Associate Director of Annual Giving

Contact: gmarsden@oglethorpe.edu

Gabbi Marsden is a dedicated advancement professional with a strong commitment to fostering a culture of philanthropy and strengthening community engagement in higher education. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Annual Giving at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, where she leads strategic efforts to inspire and sustain philanthropic investment from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the university. In this role, Gabbi focuses on increasing annual giving participation, growing donor engagement, and advancing the university’s mission and priorities through innovative fundraising strategies and meaningful relationship building.

At ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, she works closely with colleagues across campus to create opportunities for donor involvement at every level. She is especially passionate about broadening participation among untapped segments of the community and building lasting connections that inspire lifelong engagement. Through targeted campaigns, personalized stewardship, and volunteer partnerships, she enhances the visibility and impact of the annual giving program while ensuring it aligns with institutional goals.

Before joining ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, Gabbi served as Annual Giving Officer at Spelman College, where she played a key role in advancing the institution’s fundraising efforts. She developed and executed programs designed to engage students, parents, faculty, and staff in meaningful giving opportunities to support the college’s $5 million annual fund goal. Her work helped deepen Spelman’s culture of giving and strengthen its long-standing tradition of philanthropic excellence.

Earlier in her tenure at Spelman, Gabbi served as Annual Giving Coordinator, supporting strategic initiatives and collaborating with development colleagues to increase donor retention, expand participation, and enhance stewardship. Over nearly three years, she contributed to multi-channel campaigns, special initiatives tied to major alumnae engagement events, and leadership giving strategies that elevated the College’s annual fundraising outcomes. These experiences built a strong foundation in data-driven strategy, constituent engagement, volunteer management, and cross-campus collaboration.

A proud alumna of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Gabbi brings both passion and purpose to her work in advancement. She believes that philanthropy is not only about raising dollars but also about building meaningful relationships, inspiring collective impact, and empowering communities to shape the future of higher education.

Outside of her professional commitments, Gabbi enjoys reading, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with loved ones. She values exploring new places and cultures, as well as lifelong learning and personal growth.

Through her leadership in annual giving, Gabbi Marsden continues to make a meaningful impact by helping secure the resources that enable students, faculty, and communities to thrive.

Advancement Coordinator

Contact: lperez2@oglethorpe.edu

Litzy joined the Office of Advancement at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø as Advancement Coordinator in August 2025. In this role, she provides project management and support across a range of initiatives of the Advancement team.

She brings a diverse set of knowledge and skills shaped by her experiences in customer service, philanthropy, legal support, and education. Litzy’s professional journey began as a Team Member at Chick-fil-A Lilburn, where she worked for three years before transitioning to Githieya Law in Decatur as a Legal Assistant. There, she supported the timely progress of criminal and civil cases.

Her passion for language and global engagement led her to Taiwan in the summer of 2023 as a Critical Language Scholar, where she studied Mandarin Chinese intensively at National Cheng Kung University. Upon returning to the U.S., Litzy joined the Robert W. Woodruff Family of Foundations as a Fellow, where she developed an interest in education while gaining insight into Atlanta’s nonprofit landscape and supporting the Foundations’ philanthropic efforts, which award over $400 million annually across Atlanta and the Southeast. 

In 2024, Litzy returned to Taiwan as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, collaborating with local teachers and community leaders in rural Tainan to design and implement creative strategies for improving English language instruction at the elementary level. Her work abroad deepened her commitment to cross-cultural exchange and educational access.

As a first-generation college graduate and servant-leader, Litzy understands the transformative power of higher education and is dedicated to learning more about the higher education landscape in Georgia. She comes to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø with a deep desire to help more students achieve their academic dreams and unlock opportunities to shape their futures.

Outside of work, Litzy enjoys volunteering, scrapbooking, reading, quality time with friends and family, attending concerts and community events, and going on walks with her dog, Bourbon. She is always exploring new hobbies and is currently experimenting with baking and cooking, following a brief stint in balloon art.

Litzy speaks English (native), Spanish (native), and Mandarin Chinese (limited working proficiency). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Legal Studies and a minor in Chinese Language & Culture from Georgia State University. She was born and raised in Georgia’s Gwinnett County.

Senior Advancement Operations Specialist

Contact: eyeh@oglethorpe.edu

Emily graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in Computer Science and a concentration in Graphics & Human-Computer Interaction. She previously worked as an administrative assistant at the Career Advancement Center at Georgia State University, where she discovered her passion not only for helping students, but also for exploring data for insights and creating data visualizations. In November 2022, she joined ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø as the Data Entry Specialist. Outside of work, she enjoys learning Spanish, dancing and playing piano.