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Jacob Kirkham
Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development
Read Full Bio »Michigan State Athletics and University Advancement have announced on February 2, 2023, the appointment of Jacob Kirkham to the position of Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director of Development. In this role, Kirkham will lead fundraising efforts for MSU Athletics and Spartan Fund initiatives, while supervising Spartan Fund staff.
Prior to MSU, Kirkham spent six years as Associate Athletic Director & Executive Director of Major Gifts / Sr. Director of Development at the Oregon State University Foundation, overseeing a team of professionals focused on major gifts, events, and donor relationships in support of Oregon State University Athletics.
Kirkham has extensive athletics fundraising experience, and at OSU was part of the team that raised more than $92 million in support of ‘Completing Reser Stadium’ – the most transformational project in the history of OSU. The 365-day use facility included an addition to the football stadium, a student welcome center, and a student health clinic. During his tenure at OSU, Kirkham played a significant role in the OSU Athletics facilities Master Plan and the creation of several key initiatives including the Terry Baker Society, Forever Beavs, OSU Football Head Coach’s Circle, and FEARLESS – Women of Oregon State Athletics. Kirkham has a deep understanding of university advancement and all aspects of fundraising and has a personal commitment to intercollegiate athletics.
Prior to Oregon State, Kirkham spent nearly three years as a Major Gift Officer for West Virginia University Athletics and the Mountaineer Athletic Club. Before WVU, Kirkham spent three years at the University of Utah working as a Regional Development Officer.
Kirkham earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah and his master’s degree in sport administration from Ohio University.
His family includes his spouse Whitney, and their four children (Cassity, twins Charlie and Walt, and Quinn).
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Mike Walker
Senior Director of Development, Associate Athletic Director
Read Full Bio »Mike joined Spartan Fund in October 2023 and will be leading the major gift development team in securing transformational financial gifts for MSU Athletics. Mike comes from The Ohio State University where he has worked within the Buckeye Club as Senior Director of Development since January 2023, and as the Director of Development since 2019. During his time at OSU, Michael successfully raised over $7.5 million in gifts for various athletic department priorities, led fundraising efforts for a $24 million lacrosse stadium, and was responsible for fundraising efforts in the East Coast region of the country. Before his time at Ohio State, Michael worked at Southern Methodist University in various roles including as a development officer, Director of their life skills department, and a member of the basketball staff.
Mike is a graduate of SMU, where he received his Bachelor of Science, Applied Physiology and Sports Management and Masters in Liberal Studies, Emphasis on Organizational Dynamics and High Education. He was also a member and captain of the SMU men’s basketball team from 2007-2011.
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Mat Kanan
Director of Development Annual Giving & Strategy, Assistant Athletic Director
Read Full Bio »Mat will be joining the Spartan Fund team as Director of Development Annual Giving & Strategy, Assistant Athletic Director, effective January 17, 2024. He comes to us from Oregon State University where he has overseen all creative communications in support of annual giving and major gift initiatives. He has created and managed messaging and branding for Our Beaver Nation (OBN), including social media, annual giving, and major giving strategies. He successfully helped launch giving societies, fundraising initiatives, and annual giving benefits programs. Mat brings a unique skill set to Spartan Fund as he has experience leading communication efforts but also has experience raising funds at both the annual giving and major gifts levels. Mat is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he received his Master’s in Sports Management, as well as a graduate of Ohio University with a BA in Journalism.
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Sarah Skilling
Senior Director of Special Events & Stewardship
Read Full Bio »Sarah Skilling has been with Michigan State University since July of 2007 and began working for the MSU Athletic Department in May of 2012.
As the Sr. Director of Special Events & Stewardship, Sarah oversees the planning of special events and experiences for Spartan Fund donors as well as stewardship efforts. She also works with internal and external groups and organizations on collaborative events related to MSU Athletics.
After graduating from MSU in 2000 with an Advertising degree, Sarah worked at the Lansing State Journal for five years doing marketing, promotions, special events and community relations. She was also a special events coordinator for the MSU Federal Credit Union from 2005-2007. Before MSU Athletics, Sarah worked for the MSU Alumni Association and University Advancement departments from 2007-2012.
Sarah is a native of Rockford, MI. She played basketball and softball in high school and continues to enjoy playing organized sports.
Sarah resides in Lansing, MI.
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Jayme Bisard
Executive Secretary II
Read Full Bio »Jayme joined Spartan Fund in June 2014. As the Executive Secretary II, she supports and reports directly to the Executive Director of Spartan Fund with a broad spectrum of responsibilities. Jayme also supports Spartan Fund Directors by coordinating travel arrangements, scheduling and confirming meetings and appointments between Executive Directors, University Advancement, Spartan Fund staff and Intercollegiate Athletics professionals. She prepares and distributes materials and productivity reports prior to meetings, oversees the production of briefing reports, tracks unit development officer memberships and travel schedules, and assists the Executive Director in establishing, monitoring and managing the annual budget.
Jayme has worked at MSU since 2013 and prior to joining Spartan Fund she worked at the College of Engineering providing support to the department of Mechanical Engineering.
Jayme and her husband reside in Williamston and enjoy spending their spare time running weekend races and enjoying the outdoors with their daughters, Evalyn and Hazel.
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Ethan Hemer
Director of Development, Director of Major Gifts
Read Full Bio »Began at Michigan State: June 2022
Education: Hemer graduated in 2013 with a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin, receiving an MBA from Butler University in 2020.
Job Responsibilities: Hemer is responsible for connecting members of the Spartan family with opportunities that will positively impact the student-athlete experience at MSU.
Past Experience: Hemer came to MSU from Marian University in Indianapolis. He served as the Assistant Athletic Director for External Development, where he oversaw a team dedicated to ticket sales, sponsorships, marketing, and fundraising for the athletic department. Prior to that, he worked as the Athletic Development Officer at Marian University from 2016-20 and spent two seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2014-15. Hemer played defensive line at the University of Wisconsin from 2009-13 and was a member of three Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl teams.
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Jason Varlesi
Associate Director of Development
Read Full Bio »Jason joined the Spartan Fund staff in November 2021 as an Associate Director of Development with a focus on establishing and developing relationships with Spartans in his home region of Southeastern Michigan.
Prior to Michigan State, Jason served as Director of Development for Athletics at the University of Detroit Mercy. During his time there, Jason oversaw fundraising and donor engagement efforts across the United States for Detroit Mercy’s 17 Division 1 teams while leading several multi-million-dollar athletic capital campaigns. Additionally, he was a key contributor in Detroit Mercy’s successful $100 million dollar University campaign that was completed in 2020.
Jason’s professional experience includes positions with the Detroit Tigers “AA” affiliate Erie Seawolves, the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters and Plymouth Whalers, along with leadership/coaching positions with the Detroit Compuware and Victory Honda AAA hockey programs.
Originally from Dearborn Michigan, Jason is a graduate of Western Michigan University where he received a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing and holds a master’s of business administration from the University of Detroit Mercy.
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Matt Read
Director of Annual Giving
Read Full Bio »Matt Read joined the Michigan State Spartan Fund in July of 2021.
In his role as the Director of Annual Giving, Matt is tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive annual giving strategy, as well as supervising the day-to-day function of the Operations Team. Matt also leads all aspects of data management and business analytics.
Prior to his time at Michigan State, Matt served as a Human Resources Associate with Stanford University Athletics from 2019 to 2021 and an Adjunct Professor of Sport Management at Menlo College for the 2020 academic year.
Matt graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a bachelor of business administration and from Western Michigan University with a master’s in sport management.
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Victoria Diaz
Assistant Director, Annual Giving & Operations
Read Full Bio »Victoria Diaz joined Spartan Fund in February 2023 as the Data & Development Operations Assistant and became the Assistant Director of Annual Giving & Operations in May 2024. She is responsible for managing Spartan Fund’s CRM and gift operations, supporting initiatives such as donor ticket renewals, Give Green Day, mini-campaigns, and solicitations. Victoria also leads prospect generation to identify the next generation of Spartan Fund donors.
She holds a master’s in sports management from the University of Florida and an undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida.
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Sandra Debnar
Graphics & Communications Manager
Read Full Bio »Sandra joined the Spartan Fund team in November 2019. As the Graphics & Communications Manager, she assists with communications strategy and serves as the content creator responsible for producing and maintaining communication materials for Spartan Fund and its staff. Sandra creates graphics, promotional materials, proposals, videos, and multimedia content used in outreach efforts to its donor base and to increase brand awareness. She also serves as the Spartan Fund photographer.
Sandra came to MSU from the State of Michigan where she worked for the Legislative Service Bureau for 17 years providing design, proofreading and professional typesetting, as well as photography and videography services.
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Justin Fribbley
Assistant Director of Development
Read Full Bio »Justin joined the team as a Development Assistant in March 2023 and was promoted to Assistant Director of Development in July 2024. His responsibilities focus on enhancing the student-athlete experience by building relationships with donors and soliciting gifts at the leadership annual giving and major gift levels. Prior to joining Michigan State, Justin attended Benedictine University, where he was a football student-athlete, before moving on to Florida Atlantic University. At FAU, he served in various roles within the athletics department, including positions in development, football recruiting, and football equipment.
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Grayson Miller
Assistant Director of Development
Read Full Bio »Grayson joined Spartan Fund in August 2024 as an Assistant Director of Development. Most recently, Grayson was at the University of Louisville, where he served as Assistant Director of Development for the Cardinal Athletic Fund. Prior to that, he was an assistant football coach for Ohio State. His key tasks involve identifying, cultivating, and soliciting gifts and pledges, with a primary focus on promoting Honorary Coaches, Directors Level, and Scholarship Level gifts. Grayson is a Michigan State alum and former MSU football student-athlete.
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Kaitlyn Arseneault
Office Coordinator II
Read Full Bio »Kaitlyn joined the Spartan Fund team in October 2023 as the Office Coordinator. Kaitlyn supports our donor base on the main phone line and email account, our staff with travel support, and overall office operations. Kaitlyn is a Michigan State alum and former MSU softball student-athlete.
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Tyler Nelson
Development Assistant
Read Full Bio »Tyler joined the Spartan Fund team as Development Assistant effective May 20, 2024. He recently earned his undergraduate degree in advertising management from MSU and has worked as a student attendant at 1855 Place and served with Marketing & Fan Engagement’s game day staff for multiple sports. Tyler assists in all areas of Spartan Fund including major and annual giving, premium seating, events and stewardship, and office management. He also hires, supervises, and assists student workers.