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Neal Sherman
Senior Director of Development, Regional & Global Programs at University of Delaware
Professional Background
Neal Sherman is a seasoned professional in the field of development and sales, with an impressive career spanning several decades. Currently serving as the Senior Director of Development at the prestigious University of Delaware, Neal brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role. His dedication to the academic community is evident through his impactful work in fundraising and alumni relations, where he has played a key role in enhancing the university's outreach and engagement initiatives.
Neal's journey in the realm of development began at the same institution where he now holds a senior leadership position. He initially served as the Associate Director of Development at the University of Delaware, a role that laid the foundation for his career in academic advancement. In this capacity, Neal honed his skills in relationship building, strategic planning, and implementing successful fundraising campaigns, contributing significantly to the university's growth and community engagement.
Before embarking on his career in higher education, Neal gained invaluable experience in the corporate world. He served as the Regional Pro Sales Manager at Behr Process Corporation, where he developed a deep understanding of sales strategies, customer relations, and market dynamics. His tenure at Behr equipped him with the necessary tools to navigate complex business environments and foster long-lasting client partnerships.
Additionally, Neal's early career included a position as a Professional Sales Representative at Sherwin-Williams. This role allowed him to refine his skills in sales and customer engagement, which would later prove to be instrumental in his transition to the world of development within academia. Neal's diverse background in both sales and development positions him uniquely to bridge the gap between institutional needs and community support.
Education and Achievements
Neal's academic foundation is robust, with a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from Rutgers University - Camden. This combination of education has provided him with a solid grounding in both business principles and human behavior, essential for effectively engaging with stakeholders and driving successful initiatives.
At the University of Delaware, Neal's M.B.A. studies focused on key areas such as organizational leadership, strategic planning, and financial management. His ability to apply these theories in practical settings has been paramount in his roles within the university. The coursework from his psychology degree further enhances his capacity to understand and empathize with diverse audiences, thereby facilitating impactful communication and relationship management.
Throughout his career, Neal has achieved numerous milestones that underscore his commitment to professional growth and excellence. He has been instrumental in securing significant funding and resources for the University of Delaware, enhancing its academic programs and student services.
Achievements
Neal Sherman's career is marked by notable achievements that reflect his dedication, strategic vision, and leadership capabilities. At the University of Delaware, Neal has led numerous successful fundraising campaigns that have significantly impacted the university's financial health and student experience.
His efforts to foster a culture of philanthropy within the university community have resulted in increased alumni engagement and contributions. Neal's knack for building meaningful relationships with alumni and prospective donors has not only improved fundraising outcomes but has also created a supportive network that reinforces the university's values and mission.
Furthermore, Neal's leadership has positioned the University of Delaware as a leader in academic innovation and community involvement, fostering partnerships that extend beyond the campus and into the wider community. His hands-on approach and commitment to collaboration have made him a respected figure within the institution and among peers in the field of development.
In every role, from his beginnings at Sherwin-Williams to his leading position at the University of Delaware, Neal Sherman exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated professional in development and sales. He continues to inspire those around him through his unwavering commitment to fostering educational access and opportunity.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
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Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.