Recently, ACI appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees. We would like to highlight those Trustees and what they believe makes ACI and its work special.
Dave Barnett
Chief Administrative Officer
DeVry University
Why is ACI’s mission important to you:“I believe deeply that education is the means by which we unlock human potential, and that through unlocking human potential we can truly transform the world. Everyone should have access to quality higher education and the opportunity to realize their own personal value.”
Dave is focused on aligning DeVry leadership and talent to achieving the University’s most important work, while also helping its partners with talent strategies to do the same. He has responsibility for leading the DeVryWorks partnership strategy, while also driving the direction of Human Resources, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Public Relations, Communications and Alumni Relations efforts for the University. Barnett previously was DeVry’s Chief Human Resources and University Relations Officer when his primary lens included identifying, attracting, and engaging key talent with a focus on driving exceptional learner and partner outcomes. He also oversaw the communications architecture designed to inform and build a culture of care with colleagues, students and alumni, and foster goodwill with the community and other stakeholders.
Prior to joining the University in 2017, Barnett was the senior director of Culture and Talent Development at Adtalem Global Education, where he guided and drove talent management and culture-shaping efforts across its 10 institutions of higher education. With over 20 years of experience, Barnett has worked with numerous universities and corporations, driving large scale change during times of high growth and turnaround.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from the University of Illinois and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A certified master trainer and Targeted Selection Administrator, he holds numerous certifications, including Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) and Registered Corporate Coach (RCC). He has been recognized by the American Society for Training and Development, Training Magazine, and the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Awards.
Peter Fissinger
Principal
Fissinger Fundraising, LLC
Why is ACI’s mission important to you: “Access to higher education for first generation students is most important.”
With three decades of unparalleled expertise in advancement consulting, Peter Fissinger stands as a distinguished professional in the field. He leverages his 30 years of strategic fundraising counsel to drive success for his clients. Prior to establishing his own firm, Peter dedicated 29 years to the nationally renowned consulting firm, Campbell & Company, where he played a pivotal role as President and CEO for 14 years. Under his leadership, the firm experienced remarkable growth, tripling in both revenue and headcount, while introducing three innovative service lines.
Peter specializes in offering strategic counsel to C-suite executives, board members, chief development officers, and development teams. His clients, under his guidance, have collectively raised over $10 billion. His extensive experience spans across diverse sectors, including education (independent schools and higher education), healthcare, arts and culture, human services, and community foundations.
A respected figure in the nonprofit community, Peter, has held numerous leadership positions on various nonprofit boards including the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and currently remains an active member of the Advisory Council of his local YMCA. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and continues to share his knowledge on advancement-related topics through national webinars and presentations at national and regional conferences.
Passion Johnson
Investment Associate
Tawani Enterprises
Why is ACI’s mission important to you:“ACI’s mission is important to me because I fit the criteria of the students that ACI caters to. I was once a college student nativating the difficulities of everyday life, while also striving to be the best that I could be in my studies and at my university. I would like to be a part of the ACI’s Mission to provide the support for students that were once just like me!”
Passion is a forward-thinking and mission-oriented investor with experience in deploying capital to diverse types of investments and technology sectors. She has extensive knowledge of investment processes and modeling, market analysis, and thesis building for consumer, enterprise, fintech, software, health IT, medical devices, and emerging technologies. She feels most mission aligned with providing capital and resources to minority founders and minority communities through impact analysis.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting at Central State University in Ohio, Summa Cum Laude, and a Master of Business Administration from University of Dayton in Ohio. She has a Chicago Booth Approach to Finance Certification from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is currently working towards a certificate in Financial Modeling, and Valuations Analysis from the Corporate Financial Institute.
Passion serves on the advisory board of Blk+BRWN Market Chicago and is a mentor for Finance with Faith as well as a member of Investors of Color Syndication and the National Association of Color Women’s Club.
We warmly welcome Dave, Peter and Passion to the ACI family and look forward to working with them to create a better environment for ACI member schools and students.