Kelly McCarthy, CFRE
Associate Dean of Advancement

Office: C202
kellyam@wcl.american.edu | LinkedIn

Role: Kelly oversees the WCL Office of Advancement, which supports fundraising and alumni relations for the American University Washington College of Law and its 22,000+ alumni. In addition to personally raising major and planned gifts for the school, Kelly is responsible for developing and executing the Office’s strategy and vision, and creating signature events that engage and uplift the AUWCL community.

Bio: Kelly McCarthy most recently served as the Assistant Dean of Advancement with American University's School of International Service. She has more than 22 years of fundraising experience and has worked in both higher ed and at non- profit organizations including UNLV, Vegas PBS, the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, and Prep for Prep. In addition to being an expert frontline fundraiser, she has deep expertise in creating and executing fundraising strategies, donor events, major gift and planned giving programs, and stewardship plans. Kelly received her BA in English and History from Wellesley College.

Hannah Grimm
Senior Director of Advancement

Office: C202E
hgrimm@wcl.american.edu | LinkedIn

Role: Hannah oversees WCL’s major gift initiatives, with an emphasis on strategy development and alignment of our donors’ philanthropic passions with WCL’s vision and campaign initiatives. Hannah will also foster relationships with leadership volunteers who are strategically placed to move the law school’s fundraising efforts forward.

Bio: Hannah most recently served as Director of Development for American University’s College of Arts and Sciences, which means she isn’t coming too far from main campus. She is a transplant from Minnesota, and frequently references the cold winters as a reason for her move to the DC area. She brings well-rounded expertise from all areas of development, including annual giving, corporate and foundations relations, event planning, and more.

Brooke Sandoval

Senior Alumni Relations Director

sandoval@wcl.american.edu | LinkedIn

Role:  Brooke leverages her nearly three decades of service at AUWCL to enrich alumni involvement and develop impactful alumni programs. She oversees the Alumni Association and its various chapters and affinity groups. She coordinates larger alumni events such as Alumni Reunion and Sylvania Woods Black Alumni Homecoming. With her wealth of experience, she can aid alumni seeking connections with faculty or other alumni within specific fields or locations.

Bio: Having served most recently as Director of Special Projects & Initiatives in the Office of the Dean, Brooke previously held the role of Associate Director of Admissions in the JD Office of Admissions. During her 26-year tenure with the admissions team, she played a crucial role in recruiting and enrolling over 9,000 students/now alumni. Brooke initially moved to DC to pursue graduate studies at AU’s School of Communication, earning her MA in Public Communication. She obtained her BA in International Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Brooke works remotely from her home state of North Carolina and maintains her connection with the AUWCL community by frequently returning to campus to host events.

Lexi Ordakowski

Assistant Director of Advancement

Office: C202
lexio@wcl.american.edu | LinkedIn

Role: Lexi oversees WCL's annual giving and student philanthropy program. Lexi also works to support WCL through the coordination of major events and alumni communications.

Bio: Lexi most recently served as a Development Coordinator for American University's School of International Service. She is a graduate of The George Washington University, having received her B.A. in International Affairs.

 

Grace Engelhart

Assistant Director of Alumni Relations

Office: C202
gengelhart@wcl.american.edu | LinkedIn

Role: Grace supports our alumni chapters and alumni practice groups. She is working on launching our alumni mentoring program, and revamping our alumni audit offerings. She also welcomes alumni when they visit campus to attend panels and presentations.

Bio: Grace, a native of Indiana, is a graduate of the College of William & Mary and spent her first year post-grad working as a Collegiate Leadership Consultant for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. In that role, she traveled to numerous collegiate chapters across the country to evaluate operations efficiency and provide training on recruitment, financial planning and member engagement. She also served as a representative of the sorority’s international headquarters.