– Roberta Albert, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Teachers College, Columbia University
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“Shanna’s expert facilitation, as well as understanding of the unique nature of a business school, created an open, engaged, and collaborative dialogue for our leadership team retreat. Her ability to synthesize different perspectives and offer feedback in real time is an asset. She also made it a point to learn each participant’s name and position in the organization, which led to a personal touch in the discussions.”
– Manoj Malhotra, PhD., Dean, College of Business, Lehigh University
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“Working with Shanna as a leadership coach gave me the confidence to lead authentically while navigating a highly complex work environment. I am now better positioned to advocate for my team and myself, lead high stakes conversations internally and externally, and communicate clearly and compassionately. I highly recommend her services to any C-suite leaders looking to achieve their personal and professional goals.”
– Jessica L. Miley, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Children's Hospital Orange County Foundation
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“What Shanna does is a gift and a craft. More than just a skilled facilitator, Shanna uniquely understands leadership and advancement. She engaged the full team in our discussions and inspired each team member to step into their leadership. I can already see the value of what she created for our team in how my team members work following the retreat.”
Vice Dean of Development and Alumni Relations, Penn Nursing
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“Shanna was a delight to work with for UMB's Fifth Annual Women's History Month Symposium! Shanna offered the audience helpful career advice and clear strategies on relevant topics including self-confidence, leadership, and work-life balance. Shanna's passion and inspiration for women's empowerment was definitely a highlight of our daylong event!”
– Paulette Harris-Gross, Program Manager, Office of the President, University of Maryland, Baltimore
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“Shanna listened closely to the goals I had in mind and developed an interactive presentation that engaged the entire team to think deeply about how they can lead from where they are and have an impact on our organization. She also led a workshop with the managers to define our values and outline how we will measure success in the coming year. I am grateful to Shanna for helping our team build a strong foundation for fundraising success.”
– M. Roe Fellows, Vice President, Development, New York University
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“When you’re serving in a VP role, it’s really important to have outside counsel, particularly from someone like Shanna who is working across the industry with different VPs and with different organizations. It’s been so helpful to talk things through with her and know that she’s going to be honest with me and present different viewpoints about how to solve a potential issue. Working with Shanna has increased my confidence in my abilities as a VP. I think she’s exceptional.”
– Carol Packard, Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations, Lehigh University
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“Shanna is dedicated to helping women lead their workforce and feel empowered to show up each day with confidence. She helped me develop my own leadership style and create an environment where my team wants to succeed. She is always on your side—cheering from the stands—but she also pushes you to rise above the noise and push through challenges that can hold us back from accomplishing the end goal. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her.”
– Sarah Bernstein Solomon, Chief Development Officer, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia
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“Shanna kept us organized, motivated and goal-oriented. Her fundraising coaching was the best that I have ever experienced. Shanna had a suggestion for every possible donor scenario that was completely on target. I felt like she was sitting next to me at the donor meetings when we talked about the campaign and philanthropy.”
– Shari Pochapin, Campaign Co-Chair and President Emerita, Sutton Place Synagogue
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“Shanna was the perfect person to keynote our summit. Her talk was inspiring, and immediately actionable. She invited us to not just think about making bold moves, but to articulate them so they are fresh in our minds when the moment to act comes. Our attendees loved how Shanna shared practical ideas, and challenged us to grow. We can’t wait to continue the learning post-event by reading her book together.”
– Amber Simonsen, Women’s Summit Leadership Team, Alaska Airlines
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“I have a thousand important items on my plate at work, and coaching was an opportunity to step back to consider how to do this work more effectively. Shanna offered specific suggestions on what to say and how to manage challenging workplace scenarios that I could immediately apply to real-life cases. Shanna’s insights on leading people allowed me to more deliberately make choices that strengthen my team.”
-Vice President, Enrollment, Liberal Arts College
