Mrs. Thornton has been the Director of Planned Giving since the department's inception in August 2001. She is responsible for identification, cultivation, and solicitation of planned gifts. Her previous work experience was as a financial consultant for a life insurance and investment company for the past fifteen years. She worked with individuals in retirement, investment, and estate planning. Mrs. Thornton has a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas, and is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). She works with donors to assess the best way to make gifts to the university, and is available to meet with donors and their advisors.