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Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

Home » Searches » Open Searches
University of Louisville Foundation

Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

University of Louisville Foundation

Onsite Louisville, Kentucky
Apply Now Leadership Profile

As the University of Louisville prepares for its next comprehensive capital campaign, the University of Louisville Foundation is uniquely positioned to strengthen the financial resources that fuel student success, groundbreaking research, academic excellence, and lasting community impact. With responsibility for receiving, investing, managing, and stewarding philanthropic assets on behalf of the University, the Foundation serves as a trusted partner in ensuring the institution’s long-term financial strength.

The Foundation oversees approximately $1.6 billion in assets, including significant endowment and real estate holdings that support scholarships, faculty excellence, and research. Together with the University of Louisville Real Estate Foundation, it manages a complex portfolio that requires exceptional financial stewardship, governance, and strategic leadership.

The Opportunity

The University of Louisville Foundation seeks an accomplished Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer to lead at a pivotal moment in the University’s future.

Reporting to the Board of Directors of the University of Louisville Foundation, the role will provide executive leadership across finance, investments, governance, operations, risk management, and real estate while serving as a trusted advisor to Foundation leadership, University executives, and the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement.

The successful candidate will bring extensive executive leadership experience managing complex financial and operational enterprises, with demonstrated success overseeing investments (including real estate), governance, strategic planning, and multidisciplinary teams. Experience in higher education, foundations, or other mission-driven organizations is valued, as is executive leadership experience in financial services, investment management, or real estate. Regardless of sector, the successful candidate will have demonstrated success building trusted partnerships across governing boards, executive leadership, and external stakeholders.

This is a rare opportunity to shape the long-term financial strength and strategic future of a major public research university while leading an organization whose stewardship directly advances education, discovery, innovation, and community impact for generations to come.

University of Louisville Foundation

The Lindauer Team Leading This Search

Contact Us Directly

Paula Fazli

Paula Fazli

Senior Vice President
Raegan Harvey

Raegan Harvey

Senior Consultant
Brandalyn Patton

Brandalyn Patton

Senior Search Administrator

    Apply Now

    To apply for this position, complete this form and upload your resume. Your information will be kept confidential.








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        By admin|2026-09-23T21:28:00-04:00June 25, 2026|Comments Off on Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer

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        Taking a comprehensive approach tailored to each client’s unique needs, goals, and aspirations, Paula Fazli is nationally recognized for high-touch service that guides organizations through leadership transitions and positions them for sustainable success.

        Paula’s nuanced understanding of organizational dynamics is grounded in her cross-disciplinary search expertise, which includes human resources, finance, academic affairs, student affairs, public safety, enrollment management, research administration, institutional planning, and equity and belonging. Throughout her respected career in executive search, Paula has partnered with public and private research universities, private liberal arts colleges, arts and culture organizations, and nonprofits to navigate periods of change and bring in leaders who shape generations of nonprofit professionals.

        Expertise

        Known for her strategic insight and deep understanding of organizational dynamics, Paula identifies not only the most qualified candidates but also those whose values, aspirations, and leadership styles align with her clients’ visions. Her expertise lies in her ability to see the potential for unexpected alignments between candidates and organizations.

        Curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning have kept Paula at the forefront of industry trends. To serve as a trusted advisor during times of transition, Paula continuously expands her knowledge base and adapts her methodologies to meet evolving client needs.

        In her 30 years in executive search, Paula has worked with a wide range of clients, such as: Harvard University, Columbia University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, UCLA, Florida State University, MIT, Berklee College of Music, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, Beloit College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the New School, Moore College of Art & Design, MassArt, Massachusetts Historical Society, and the POD Network, among many others.

        Experience

        Prior to joining Lindauer, Paula co-founded Sage Search Partners in 1999, where she co-led the firm for over 25 years. Under her guidance, Sage Search conducted searches for leading colleges, education-related nonprofits, and renowned music and art conservatories. Her tenure at Sage Search was marked by her unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and her skill at addressing questions of search strategy, candidate assessment, and inclusive search practices.

        Paula also served as Vice President at Auerbach Associates, where she was responsible for spearheading executive search initiatives within the higher education and nonprofit sectors, and as Assistant to the High School Superintendent and the Founding Director of the National Academy Foundation Programs in the Boston Public Schools.

        Education

        Paula holds a BA from Harvard University and an M.Ed. in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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        Raegan Harvey brings Lindauer more than 10 years of experience in nonprofit organizations. Her leadership and organizational experience in higher education, athletics, and healthcare includes prospect research, donor relations, alumni engagement, fundraising, strategic planning, and internal and external relations.

        Prior to joining Lindauer, Raegan was Associate Director of Athletics, Internal Operations and Chief of Staff for Washington State University Athletics in Pullman, Washington. Reporting to the Director of Athletics, she was a member of the WSU Athletics executive leadership team. In her role, she provided guidance and support to the Director, Deputy Directors of Athletics, and leadership team in areas regarding human resources, financial strategy, capital projects, and department master planning for 17 varsity sports and over 250 coaches and staff.

        Throughout her time at Washington State, Raegan held numerous roles within Athletics and the Carson College of Business. She was the Assistant Director of Athletics and Director of Internal Operations for the Cougar Athletic Fund (CAF) with oversight of CAF fiscal management, stewardship programming, the endowed scholarship program, gift processing, and assisted major gift fundraising efforts including events and communications. Raegan was Vice-Chair of the WSU Athletics Strategic Planning Committee and a member of WSU’s System Strategic Planners Council. She was also a member of WSU Athletics Emerging Leaders Group, National Association of Athletics Development Directors (NAADD), Women Leaders in College Sports, and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

        Raegan started her career at WSU with the Carson College of Business, acting in many capacities with their development team. While with Carson, she was a member of the fundraising team who assisted with and supported the fundraising efforts of the completion of the university’s $1 billion campaign. Prior to WSU, she was a prospect research and donor database specialist at Cone Health Office of Fund Development (Greensboro, NC) and a development research analyst at the University of Georgia Office of Development (Athens, GA).

        Raegan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Georgia and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Georgia.

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        Brandalyn Patton serves as Senior Search Administrator, acting as the liaison between Lindauer clients, candidates and consultants. She provides high-level strategic coordination and detailed administrative, client service and communications support to facilitate each search, balancing an array of clients and assignments. This role provides an exciting opportunity for Brandalyn to combine her background in fundraising and workforce development.

        Brandalyn began her career in development as a consulting projects manager for Dini Partners, a Houston-based fundraising consulting firm, working exclusively with nonprofit organizations. She has worked for many years in administrative, development, and research positions supporting major gift officers and teams at Rice University, the Bipartisan Policy Center, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and The University of Texas at Austin. In these roles, she assisted in coordinating prospect research, prospect management, database management, and donor stewardship.

        She has also served on the staffs of Workforce Investment Boards in Houston, TX, and San Diego, CA, working closely with educational, nonprofit, and government organizations to develop a strong regional workforce.

        Brandalyn holds a Bachelor’s in social work from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

        Carol Tosh is a seasoned research and data professional who takes a holistic, people-centered approach to executive search. With over 10 years of experience in education and health and human services, she brings a deep understanding of the leadership needs for a wide range of organizations.

        Carol’s passion for relational-driven research has been an integral part of her success. She sees herself as a detective, synthesizing unique combinations of search criteria—skills, backgrounds, and qualities—to uncover exceptional and diverse groups of candidates that meet each client’s goals. With a lifelong commitment to learning and growth, Carol applies a fresh perspective to every search, immersing herself in the details of each new project and equipping herself with an impressive breadth of industry-specific knowledge.

        Expertise

        Carol’s expertise lies at the intersection of data analysis and human-centric methodologies. Her approach to research is both meticulous and conceptual, allowing her to balance highly specific requirements for candidates with the need to align with the larger mission and goals of an organization. Her collaborative and integrated approach plays a critical role in Lindauer’s ability to present the best possible range of candidates to our clients.

        Experience

        Before joining Lindauer, Carol worked as a Speech Language Pathologist with Houston ISD, where she managed a team of 26 SLP professionals, serving thousands of students across nearly 300 campuses.

        Transitioning into the realm of research and data management, Carol has leveraged her ability to solve problems for and across communities with diverse sets of needs and backgrounds to bring an innovative and cooperative approach to the Lindauer research process. Her combination of adaptability and organizational competence drawn from her career in public education administration and service has allowed Carol to excel at bridging the gap between data analysis and human experience.

        Education

        Carol holds an MA in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Houston.

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