Jeri Pat Gabbert, CFRE
Jeri Pat Gabbert, CFRE, is the incoming President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unity Foundation of LaPorte County. She most recently served as the Vice President & Chief Philanthropic Officer for the Porter County Community Foundation, where she led the fundraising and marketing strategy as well as the nonprofit education development programs. In that role, she engaged with donors and nonprofits to build permanent charitable funds that will benefit the community across a wide array of causes.
Gabbert previously served as the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and External Affairs at Indiana University Northwest. As the chief development, communications, and marketing officer and strategist, she was responsible for providing leadership and initiative in the planning, implementation, and administration of the campus’s fundraising, alumni relations, special events, and communications and marketing programs.
Prior to her work with Indiana University, Gabbert served Valparaiso University as the Executive Director of Major Gifts. She also has extensive political campaign experience as a fundraiser for state, city, and county candidates, including former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and former Indiana Governor Frank O’Bannon. In addition, Gabbert has served as a faculty member at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, Hanover College, Ball State University, and Valparaiso University.
Gabbert earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 2009, and continues to give back to the profession through her leadership and service. She serves as Board Chair for the Association of Christian Fundraisers (ACF) and is on the CFRE Committee on Directorship. She is the former cabinet chair for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education – District V (CASE V) and past chair for CASE Indiana. She is also a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). In recognition of her long-standing volunteer leadership and dedication to the fundraising profession, Gabbert was honored in 2025 with the Mike Ziemanski Distinguished Service Award by CASE District V.
Gabbert is an active volunteer leader in the community where she participates as a board member for Valparaiso Events, and was honored by The Northwest Indiana Times as a member of the ‘20 Under 40’ Class of 2015. Gabbert holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hanover College in communication and a Master of Arts degree in communication studies from Ball State University.