Happy New Year From Duke’s Office Of Gift Planning!

Duke's Gift Planning team dressed in Duke gear
(L-R) Angie Elliott, Jane Heuser, Tia Barnes, Arielle Johnson, Suzie Ferrero, Kristen Brown Smalley, Erika Boden, Tamisha Keith, Nan Futrell, Sarah Fish. Not pictured but equally enthusiastic: Anne Bradley, Mark Miller, Tasha Fritz and Terry Wiggins

As Charles Dickens once wrote, “The year-end brings no greater pleasure than the opportunity to express to you season’s greetings and good wishes. May your holidays and new year be filled with joy.”

While I would never presume to edit Dickens’s words, they feel incomplete for me without adding the pleasure of embracing and expressing gratitude for the past year.

Our Gift Planning team has the privilege of getting to know donors who care deeply about what Duke brings into the world today — and what Duke will bring into the world for generations to come. We are continually inspired by your vision, your passion, and your commitment to making a lasting difference. We also have a unique perspective to see that behind every celebrated achievement at Duke, there are so many individuals whose generosity helped make those achievements possible. Your philanthropy has already changed lives, and it will continue to do so far into the future.

As we ring in 2026, I am also embracing and expressing hope, while welcoming opportunities to continue to renew and strengthen that hope. So, it felt like I received a gift when I saw a video with Duke professor Kate Bowler as part of our new series, MADE FOR THIS: Blue Chair Conversations. I’ve enjoyed all of them but particularly wanted to share this gift with you.

With great thanks, 

Kristen Brown Smalley, J.D., LL.M. 
Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning 

TAGS: Happy holidays Happy new year

About the author

Kristen Brown Smalley, J.D., LL.M

Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning

kristen.smalley@duke.edu

Kristen began her career as a banker and then as a tax attorney, after earning her J.D. from Gonzaga University and LL.M. in Tax Law from Georgetown University but found her true calling almost 20 years ago when she realized how her legal, tax, and financial expertise could help others make charitable gifts to further their passions and priorities. As the Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning at Duke, Kristen now leads a highly skilled team working with our community of donors who are including philanthropy in their financial, retirement, and estate plans. When not at work, Kristen takes any opportunity to explore new cities and countries with friends and family and is savoring every moment she can before her son leaves for college.