Who we are
Stewart Howe is located just outside of Ithaca, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. A genuine "college town," Ithaca is a home to three institutions of higher learning, including Cornell, whose Greek community enjoys robust membership and university support.
In addition to our longevity in the alumni relations industry, we are a fully licensed vendor with most national fraternities and many sororities.
We have 15 full-time employees on staff. Their diverse skills, interests, and backgrounds add depth and personality to our company.
Stewart Howe is a longtime member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. We will never take possession of our clients' funds at any time or base any of our billing on percentages of funds raised by our clients, in accordance with AFP's code of ethical principles and standards.
Our staff
Steven Barry - Client Manager
A native New Yorker, Steven earned a Bachelor of Science in communications and a Bachelor of Arts in theater from the State University of New York at Fredonia. He began his professional career far from home, on the automotive sales floor in Georgia, where he worked his way up to leading the sales effort for Toyota's youth marque, Scion. We're fortunate that Steven brought his outgoing personality and customer service experience to Stewart Howe in early 2011 as a client manager.
Steven can be found on many stages in the Ithaca area with various comedy and dramatic performance troupes. He's also an avid tennis fan and player; his love of the game is matched only by his love of the Federer-esque backhand he thinks he's mastered.
Barb Conrad - Business Manager
Barb received her Bachelor of Science in accounting from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, New York. Her varied small-business management and accounting background includes positions with a nursing home, boarding school, and country club. Since joining Stewart Howe in 2002, she has assumed responsibility for accounting, human resources, cash management, and merchant account setup, among other duties.
Barb is involved in founding her high school alumni association and developing their communications program, for which she received their "Alumni Faithfulness Award" in June 2011.
Pam Costley - Data Services
Pam has extensive administrative support experience, having served in various secretarial positions throughout her career. Pam's knowledge and skills are an asset to Stewart Howe and our clients. As part of our data management department, Pam provides careful attention to her clients' vital membership records. She's always willing to lend a helping hand, too, fostering our collaborative working environment.
Pam says she's traveled some, but is always drawn back to Lansing, where she was born and raised. She has two grown children and two grandsons whom she professes are the love of her life.
Nicolette DeFraine - Lead Designer and Editor; Website Coordinator
An alumna of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Nicolette has a bachelor's degree in studio art with a concentration in communication design, and a minor in linguistics. Prior to landing at Stewart Howe, she worked in T-shirt design and prepress in Rochester and Buffalo, New York, and was an editor and designer for the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina.
Beyond design, Nicolette has also taken on copywriting and editing, marketing, and sales here at Stewart Howe. Her diverse experience with print and web design, along with her strong communication skills and artistic sense, complement our production team.
Outside of work, Nicolette enjoys hiking and cooking. She lives in downtown Ithaca with her husband and their two cats, Layla and Mitch.
Mike Duesing - Managing Partner
Mike holds a degree in engineering from Cornell University. His professional career includes positions with IBM and General Electric. He has served as a business consultant to Cornell, was director of corporate relations for the College of Engineering, and was a director within Cornell Alumni Affairs and Development. As owner and managing partner of Stewart Howe since 1998, he helps fraternity and sorority alumni learn and adopt "best practices" in alumni relations programs, fundraising, and undergraduate living administration.
Mike has enjoyed a long involvement with his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, as a board member and senior chapter adviser. He also served on the Phi Gamma Delta international headquarters housing committee. He works with the Cornell Alumni Interfraternity Council and the Alumnae Panhellenic Council. He has also served as a youth leadership and retreat leader for multiple national fraternities and sororities. Mike has successfully lobbied for higher education in the U.S. Congress as a volunteer since 2002.
Mike was captain of the Cornell University lightweight football team. He coached and refereed youth soccer for 18 years and has long been active in youth mentoring. A lifetime sports and team participant, he also enjoys woodworking, golf, racquet sports, running, and swimming.
Karie Gutenberger-Allison - Client Manager
A second-generation Ithaca native, Karie took advantage of her young-adult years and lived in many different parts of the U.S. Karie attended Florida International University in Miami, where she earned a BA in hospitality management. While there, she became a founding member of Phi Mu.
Karie returned to her hometown of Ithaca in 1997 to manage a number of retail food service outlets at Cornell. She is now a single mother of four boys, including triplets and a younger son. Karie's children are active in sports and clubs, and Karie is a member of the Lansing PTSO and president of the Ithaca Swimming Club, Inc.
Karie is excited to be the newest member of the Stewart Howe team.
Helen Howell - Data Services
Helen is one of our longest tenured employees, having worked at Stewart Howe since 1985. During that time, as she's watched the company grow, Helen's grown herself, taking many courses in computer skills and management, and earning her degree in medical coding. She feels Stewart Howe is a great place to work because of our personal attention to clients. You'll find that Helen exemplifies that ideal in her attention to our clients' data--their most precious asset.
Outside of Stewart Howe, Helen enjoys spending time with her husband (and high-school sweetheart) of 43 years, two grown sons, and eight grandchildren. She's long been an active member of the community, is currently a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and was the first female firefighter in New York.
Renée LaDue - Editor and Graphic Designer
Renée holds both a Bachelor of Sciences in communication management and design and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Ithaca College.
Prior to joining us in 2010, Renée developed her communications and project management skills at several diverse positions. As communications consultant with KGolan Communications, she specifically worked on developing brand identity and web solutions for an Atlanta-based non-profit, Safe Haven 4 Pets.
Outside of Stewart Howe, Renée volunteers her time and graphic design skills developing print and web communications for the Tompkins County History Center and the Museum of the Earth at the Paleontological Research Institution, makes apple wine in her kitchen, and bikes for fun and exercise.
Katie Lagonegro - Editor and Graphic Designer
After receiving her BFA in graphic design from Marywood University, Katie joined Stewart Howe in 2011. While at Marywood, she was both a member and graphic designer for the MU dance team and received the Talent in Art Award four years straight. Katie has been a volunteer ad designer for two non-profit organizations, the Dessin Animal Shelter and the Junior League of Scranton, since 2008.
Katie has many interests, including traveling, watching movies, painting, designing, and decorating. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and her puppy, Benny.
Nicola Leckie - Client Manager
Nicola earned her Bachelor of Science degree in advertising from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration from the McColl School of Business, Queens University, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Nicola brings extensive experience in advertising and analysis to her role at Stewart Howe. Throughout her career at companies such as McCann-Erickson, Anheuser-Busch, and Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Nicola has provided outstanding client service, created integrated marketing strategies, and spearheaded analytics and database marketing efforts.
Nicola and her husband enjoy being outdoors bird watching, fly fishing, and hiking. They have a one-year-old daughter who is already a member of Trout Unlimited, and they're having fun trying to keep up with her.
Danielle Moore - Administrative Assistant
Danielle is the "voice of Stewart Howe"--the one you most often hear when you call. She is also a bit of our everyman, always happy to assist with projects ranging from invoicing and thankathon preparation, to the occasional copier repair. Her cheerful demeanor and willingness to pitch in are a great example to all of us.
Danielle graduated from the accounting program at Elmira Business Institute and joined Stewart Howe in 2008. She is a native of the Ithaca area and enjoys spending time with her young daughter.
Ellen Reuben - Client Manager
Ellen has worked in the field of fundraising and non-profit management for more than 20 years, including 12 years with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She brought her extensive experience to Stewart Howe in 2005 and currently serves as a client manager for several of our specialty clients, including the Ithaca Public Education Initiative and Omega Tau Sigma, a national veterinary fraternity. She also holds a unique position as the executive director for Alpha Delta Phi at Cornell, facilitating undergraduate support with Cornell University, vendors, and the city of Ithaca, as well as helping Alpha Delt exceed annual fundraising goals.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Ellen earned a BFA in printmaking from the Philadelphia College of Art, now the University of the Arts. She's called Ithaca home since 1999 and is involved in her adopted community, participating in Rotary and her children's school programs.
Clair Williams - Mail Services Coordinator
Clair is responsible for overseeing all of Stewart Howe's postal operations, including mail delivery, permit applications and maintenance, and coordination of our mail processing staff. He makes sure we're always abreast of changes in postal regulations so that we can better serve our clients.
Lisa Wood - Director of Operations
Lisa has worked in the field of alumni relations for over 25 years. In her long tenure at Stewart Howe, she has worked with hundreds of clients and alumni officers in a broad range of capacities from program design to project management. Her years of professional experience with Greek organizations and other affiliation groups have rendered her an expert in the field. Lisa is truly our go-to woman for all things Stewart Howe!
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in comparative literature and music history and theory from Eisenhower College, a small liberal arts college in upstate New York that closed its doors in the mid-1980s.
Lisa is active in the Ithaca community in a number of volunteer capacities. In addition, she's an amateur birder who considers herself fortunate to live and work near the world-renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Dorothy Wysocki - Advancement Services Coordinator
Dorothy joined the staff of Stewart Howe in 1999, after a long tenure as a senior merchandising manager with the JCPenney Company. Her background prepared her well for the high level of client service she provides our clients engaged in major capital campaigns, as well as several of our specialty accounts. Among other client responsibilities, Dorothy is the executive administrator for the Kappa Alpha Society and the John Hart Hunter Educational Foundation. She also administers the headquarters office for the Tompkins County Bar Association. She has provided administrative support for capital campaigns endeavoring to raise over $18 million combined.
Dorothy received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona. Dorothy and her husband, Mark, can be found at all of the Cornell Big Red home football games and love watching their favorite NFL teams. When she's not immersed in football, Dorothy enjoys gardening, solving sudoku puzzles, and working on quilting or other sewing projects.
Our consultants
Charlie Frick - Director of Advancement Services
Charlie is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha at DePauw University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, he served the international fraternity as a chapter consultant and as the director of expansion. Charlie went on to develop expertise in marketing, sales, and management.
Combining his sales background and passion for the Greek and not-for-profit markets in 1993, Charlie founded Heritage Management Group, Inc. (HMG) to facilitate fundraising campaigns and, more specifically, feasibility studies and major gift solicitation. HMG was created on the premise that a chapter's alumni base is its most valuable asset--and that the cultivation, care, and commitment engendered through fundraising must be nurtured and preserved.
HMG has organized and executed projects for more than 50 clients, representing two dozen colleges and universities, and raised monies totaling $115 million from individual campaigns ranging from $500,000 to $7.5 million. Charlie and HMG have collaborated with Stewart Howe on major fundraising projects since 2005.
Charlie lives in Carmel, Indiana, with his wife, Nancy Milligan Frick. They have two children, Libby and Evan.
Guy Iaccarino - Website Development Consultant
Guy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Cornell University, where he is a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He has applied his passions for technology, people, and business process in various fields, including telecommunications, software development, insurance, and alumni relations.
For the past decade, Guy has worked closely with Stewart Howe in both the product development and client service areas. Drawing from both his broad professional experience and his own background as a Greek volunteer, he has facilitated various sessions for a number of clients, helping each to define a vision for their organization and develop a plan for realizing it.
Guy has also served as the ATO alumni association president at Cornell since 1998. He is a two-time winner of the Cornell Alumni Distinguished Service Award sponsored by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.
Guy and his wife, Megin, live in Guilford, Connecticut, with their three children.
Tom earned a bachelor's degree in economics with a minor in policy analysis from Cornell University. As an undergraduate, he became interested in the role of information technology in the non-profit sector and wrote a 10,000-member development database for a local non-profit. He has worked in Ithaca both as an IT manager for Planned Parenthood and as an independent consultant for local non-profits. In recent years, he has been hired to implement a number of complex database conversions for his clients as they transition to new development software.
Tom has served as a consultant to Stewart Howe since 2001, combining his interest in non-profits with expansive skills in IT. His work with us includes helping to support our current infrastructure and assisting us as we continually seek to improve these systems. He's also the wizard who prepares our new clients' data for import--a job he does with great skill and care.
Outside of work, Tom is an active volunteer in the community.
Don Souhrada - Advancement Services Officer
Don began his career in development as a student at the University of Iowa, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in journalism and public relations. At Iowa, he was initiated into Sigma Alpha Epsilon and embraced the ideals of his fraternity and Greek life.
His development career continued at nationally-recognized universities, both public and private, first at Indiana University and then at Butler University in Indianapolis. As a fundraising professional at Butler and a member of his chapter's house corporation board, Don led the search for fundraising counsel to manage his chapter's capital campaign. Don's chapter contracted with Indianapolis-based Heritage Management Group, Inc. (HMG) in 1995, and Don joined the firm as an associate. HMG was founded by Stewart Howe's director of advancement services, Charlie Frick, to facilitate feasibility studies and major gift campaigns. Don has collaborated with Charlie on many of the 50-plus campaigns HMG has managed and partnered with Stewart Howe on major fundraising since 2005.
Don and his wife, Jenny, live in Evanston, Illinois.