Your Guides for the Journey

Andy Sears

Principal & Executive Strategist

Andy has served as a successful advancement and organizational leader for over 20 years. He is passionate about helping organizations grow into their vision. Andy has experience and gifting in strategic planning, capital campaign leadership, major donor relationships, annual fund development, financial management, and leadership development.

  • Andy graduated from Grand Canyon University with a B.S. in Finance. He also earned an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from George Fox University. Prior to his consulting work, Andy served as the head of an independent school for a decade. During his tenure there he served with a team of over thirty staff, led a significant capital campaign, and directed a strategic initiative to develop a new school campus. Prior to starting Contour Strategies, Andy was the Chief Consulting Officer for a national nonprofit consulting firm. In his spare time Andy enjoys cooking for family and friends, cycling, traveling, and caring for his animals on a small farm in Yamhill County.

Lou Bruggman

Lead Strategist

Lou is a passionate relationship builder driven by empowering others to undertake tremendous acts of kindness and generosity through philanthropy. Lou finds joy in walking alongside clients as they develop the skills and strategy to successfully move donors to action. In Lou's experience, this action is what fulfills the vision of non-profit organizations while simultaneously giving donors confidence that they've truly made a difference! 

  • Lou brings fifteen years of non-profit experience to the Contour Strategies team and has developed a robust depository of fundraising tools based on direct non-profit fundraising experience and consulting with non-profit organizations serving various geographies and missions, providing each with customized coaching in capital campaigns, annual fund, major gifts, mass strategy, foundations, corporate partnerships, and planned giving. In each of these areas Lou prides herself on an ability to balance intuitive relationship building and structured donor management.

    Lou has worked with dozens of clients on their fundraising goals over the past five years, raising tens of millions in philanthropic support. Lou values the relationships she has with these organizations and the long-term transformation that has been accomplished by partnering together. Prior to her role at Contour Strategies, Lou served in various fundraising roles including vice president of philanthropy, director of planned giving, and executive director.

    Lou is a graduate of Texas A&M University where she earned a bachelor's degree in Communication. She currently resides in the Texas Hill Country with her husband Allen, their three daughters, and sweet pup, Chocolate Chip.

Shauna VanderLinden

Content Strategist

As an experienced fundraising and communications professional, Shauna produces impactful and meaningful strategies and materials for a wide variety of audiences that build key relationships and grow donor involvement.

  • Her expertise lies in using creativity and storytelling to connect donors to organizations that embody their passions. Over her 25-year career, her diverse background covers the non-profit and public sector in highly visible roles within the community. Shauna began her storytelling career as a broadcast journalist. Spending a decade honing her craft, she was a leader within the newsroom and earned several reporting awards. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Philanthropy at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming where she successfully managed multi-million dollar annual and capital campaigns, while growing donor retention, and boosting the organization’s brand through effective fundraising, communication, and marketing plans.

    Shauna holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska. Growing up on the prairies of North Dakota, she now calls the Mountain West home. Shauna lives in Casper, Wyoming, with her husband and two daughters. The family enjoys hiking, playing sports together, cheering on their beloved football teams - Minnesota Vikings and Nebraska Cornhuskers, watching movies, and traveling.

Halie Peplinski

Project Strategist

Halie is a dynamic professional who is passionate about helping non-profits and community organizations strategically and sustainably grow their impact and better serve their communities. Her 10 years of experience in non-profit development and operations equipped her with the ability to guide organizations to use their strengths strategically and collaboratively to advance their mission.

  • Before joining the Contour Strategies team, Halie spent six years on the Development Team at the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, Marion and Polk Counties, where she specialized in growing annual giving, increasing special event revenue and launching an individual and corporate monthly giving program. Most recently, Halie served as the Campaign Director for a $16,000,000 comprehensive campaign to build and sustain a new Boys & Girls Club.

    Halie is a graduate of Willamette University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Work and minor in Spanish. She now lives in Southern Oregon with her husband Jordan where they enjoy outdoor adventure and connecting with their community.

Corin Knowles

Creative Strategist

Corin is a creative thinker, problem-solver and innovator who brings your ideas to life. Through years of working with countless nonprofit and for-profit businesses to develop, shape, and grow their brands, she works with Contour clients to translate their mission and vision for the future into imagery that tells their story.

  • Corin graduated from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN with a B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations with an emphasis in Design. Starting her freelance career in college, she has worked with a large variety of clients, all with the focus of helping them achieve their goals. Over the years, she has grown her graphic and web design skills creating regional print and web campaigns, websites, and brand identities.

    She lives in Northern Minnesota with her husband, two children and dog Albert. An avid cook, gardener, snowboarder, painter and mountain biker, she loves experiencing and learning new things everyday.

Carly Pringle

Financial Strategist

With 20 years of experience in finance and business management, Carly brings a wealth of knowledge in accounting, organization, and human resources. She loves the challenge of problem solving and working through an issue to find the best mutually beneficial solution.  

  • Carly graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Speech & Hearing Science, but quickly transitioned to accounting. Prior to joining Contour Strategies, she served in the healthcare industry as a business manager for the past 11 years. She continues to serve part time in this capacity, providing financial management and human resource services.

    In her spare time, Carly is game for boating with her husband and two children, walking her Labradoodle, and staying active around her home city of Portland.