It is my sad duty to announce the passing of my business partner, M. Jane Williams. Jane passed away suddenly on December 21, 2017. Her unexpected death occurred one week from the time she would have announced her retirement.
Jane was well known and highly regarded as a fundraising professional in Philadelphia and across the nation. She was development officer at five institutions in Philadelphia and New York City before launching her consulting career.
As the AVP for development and alumni relations at the University of Pennsylvania, Jane played a leadership role in planning the nation’s first billion-dollar capital campaign. Her other stints with higher education and health care organizations were equally successful. As a consultant, Jane provided major gift planning and capital campaign work for large and small nonprofits alike, serving organizations as diverse as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Grand View Health Foundation, Bancroft and New York-Presbyterian. She was a published author, frequent lecturer and willing mentor to fundraisers and nonprofit managers.
In addition to being a successful businesswoman, Jane excelled at sports including skiing, golf and tennis. During her college days, she received NCAA basketball honors before most women were even playing college sports. She also traveled extensively around the globe, visiting some of the world’s most exotic, and sometimes dangerous, places.
Jane will be missed by all of us who knew her and valued her intelligence, wisdom and dedication to the philanthropic sector.
– L. Scott Schultz, President
Contributions in memory of Jane may be made to support the Rena Rowan Breast Center at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Checks should be made payable to “Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania” and mailed to:
Penn Medicine Development
Attn: Kathleen Hertkorn
3535 Market Street, Suite 750
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Please put “Rena Rowan Breast Center” in the notes line of your check.
