Role:In her role, Laurie is responsible for leading aspects of alumni relations, annual giving and communications. Her work includes developing programs and events, stewarding donors and volunteers, expanding regional chapters and affinity groups, and implementing transformative advancement operations. She helps leverage the nexus between campus partners and external stakeholders.
Bio: Laurie Brogdon has more than 13 years of experience working in higher education advancement. She is adept at integrating business and operational strategies with institutional goals and objectives. Her leadership is anchored in innovation, diversity and inclusion, and collaboration. Before her role at American University, she held alumni relations leadership roles at Virginia Tech, Cornell University, and the University of Maryland. Laurie earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees in communication from Virginia Tech. She is a member of The Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the American Council on Education Women in Higher Education Network.
Role: Erik supports the Office of Development and Alumni Relations by promoting a culture of philanthropy and engagement by designing and implementing all digital and print materials for communication to WCL's alumni.
Bio:Erik earned his BA in Digital Arts from George Mason University. Besides his devilishly good looks (and oddly-shaped egghead) he's an awesome graphic designer with experience in higher education and a wide range of freelance work. Erik thoroughly enjoys being a visual communicator with the unique challenges it brings and conquering them through simple and engaging design.
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.
Role: Hanna oversees data integrity for American University Washington College of Law’s development and alumni relations office. She is integral in making sure the alumni office has the ability to connect and communicate with the larger alumni population by ensuring data accuracy. In addition, Hanna leads AUWCL’s stewardship process by orchestrating monthly acknowledgements to annual donors and giving society welcome packages for those alumni who become members of these important donor giving circles.
Bio: Hanna graduated American University as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor Society with a Dual Degree, a Master’s in Finance and an MBA.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from University of Maryland. Hanna has 4 years data and finance analytics experience. During her free time she loves to volunteer with Holocaust Heroes Worldwide as a tribe leader.
Matthew Pascocello, Esq.
Director of Alumni Career and Professional Development
Role: Matthew leads WCL’s alumni professional development efforts through individual and programmatic counseling, access to a well-developed alumni network, and providing customized resources and coaching on matters involving career management, practice development, and career-change dynamics. He built and oversees WCL’s Alumni Mentor Database, with nearly 1,000 alumni participants, publishes WCL’s weekly Alumni Career Development Listserv (6,500+ subscribers) and Alumni Bulletin Board, features alumni Mentors of the Month, and presents monthly Alumni Webinars across practice sectors and fields.
Bio: Matthew received a BA in Economics and Political Science from Boston University and his JD from Georgetown. He also completed programs at the London School of Economics and the National University of Singapore. Previous to joining WCL, Matthew worked as a corporate and international trade attorney in NYC and served as in-house Legal Counsel and Manager of Legal Information Systems for a Parisian-based, multinational assistance services company.
