Simone Clasen is the Associate Vice President for Philanthropic Operations at Colorado State University. In this role, she serves as one of the Vice President’s principal advisors for advancement and administrative matters, overseeing prospect management for university leadership, managing campaign operations, and providing a strategic vision for sustainable long-term growth in philanthropic contributions. Prior to her role as AVP, Simone worked in the College of Natural Sciences at CSU for 17 years as a development officer, ultimately leading the team as their Executive Director of Development. Simone was born and raised in Berlin, Germany and moved to the US in 1982. She has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in foreign languages from California State University.

Nate is a 2012 graduate of CSU and joined the College of Natural Sciences as Associate Director of Development in 2017. Nate brings a diverse background in business development, sales, strategic planning and marketing from his time in water and energy resource development as well as financial and entertainment advertising. In addition to his role at CSU, Nate also serves his community as a board member for Neighbor to Neighbor and The Friends of the Gardens on Spring Creek. In this position, Nate enjoys helping friends and alumni of the College of Natural Sciences achieve their philanthropic goals while advancing the mission of the University and developing positive opportunities for students.

A Colorado native from Golden, Megan joined the College of Natural Sciences in 2017 after spending four years in the Dean’s Office of the College of Agricultural Sciences at CSU. Prior to that, she worked in the Dean’s Office of the College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont in Burlington while she pursued her Master’s degree in English. Her research focused on representations of British culture in television and other media. Megan also obtained a B.A. in English in 2005 from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In her current position, she works to make connections with corporations and foundations to generate support for faculty research, student scholarships, and outreach programs.

Shana Bode was born and raised in Fort Collins and received her Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University. Prior to her employment at CSU, she spent over a decade working and volunteering in the Poudre School District and also served as the District Coordinator and Poudre River Regional Director for the Odyssey of the Mind Program. She joined the College of Natural Sciences as the Donor Relations Coordinator in 2014. In this position, she works with the Development Team to support philanthropic relationships and generate support for our students and programs.

Ellen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Media Studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon and joined the development team in 2018. As an undergraduate student, Ellen worked as an IT Service Technician while also completing internships in development, marketing, communications and event planning. A Fort Collins native, Ellen brings with her a passion for learning and a breadth of skills that will be a tremendous asset to furthering our operational, stewardship, and fundraising goals for the College.