Our Team
Once you’ve reached the summit there’s always another challenge on the horizon and another mountain to climb. Trek has been up the mountain before and helped carry some of the burden, navigating the journey through obstacles and challenges, motivating our clients to climb, reaching their aspirations by providing expert guidance along the way.
You aspire. We guide. Mission advanced.
Brooks Scudder, M.P.A.
Founder and President
Brooks is the epitome of flexibility. He has been “up the mountain” of capital campaign efforts many times and understand its demands, obstacles and challenges. Unforeseen detours to a plan don’t sidetrack him; he anticipates them. His ability to improvise and overcome ensures our clients remain productive and moving forward. As a coach and consultant Brooks is keenly aware of the needs and desires of others. He is generous with praise, quick to smile, and always on the lookout for the positive in situations.
Brooks co-founded Trek Advancement with Kelly Taylor and Jessica Bergman in 2009 in an effort to build a philanthropy consulting practice that was holistic in its approach, and donor-centered in its execution. For Brooks honesty and trust are paramount guiding principles, and make him a confident mentor who clients feel comfortable approaching with any need.
Professional and Educational Background
Founder Trek Advancement
Director of Regional Development, University of Louisville
Director of Advancement, University of Kentucky College of Dentistry
Director of Development, Lexington Catholic High School
Assistant Executive Director, National Tourism Foundation
Master of Public Administration, Eastern Kentucky University
BA, History, Eastern Kentucky University
Skills and Services
Campaign Planning and Execution
Major Giving Assessment and Program Design
Training
Executive Search and Coaching
email: brooks@trekadvancement.com
phone: 859.338.4283
Jessica Terry Bergman, M.A.
Founder and Senior Associate
Jessica is an analytical maximizer who likes to understand an individual’s or organization’s strengths to stimulate personal and group excellence. She is intrigued with the unique qualities of each person, culture, or a group dynamic. She has a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together peacefully and productively. She is deeply committed to the people and organizations she serves along with the places they call home. Jessica believes that leadership development, education and philanthropy are the keys to building organizations and communities that can thrive and sustainably grow. Additionally, Jessica loves nothing more that a big fat crazy idea. Ideas are fascinating to her and her ability to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena can lead to her to unique solutions to everyday problems.
Over the course of her career, she has worked with various schools and organizations in professional and volunteer capacities to assess their current strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to build a big picture assessment from which to move forward with best practices.
Professional and Educational Highlights
Founder, Trek Advancement LLC
Mission Advancement, Vice President, Union College
Student Development, Dean of Students, Lees-McRae College
MA, Geography, Appalachian State University
BS, Sociology, Union College
Skills and Services
Campaign Planning and Execution
Annual and Major Giving Assessment and Program Design
Program Assessment and Measurement Development
Training, Facilitation and Team Building
email: jessica@trekadvancement.com
phone: 606.546.8388
Holly Scudder, Managing Partner
As managing partner, Holly is not only responsible for keeping the day-to-day operations working seamlessly at Trek Advancement, but also on its strategic direction and client-centered growth. Holly is focused on the future of Trek Advancement and its latest evolution while remaining true to its original vision.
Having worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, she has a client-first mentality and understands the value of communication and marketing. Holly will also be assisting clients with strategic communication plans, their execution, and marketing efforts.
Professional and Educational Highlights
Lead Portfolio Revenue Manager, IHG Hotels & Resorts
Director of Sales, Holiday Inn Express Downtown Lexington
Public Affairs Manager, Dry Stone Conservancy
Sales Manager, Marriott’s Griffin Gate Resort
BA, English Literature Eastern Kentucky University
Skills and Services
Sales and Marketing
Communication Strategies
Leadership Development and Training
email: holly@trekadvancement.com
phone: 859.608.5728
Bill Laramee, Ed.D.
Of Counsel
Bill brings forty years of higher education leadership and fundraising experience to the Trek team. He has a deep commitment to value-based institutions and to supporting leaders who aspire to purposeful action. As a life-long learner, he has a thirst for new ideas and enjoys bringing ideas to a place of action, and especially so when those ideas create bridges for social justice. He is known for asking good questions and observing and listening carefully to help others achieve personal and professional ambitions and to find either small or large ways to impact the day-to-day quality of life in our communities, colleges, churches, and, for some, the world stage.
Bill’s passion equates with a psychological ownership for anything he commits to, whether large or small. That ownership will always be driven by a process of learning and desired outcomes, supported by respectful and deepening relationships with colleagues. The process of learning is most fulfilled when Bill can help others take delight in discovering that beneath many complex ideas rest action that is morally and ethically sensitive and professionally sensible. Often times that means dealing with a lot of grey but it’s in that tension that Bill most enjoys interacting with colleagues.
Bill is comfortable engaging in conversations about most any topic but is especially interested in higher education, faith-based studies and work, and environmental conservation.
Bill presently serves on the board of Warren Wilson College, NC, a board member for Sustainable Harvest International, ME, and as a board member for the Lyndon State College Foundation, VT. He has taught in the areas of philanthropy, business management and marketing, education and general studies and has published a number of professional articles in the area of philanthropy, board development, student affairs, work-learning, leadership and spiritual and moral development.
Bill and his wife, Monica, presently divide their year between Berea, KY and northern VT.
Professional and Educational Highlights
Emeritus Vice President for Alumni and College Relations, Berea College, Berea, KY
Dean of Institutional Advancement, Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, Vermont
Dean of Students at Lyndon State College, Lyndonville, Vermont
Ed.D, Educational Leadership, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
M. Ed., Guidance and Counseling, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. MA
Masters of Liberal Studies, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
B.S. Business Management, Western New England University, Springfield, MA
Skills and Services
Coaching in Higher Education Leadership
Counsel on Management and Best Practices in Development and Alumni Services
Board Assessment and Development
Strategic Planning for Higher Education
email: bill@trekadvancement.com
phone: 859.582.1815
