Kara Fleharty Schultz

Director of Development, College of Nursing, UCF Foundation, Inc.

Kara is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, MN where she earned undergraduate degrees in Business and Organizational Communication. Following her graduation in 1996, she moved to Kumamoto, Japan and taught conversational English at the elementary and junior high level for three years as part of the JET Programme. While in Japan, she studied graphic design as a student of the Tomoeda Graphic Design School, and volunteered with Earth Greenery Activities Japan (EGAJ). EGAJ is a non-profit organziation dedicated to educate and implement organic farming techniques in Uto-city, Japan and Dodoma, Tanzania.

Upon returning to the United States, Kara began her fundraising career at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. For two years, she served as the Associate Director of Annual Giving, and completed her MBA through PLU’s executive program. While at PLU, she met her husband, Jeff, a biochemistry faculty member and environmental studies enthusiast.

In 2001, Kara and Jeff relocated to Orlando, FL. Although professionally Kara continued her work in fundraising, in May 2002, she and her husband led a group of Rollins College students to Crystal Waters—a socially and environmentally responsible, economically viable rural subdivision north of Brisbane, Australia—where they completed a permaculture design course.

Kara has worked in both higher education and healthcare fundraising, serving as Director of Development for Stetson University and as a Development Officer for the Florida Hospital Foundation. While at Florida Hospital, Kara served as the fundraiser for Winter Park Memorial Hospital, where her work with volunteer boards and community leaders was featured in a publication by The Advisory Board Company entitled, “Re-Envisioning the Alliance—Unlocking the Value of Boards and Other Volunteer Groups.”

Kara is currently serving as Director of Development for the College of Nursing at University of Central Florida. She is responsible for raising annual and endowment gifts—and will be helping raise funds for a new, LEED Certified, College of Nursing building at the Lake Nona medical city.

Outside of fundraising and volunteering with GreenCities Florida, Kara also volunteers with the BETA Center, St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, and her alma mater, Concordia College. She and her husband live in Orlando and love to travel, read, entertain friends, and grow their own vegetables.