Susan Cothern Joins United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana as Director of Development Ministry

Susan Cothern

BATON ROUGE, La. — The United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana announces that Susan Cothern has joined its staff as Director of Development Ministry. In this role, Cothern will lead efforts to strengthen relationships with churches and donors, expand planned giving and endowment development and support ministries across Louisiana in building sustainable financial futures.

“We are thrilled to welcome Susan to our team,” said Chris Spencer, president of the Foundation. “She brings the perfect mix of skills and experience to our development efforts, and our clients and donors will greatly benefit from her relationship development abilities.”

Cothern brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy and operational development. Most recently, she founded Cothern Strategic Solutions, LLC, where she partnered with nonprofits, churches and faith-based organizations to grow philanthropic revenue, strengthen organizational capacity and implement long-term strategic plans.

Before launching her consulting firm, Cothern served as chief operating officer of the United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina, where she played a key role in growing foundation assets from $200 million to $350 million. She has also held senior advancement positions at Southeastern Louisiana University, Brevard College and Radford University, consistently leading successful fundraising initiatives, capital campaigns and donor engagement strategies.

Cothern holds a Master of Business Administration from William Carey University and a Bachelor of Science from The University of Southern Mississippi. She is passionate about helping organizations align mission and resources to create lasting impact.

Her addition reflects the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to equipping churches and ministries with the tools and support they need to thrive today and for generations to come.

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