Erik Showalter, MBA, FAHP, CFRE

President of the Baton Rouge General Foundation 

Erik Showalter, MBA, CFRE, FAHP, serves as President of the Baton Rouge General Foundation, where he leads all philanthropic strategy and operations supporting Baton Rouge General Medical Center. Throughout a career spanning more than two decades in healthcare philanthropy, higher education, and the nonprofit sector, he has helped raise more than $130 million through major gifts, grants, capital campaigns, and strategic philanthropic partnerships. Since assuming leadership of the Baton Rouge General Foundation in 2018, Erik has engineered a 234% increase in philanthropic revenue. He helped lead the healthcare system’s largest fundraising campaign in history, exceeding its $10 million goal and continues to secure transformational funding for initiatives including enhanced behavioral health services, cancer care advancements, community health programs, and the BRG Care on the Go mobile health unit. Widely recognized for building high-performing teams and innovative fundraising programs, he is a past recipient of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s (AHP) prestigious 40 Under 40 Award.

Prior to joining Baton Rouge General, Erik served as an Assistant Vice President and Senior Director with CCS Fundraising in Washington, D.C., advising healthcare systems, colleges, and nonprofit organizations on transformational fundraising campaigns and organizational development strategies. A dedicated advocate for advancing the profession, Showalter mentors emerging healthcare philanthropy leaders through AHP, contributes to national peer-learning initiatives, and remains actively engaged in civic and nonprofit leadership. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana Tech University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Erik also completed executive philanthropic leadership studies through AHP’s Madison Institute at the University of Wisconsin and is currently studying financial management through Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business.

Brenda Solomon, FAHP, CFRE, Ed.D.

Vice President of Major Gifts for the HonorHealth Foundation 

Dr. Brenda Solomon is Vice President of Major Gifts for the HonorHealth Foundation, where she has served for more than nine years and helped advance transformative philanthropy across one of Arizona’s leading healthcare systems. A seasoned healthcare philanthropy executive with more than 32 years of fundraising and nonprofit leadership experience, she specializes in major and principal gifts, campaign strategy, board engagement, program development, and philanthropic infrastructure. Throughout her career, Brenda has secured more than $210 million in charitable support, including $77.5 million for HonorHealth. Her expertise centers on building meaningful partnerships among donors, physicians, clinical leaders to accelerate innovation, and improve patient outcomes.

Brenda holds a Doctorate in Adult and Continuing Education, a Master of Arts in Communications, and the Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.  She currently serves on the AHP Standards Committee and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Brenda has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and shares best practices with colleagues nationwide. Her upcoming AHP Journal article, From Gratitude to Cure: How Physician Partnership and Patient Trust Inspired a $2 Million Endowment, and her 2026 AHP Conference presentation, Creating a World-Class Cancer Care Center: A Case Study in Clinician-Led Philanthropy, highlight her commitment to advancing the profession through innovation, collaboration, and evidence-based fundraising strategies.