July 8, 2025

DAF Insights for Advisors: Meet Our Expanded Team 

Author National Philanthropic Trust

National Philanthropic Trust has built a nationally recognized reputation as a leader in donor-advised fund (DAF) giving. Our innovative approaches, exemplary service, and valued expertise are made possible by our greatest asset: people power. From grantmaking guidance to contributions support, we are committed to ensuring that your questions are answered by someone working towards the best solution for your client’s charitable goals.

With that in mind, we’d like to take a moment to introduce you to our newest team members and share background info on our nationwide group of Regional Directors. No matter where you may call home, NPT is proud to be your partner in giving.

Meet Our Newest Regional Directors

Dan’s work centers on providing strategic guidance around complex charitable giving, with deep expertise in alternative investments and non-cash assets.

Prior to joining NPT, Dan served as Senior Manager of Investment Oversight at DAFgiving360 (formerly Schwab Charitable), where he also held roles focused on alternative investment due diligence. He began his career as a Middle Office Trading Analyst at The Bank of New York. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Risk Management & Insurance, with a minor in Economics, from Saint Joseph’s University. He is based in Denver, CO.

Areas of Expertise

  • Strategic Philanthropic Planning
  • Alternative Investments
  • Complex Asset Contributions

Favorite things away from the office

  • Hiking in the Rockies
  • Golfing
  • Traveling to new places

Favorite morning beverage

I’m an avid fan of kombucha! Always on the lookout for new flavors or local brews.

TREVOR JOHNSON – Regional Director, Southeast

Trevor has broad experience in financial services, fiduciary planning, and administration, and working with high net-worth clients and their advisors. Trevor most recently served as Senior Counsel with Citi Private Bank in Tampa, FL and previously as a Trust Officer with BMO Private Bank in Chicago, IL. He is based in St. Petersburg, FL.

Areas of Expertise

  • Fiduciary planning and administration
  • Philanthropy and legacy/estate planning
  • Merging DAFs into client’s financial plan

Favorite things away from the office

  • I love being outside golfing, fly-fishing, skiing, cycling, jogging
  • Reading
  • Traveling with my family

Favorite morning beverage

My go-to is black coffee. 5-shot Americano when necessary.

JEREMY SCHIFF – Associate Regional Director, East

Jeremy has a broad financial services background in commercial banking and wealth management, as well as nonprofit experience in Development and Major Gifts. Previously, he was a VP/Relationship Manager with J.P. Morgan and has held roles in multiple NJ-based nonprofits. Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University New Brunswick with a double major in Psychology and Political Science. He is based in Caldwell, NJ.

Areas of Expertise

  • Philanthropic motivations and the philanthropic landscape
  • Charitable tax and estate planning
  • Equities market focus

Favorite things away from the office

  • Travelling with my wife

Favorite morning beverage

  • I like to keep it simple with black coffee.

MICHAEL WILSON, CAP® – Regional Director, Central

Michael is a seasoned philanthropic planning professional with over a decade of experience. Prior to NPT, Michael spent over a decade with Fidelity Investments, much of that in various roles with Fidelity Charitable where he developed a passion for and expertise in the donor-advised fund landscape. Prior to his time at Fidelity, Michael spent six years in the Marine Corps. Michael studied business at Tarleton State University and is currently a graduate student pursuing a Master of Divinity in Systematic Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is based outside of Fort Worth, TX.

Areas of Expertise

  • Collaboration with financial, legal and tax advisors on philanthropic strategy development
  • Complex gift contributions
  • Family Philanthropy, Impact Investing

Favorite things away from the office

  • Traveling, making a difference in my community

Favorite morning beverage

  • Black coffee is the only way to start the day.

Who’s Who – Coast to Coast Connections with NPT’s Regional Directors

NPT is proud to welcome Dan, Trevor, Jeremy and Michael to our Regional Director team, a collection of professionals located across the United States. This core group of subject matter experts cultivate relationships with financial advisors and provide consultative support to help clients achieve their philanthropic goals. These leaders connect passion and purpose for NPT DAF donors and their advisors every day.

LISA BARR, CAP® – Regional Director, West

Lisa leads a team of Regional Directors who work with advisors and donors throughout the Western United States.

Prior to joining NPT, Lisa was Director of Philanthropic Entrepreneurship at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. She has also held executive director and fundraising roles at nonprofit arts organizations on the East Coast. Lisa is the President of the Board of Directors of the Northern California Planned Giving Council. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Boston University, Questrom School of Business, and a Bachelor of Music from Vanderbilt University. Lisa holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation and is a certified 21/64 philanthropic advisor. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Areas of Expertise

  • Strategic Planning for ultra-high-net-worth families and advisors
  • Complex contributions and investments
  • Building fluency and connections about DAFs for advisors and nonprofit leaders

Favorite things away from the office

  • Outside of work, I am an avid traveler and fitness enthusiast.

Favorite morning beverage

  • Pour-over coffee with beans from San Francisco-based Philz Coffee

RHONDA BRANCH – Regional Director, New York Metro

Rhonda has worked with ultra-high-net worth families in the wealth management and private banking industry for over 20 years. She began her career with Merrill Lynch and served in various leadership roles. Before joining NPT, Rhonda was Head of Consolidated Reporting for the Family Office Solutions group at UBS. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from George Washington University and is based in southern New Jersey.

Areas of Expertise

  • Complex transactions and contributions (i.e., Private equity, private business interests, hedge fund contributions)
  • The nuances of International grantmaking
  • Working with Family Offices and UHNW families

Favorite things away from the office

  • Traveling and involvement in my local community

Favorite morning beverage

  • Coffee with almond milk creamer

ETHAN BURKE, CEPA®, CAP® – Regional Director, Southeast

Ethan works with financial, tax and legal advisors by providing consultative support in developing charitable and wealth management plans. Prior to working at NPT, Ethan had more than 20 years of experience in advanced philanthropic planning. He spent 10 years with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, working with high-net-worth individuals on legacy planning with complex assets. Ethan also served as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch as a Private Wealth strategist. He received a certificate from Georgetown University in Managing Global Business and a B.A. in Political Science from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. He is based in Charlottesville, VA with his wife and three boys.

Areas of Expertise

  • Complex asset specialist
  • Banking/advisor consultant
  • Family charitable planning

Favorite things away from the office

  • Golf and time with my wife and 3 kids, be it travel or weekend getaways.

Favorite morning beverage

  • Coffee! About 2-3 cups gets me going to make the day amazing!

MEGHAN CLIFFORD – Regional Director, New England

Meghan has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector working with donor-advised funds. Prior to working at NPT, she held the roles of Senior Vice President, Senior Relationship Manager, Vice President, and Assistant Vice President at Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund. Earlier in her career, she also served as Grants Management Specialist with Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Manager of Grants and Foundation Relations with The American Ireland Fund; and Manager of Children’s Program with Aoibhneas Women’s Refuge in Dublin, Ireland.

Meghan earned her Bachelor of Art in Social Work from the University of Vermont and obtained her Social Work license in both the State of Massachusetts and the Republic of Ireland. She is based in Boston, MA.

Areas of Expertise

  • New DAF account guidance and support
  • Developing equitable strategies for donors and nonprofits
  • International grantmaking

Favorite things away from the office

  • Travel, spending time in Ireland and Maine, connecting with friends and family

Favorite morning beverage

  • Coffee is the most important meal of the day

RUDY FLESHER – Regional Director, Southwest

Prior to joining NPT, Rudy had over ten years of experience in community-based fundraising and grantmaking. As a social impact consultant, he has trained more than 250 individuals in fundraising and mission-oriented storytelling. In his former work as a foundation-based program officer, Rudy also managed a robust annual grantmaking portfolio, giving him fresh perspectives from both ends of philanthropic relationship-building. He holds a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from The College of New Jersey and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California. He is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Areas of Expertise

  • Educating business owners and their advisors on charitable planning and exit strategies
  • Leveraging illiquid assets to fund DAFs, educating
  • Empowering non-profits to effectively communicate with DAF donors

Favorite things away from the office

  • Hiking, enjoying live theater and comedy, and volunteering with native plant groups like Theodore Payne Foundation and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy to preserve and enhance Southern California’s natural ecosystems

Favorite morning beverage

  • Every night I prepare 1 liter of tea (half Assam black tea, half peppermint) in a German bierstein, and many mornings on Zoom calls I remind folks that the beverage I am enjoying is, in fact, iced tea and not an Oktoberfest ready brew.

FERNANDO GONZALEZ – Senior Director, Head of U.S. East

Fernando leads the U.S. East team of Regional Directors. Prior to joining NPT, Fernando was Vice President and Relationship Strategist for PNC Wealth Management in the Philadelphia region. Earlier in his career, he served as a Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch. Recently, he served as President of the Board for the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, among other volunteer leadership positions. Fernando holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, focusing on Finance and Global Business, and a Bachelor of Music from Colorado State University. He is based in Philadelphia, PA.

Areas of Expertise

  • Complex Charitable Giving Strategies
  • Philanthropic Planning
  • Business Development

Favorite things away from the office

  • Outside of work, I spend my free time following college football (Boomer Sooner!), watching tennis, and immersing myself in musical theater, both in the audience and on stage.

Favorite morning beverage

  • I’m a bit of a purist and would never go so far as to offend the taste of a good, black cup of coffee. It’s perfect already (and my fuel).

JANOS MAJOR, CAP® – Regional Director, West

In his career prior to joining NPT, Janos had experience with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, managing upwards of $225M. He has focused on retirement planning, investment strategies, tax planning, and estate and legacy planning. Most recently, he worked for Fisher Investments as an Investment Counselor. Other prior experience includes roles at PNC as a Financial Specialist and at ING Financial Partners as an Investment Advisor and District Manager. Janos earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Drexel University with a concentration in Finance and Legal Studies. He is based in San Francisco, CA.

Areas of expertise

  • Private Business Interests & Complex Assets
  • Executive Compensation & Incentive Structures
  • Cryptocurrency & Nontraditional Assets

Favorite things away from the office

  • Exploring new restaurants, traveling to new places, and spending time with my corgi, Waffles.

Favorite morning beverage

  • Black pour-over coffee, typically made with Kirkland Colombian roast—though I’m currently excited to try their new Mexican blend

MATTHAIS MACKAY – Regional Director, Midwest

Matthias provides consultative support on complex charitable giving strategies—particularly those involving alternative investments and sophisticated planning needs.

Matthias brings a financial advising background with deep expertise in markets, estate planning, and philanthropic structuring. He is known for translating complex ideas into actionable strategies that align with clients’ values and long-term goals. Prior to joining NPT, Matthias served as Branch Manager at TD Ameritrade, leading award-winning teams, driving regional sales initiatives, and delivering educational seminars. Earlier in his career, he was Manager of Financial Services at Prudential and worked with institutional clients at Morningstar, supporting research and technology adoption. Matthias holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is based in Chicago.

Areas of Expertise

  • Complex Asset Philanthropy, with a particular focus on alternative fund strategies
  • Philanthropic Solutions for Family Offices and Private Banking Platforms
  • Structuring and Presenting Complex Ideas

Favorite things outside of the office

  • I enjoy volunteering, doing hot yoga, and traveling.

Favorite morning beverage

  • My mornings typically start with six espressos—yes, really.

Getting in Touch:

In addition to our Regional Directors, NPT has a team of professionals ready to support the philanthropic mission of your clients. Reach out with any questions to npt@nptrust.org or (888) 878-7900.