Catherine Comley Adams

About Catherine Comley Adams

Cat Comley Adams is a fundraising manager whose teams have secured more than $200 million in philanthropic revenue and $450 million in sponsored research. Cat currently serves as the Senior Director of Philanthropy for Principal Giving and Strategic Initiatives at Sutter Health. She holds two degrees from the University of Missouri: a master\'s in public affairs and PhD in leadership and policy analysis, and she earned her undergraduate degree from William Jewell College. She has also been awarded international certification as a fund-raising executive (CFRE). Cat\'s doctoral research evaluated the barriers to women in the philanthropic sector as both professionals and donors and the implications these barriers have on the advancement of charitable organizations, including both higher education and non-profits. Since joining the fundraising profession in 2002, she has personally raised over $200 million in private philanthropy and led fundraising models spanning health care, education, social services, cultural arts, and zoology. Her contributions to the practice of fundraising also include publication in the Journal of Extension, linked below.Cat’s influence on the field of philanthropy is not limited to her academic and professional endeavors. She is Past-President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Central Missouri chapter, faculty advisor to Zeta Tau Alpha, and board member for Ragtag Film Society. She maintains membership in the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Experience

1. Senior Director of Philanthropy

   Sutter Health

   Mar 2023 — Present · Sacramento, CA, US

Education

• University of Missouri-Columbia

  Master of Public Administration

  2005 — 2006

• William Jewell College

  Bachelor’s Degree

  2001 — 2004

• University of Missouri-Columbia

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  2013 — 2017

• Harvard Medical School

  Women's Leadership in Healthcare