AI4AIS26: Operationalizing Generative AI in Foundation Finance

Kenneth C. Hall is Senior Vice President for Advancement and CEO of the Florida International University Foundation. Ken has over 25 years of experience as an advancement professional and leader. He has worked for both private and public universities including Susquehanna University, Messiah University, Bucknell University and Penn State University. In his current role with FIU, Ken oversees a staff of 124+ and is responsible for all fundraising and alumni relations activities of the university, as well as management of the university endowment and real estate portfolio, advancement marketing and communications, and policy/budgetary oversight.

Michael Halverson joined the University of Miami in January 2022 as Associate Vice President for Development Resources. The Development Resources team serves the technology, reporting, analytics, research, data, and gift management needs of the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. Michael serves as a member of the Division’s executive leadership team, and partners with colleagues across the campus community in support of the institution’s mission and goals. Michael has worked in higher education fundraising for 20 years, and has extensive experience with building teams, implementing technology solutions, and enabling a culture of data-driven decision making. He came to Miami from Loyola University Chicago, where he served as the Senior Director of Advancement Services – leading a team that built a comprehensive suite of business intelligence tools designed to put actionable data at the fingertips of fundraisers. Prior to Loyola, Michael worked at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He has a bachelor’s degree in music and business from Saint John’s University, an MBA and Ed.D. from St. Cloud State University, and certificates in Project Management and Analytics from Loyola University Chicago. Michael’s academic research has focused on studying donor attitudes and behavior, and he has developed statistical models that predict gift giving. Additionally, he has worked as a professional musician for more than 25 years – playing piano for both live performances and in the recording studio.

Since August 2023, David Woods oversees the University of Florida’s gift compliance program, leading the implementation of several new compliance programs, and educating stakeholders on donor regulation. Prior to his current role, David served as Director of Culture & Engagement at UF Advancement, where he cultivated a strong culture of recognition, drove retention of high‑potential talent, and spearheaded diversity and inclusion initiatives. His earlier experience as Claims Services Director for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company provided him with a proven track record of operational excellence, strategic project leadership, and employee development. David holds a master’s degree in Tech Entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Malone University.

Daniel Shorstein is President of James Moore Digital, leading the firm’s digital and analytics work supporting higher education and affiliated organizations. He partners with finance, advancement, and operations leaders to improve reporting, strengthen governance and controls, and redesign workflows using practical automation and data-driven methods. Daniel has also led SaaS product development for higher education athletics finance and reporting, translating complex operational requirements into scalable, auditable workflows. Previously, he worked at Deloitte, where he helped build and implement analytics and AI-enabled use cases for enterprise clients. His recent work includes partnering with university and foundation teams to evaluate generative AI opportunities with risk-based oversight focused on accuracy, confidentiality, auditability, and measurable outcomes, while prioritizing the human element as a critical component of processes involving AI. As moderator, Daniel will guide a practical, experience-based discussion and share a repeatable framework for prioritizing human-centered AI use cases and right-sizing guardrails.