ABOUT
Foundation Innovation, LLC is a full-service consulting firm dedicated to
guiding education foundations and school districts to success. Our team of
consultants represents decades of combined experience in the nonprofit arena including administration, development, marketing and training specifically
for public education foundations. In addition, each draw on their
own experiences serving on nonprofit Boards.
The Foundation Innovation Team includes an enthusiastic staff and a consortium of amazing consultants who are knowledgeable practitioners with specific experience with the development and management of education foundations. As members of several national and state associations and organizations, our consultants have
knowledge of all aspects of nonprofit development,
management and fundraising.
Shawn Callaway
President
Shawn Callaway became the President and Owner of Foundation Innovation in August 2022. He started his career in nonprofit management in 1993, and has accrued over 30 years of experience in non-profit management and has been on the FI team since 2015. From religious and education to business and economic development nonprofits, Shawn has served in most roles of non-profits from Board Member all the way to President/CEO.
Shawn was named a “Hometown Hero” in 2020 and “Businessperson of the Year” in 2022. Under Shawn’s leadership two different local Chambers have received Five Star Accreditation, the highest rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Shawn also served as the first executive director of the award-winning Aledo ISD Education Foundation, which raised over $4.1 million dollars under his leadership, since its founding in 2013.
Shawn is a guest lecturer at Baylor University, where he also serves as the "in-arena" announcer for BU Men's & Women's Basketball and holds the same role at Texas Christian University for Volleyball.
After earning his B.A. from Texas Tech University, he has achieved certifications in Financial Success for Nonprofits from Cornell University, and adolescent theological education from Southern Methodist University and Princeton University. He is also actively involved in pro-education legislation and activism.
shawn@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 700 or 712
Suzi Pagel, CFRE
Lead Strategist
Suzi Pagel, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), served as Midway ISD’s Director of Development and Education Foundation Executive Director for 21 years. During this time, the Foundation raised over $5 million dollars to benefit the students and staff of Midway ISD and built an endowment of almost $3 million dollars.
Suzi has been part of the Foundation Innovation team since 2009, serving as a consultant and lead strategist. In addition to speaking at numerous trainings and conferences, Suzi has worked with more than 35 school foundations to establish or revitalize their organization.
Suzi holds a B.S.Ed. from Baylor University. In addition to teaching in Texas and California, she served as the volunteer coordinator for the City of Woodway and the program coordinator of Keep Knoxville Beautiful. She has volunteered for the Junior League, Hewitt Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Suzi has received the Junior League’s Golden Wing Award for Outstanding Volunteerism, and the Association of Fundraising Professional’s Outstanding Professional Fundraiser awards.
(512) 535-2046 ext. 705
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Laurie Cromwell, CFRE
Founder and Chief Strategist
Laurie Cromwell, CFRE was the first woman elected to an at large position on the local school board, the first woman school board president, the first president of the local education foundation, the first woman president of the local Economic Development Commission, and a founding Board member of the local Chamber of Commerce. She was the first person to receive Chamber Citizen of the Year and the first to receive the Outstanding Service Award by the Texas Pioneer Foundation. She started her mission in the nonprofit field in 1984 and in 2003 founded Foundation Innovation, a consulting firm that has guided hundreds of education foundations and school boards to success.
laurie@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 700
Chris Ary
Consultant
Chris Ary has over 8 years’ experience working with multiple Education Foundations throughout the Midwest and Texas. Chris has served on the board of the Blue Springs Education Foundation in Blue Springs, Missouri since its inception in 2006 and currently serves on the Executive Committee. Chris has a BS in Economics from the University of Central Missouri. He also sits on the Advisory Board for the A+ Program for the Blue Springs.
chris@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 707
Amy Lane
Consultant
Amy Lane brings over a decade of nonprofit management experience to the team. She is Director of Public Relations and Development for the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind, and worked eight years as Executive Director for the North East Educational Foundation (NEEF) in San Antonio.
During her tenure as NEEF's first paid Executive Director, the Foundation increased annual funding to campuses from $100k to more than $600k, and measurably improved fundraising, advocacy and governance strategies. The Foundation awarded more than $2.5 million (all raised through grassroots funding) in grants under her leadership and doubled the size of their investments. In 2021, the Texas Education Foundation Network awarded NEEF its top honor of Distinguished Achievement Award for their diverse approach to supporting its District during the pandemic.
Lane previously worked in public relations for the Texas Department of Agriculture in Austin and served as Associate Director of Communications for former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger and his namesake park, the Hardberger Park Conservancy. Lane, a summa cum laude graduate, received her B.A. in Journalism and Geography from Texas State University. She holds an M.A. in Corporate Communication/Digital Media from Baylor University and was chosen to present her research paper at the 96th National Communication Association conference in San Francisco.
amylane@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 703
Crystal Scanio, CFRE, CEFL
Consultant
Erica Ekwurzel, CFRE
Consultant
Erica Villarreal Ekwurzel, MPAff, CFRE, CAP®, Founder of CivicAIM, has been involved in a variety of capacities, such as foundation program officer, philanthropic consultant, and professional facilitator, in founding, refining, and advancing social impact endeavors. Erica’s toolkit includes executive coaching, group facilitation and she enjoys engagements in the areas of intergenerational giving, strategic planning, and organizational effectiveness.
Erica is a 21/64 Certified Multigenerational Family Philanthropy Trainer, Certified Fund Raising Executive, member to the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers and most recently, earned the designation of Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) from The American College of Financial Services. Erica has presented and written on a range of topics for philanthropic industry conferences and peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, she serves as a returning guest lecturer and mentor to the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at The University of Texas at Austin.
Erica is a graduate of Austin College and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s Degree in Public Affairs with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Philanthropic Studies. She also serves on the volunteer leadership boards of Todos Juntos Learning Center, National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, Advisory Committee of Practitioners of Color Working with Giving Families organized by 21/64, and Austin Together.
When not on land building strong philanthropic ties and impact, you can find Erica with passport in hand, traveling to beach destinations and scuba diving exploring the depths and wonders of the sea with her family. Erica lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children.
erica@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 702
Crystal Scanio, CFRE, CEFL serves as the President and CEO of the Irving Schools Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the students and teachers in Irving ISD. In her role, she is tasked with raising money for Irving ISD to support projects and initiatives for which tax dollars cannot be expended, such as innovative classroom projects, scholarships, and funding for valuable learning tools.
Under her leadership for the last 11 years, the Irving Schools Foundation has raised over $16 million dollars for Irving ISD students, and has received multiple awards for these efforts, including the highest award that an education foundation can receive: being named one of the Top 50 Education Foundations in the Nation for two consecutive years.
Prior to joining the Irving Schools Foundation in 2012, Crystal served in many leadership roles in the Financial and Insurance industries. Crystal earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business from Texas Tech University and a Certificate in Financial Planning (CFP) from Southern Methodist University. Additionally, Crystal has earned her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation as well as her Certified Education Foundation Leader (CEFL) designation.
In 2012, Crystal was named by Latino Leaders Magazine as one of their “Top 25 Young Latino Leaders in DFW'' because of her commitment to the betterment of the DFW community. In 2013, Crystal was awarded the Women of ALPFA (Association for Latino Professionals for America) Latina Achievement Award and in 2014, she was honored to have received the 2014 National Diversity Ambassador Award from Nissan Americas. Additionally, in 2022, Crystal received the “Hometown Hero” Award from Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne. Crystal is a graduate of Leadership Irving and Leadership North Texas.
Crystal grew up all over the world with her dad working in the oil and gas industry and has learned many languages along the way, including: Arabic, Spanish, Russian and Bahasa Indonesian. Crystal resides in Irving with her husband Tony and their daughter Layla.
Crystal joined the Foundation Innovation team in 2023 as a Consultant where she works with other education foundations to help further improve the lives of the students in those districts.
crystal@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 715
Dr. Kenny Border
Consultant
Kenny Border has over 10 years experience with education foundations within the state of Texas. Kenny is a public school educator where he has served as a classroom teacher, campus administrator and school superintendent. Kenny currently serves as the executive director for the Sweetwater Education Foundation. Kenny has undergraduate degrees from the University of Texas System and his doctorate degree from Baylor University.
Veronica Goldhorn
Consultant
Veronica Garza Goldhorn is a retired educator after serving 30 years in the Schertz Cibolo Universal City (SCUC) ISD. She began her career in education in 1993 as a classroom teacher, and went on to serve as a vice principal, principal, and Director of Elementary Education. She currently serves as a volunteer as the Vice President of Development on the SCUC Education Foundation board.
Veronica is a first-generation college graduate, a proud native of Schertz, Texas and a graduate of SCUC ISD. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Master of Education in School Administration from Trinity University.
Her interests include strengthening her faith, spending time with family and friends, learning, exercising, and visiting her two daughters in Aggieland. Her husband, Dr. Jeff Goldhorn is also a life-long educator.
veronica@foundationinnovation.com
(512) 535-2046 ext. 711
Dawn Parnell, CPC, IOM
Consultant
Dawn Parnell, CPC, IOM has 20 years of experience in public education, leading Education Foundations and Communications teams throughout Texas. During her tenure in public schools, Dawn has served as the Director of the Killeen ISD Education Foundation, Executive Director of Communications in Tyler ISD, and the Chief Communications Officer for Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, where she oversees the Education Foundation.
Dawn earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Communication & Public Relations from the University of North Texas. She has a Non-Profit Management certification from the University of Texas Permian Basin and a Certified Public Communicator designation from Texas Christian University.
An advocate for public schools, Dawn has been awarded the Honorary Life Membership and Extended Life Service Awards from Texas PTA. She is a graduate of Leadership Tyler and Leadership Killeen.
Before her work in public schools, Dawn served in leadership roles in the Chamber of Commerce industry in north and east Texas. Dawn is married to Dennis, and they enjoy volunteering, camping, and spending time with their adult daughter and family and friends.
(512) 535-2046 ext. 714
Lauren Bean
Director, Client Relations
Ryan Smith
Administrative Specialist
Tracy Phelps
Director, Operations
