John C. Olberding has served a broad spectrum of organizations during his career in public relations and development. In his three decades in the field, he has directed successful capital, annual and planned giving programs for over 200 health, religious, educational, cultural and social service organizations. In addition to his leadership as President and CEO of Skystone Ryan, his background includes service at Baldwin-Wallace College, as Creative Director with a Cleveland-based advertising agency, and as Publications Director/Marketing Coordinator for the Cincinnati Reds. An Evans Scholar graduate of Miami University, he is a past chapter president of the Evans Scholars Alumni Association. He did graduate work at the Athenaeum of Ohio, where he served also as Director of Development.
A second-generation professional, John has served the Association of Fundraising Professionals for over twenty years on its International Committee and as long-time Board member and past President of the Greater Cincinnati Chapter. In 2022, the chapter awarded him a special Lifetime Achievement Award in
Fundraising at its National Philanthropy Day celebration. He is a frequently featured speaker
at AFP conferences and co-editor of Building Strong Nonprofits: New Strategies for Growth and
ustainability (Wiley, 2010.) Besides his service to the profession, John has served on Boards including the Fountain Square Fools, Saint Ursula Villa, North Avondale Montessori and Clark Montessori High School. In addition to his work with nonprofit organizations, he serves as the press box public address announcer for the Cincinnati Bengals and as official statistician for Xavier University basketball.
Lisa Barnwell Williams has been helping nonprofit organizations to define and achieve their visions for more than 35 years. Entering the field
in the pre-internet 1980’s as one of the pioneers in online prospect
research, she went on to lead fundraising efforts for several organizations
of national stature, including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati
Ballet, Whittier College and the Agnes Irwin School. As Vice President of
Skystone Ryan, she served dozens of local, regional and national clients
in the arts, education, social services and healthcare, taking particular
pride in her hands-on, personal mentorship of both staff and volunteers.
A graduate of Williams College, Lisa holds graduate degrees from
Columbia University and New York University, and, as a Council on
Library Resources Fellow, earned a Certificate of Advanced Study in
Management from the University of Chicago. She is a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Arts Extension Service, sharing her management expertise with current and aspiring arts and nonprofit leaders. From a 1986 CASE/NAIS presentation entitled "Using Computers for Research" to a COVID-influenced Massachusetts Cultural Council session on remote boards, she has spoken and written frequently about issues and strategies central to the nonprofit world. As a volunteer, Lisa currently serves on the Board of The Literacy Project, and has held similar positions for organizations including Women in Philanthropy, AFP chapters, Business Volunteers for the Arts, and others.
