J. Logan "Skip" Seitz, Chord Managing Partner, often grabs a guitar from a stand near his desk to provide a moment of mental health. This has amazing recuperative power for Skip but continues to annoy partner Blythe Thomas. Fortunately, TJ Londagin (the nice partner) has a greater appreciation for musical genius. Skip, who can’t get enough of obscure analogies, describes the partnership as the difference between the Beatles as a group and Ringo as a solo artist. The partnership is a classic “the whole is greater than” phenomenon. Skip has more than three decades of experience in the corporate sector and an extensive background in business planning, business development, sales, marketing and partnership development.

Skip has held senior executive positions with a number of private sector companies and was Senior Vice President of the American Red Cross, where he was responsible for fundraising, partnerships and all non-biomedical revenue. During his tenure at the Red Cross he grew annual giving from $151 million to $821.8 million (FY00-FY05).

VAR Business Magazine named Skip one of its “Top 20 Visionaries” in November of 2001 for his efforts in utilizing new web-based technologies to enhance fundraising and communications with donors and supporters of the American Red Cross.

As a key member of the executive team at NORCOM Networks Corporation, the nation’s first satellite mobile data network provider, Skip was responsible for marketing, sales and all partnership development activities for the start-up company. Before joining NORCOM, he held senior executive positions AGIS-Apex, Cycomm Corporation, Vanguard Cellular Systems, Southwestern Bell and Pitney Bowes.

The rest of the Chord partner team has significant experience in business planning, project design and management, Six Sigma process management, public relations, media, graphic design and communications. These combined skills represent a unique blend of elements critical to the creative and effective development of strategies for non-profits and their private-sector counterparts.

With a son on her hip, a cell phone to her ear and a hand on the keyboard, Blythe Kubina Thomas is not happy unless she’s miserably busy. She joined Chord directly from the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross, where she spent more than nine years in Biomedical Services, Communication and the Development departments. From conducting interviews with NPR at 5 in the morning to manning the disaster operations media desk until 3 a.m. for fear of Y2K catastrophes in the year 2000, her only excuse now for never sleeping is her second son Wyatt’s constant hunger (born October 31, 2007).

At the Red Cross, Blythe designed, developed and executed proactive communication and outreach strategies in support of corporate strategy; oversaw internal and external communication functions; and served as a key liaison with industry, national and international press. During her tenure as a top communications liaison for the $2 billion national biomedical enterprise, blood donations increased by 11 percent from August 2000 to 2001 during unprecedented challenges including safety issues, a terrifying disease scare and nationwide price increases.

Prior to joining the Red Cross, Blythe was a general assignment reporter for the Tulsa World, the second largest newspaper in Oklahoma with a circulation of more than 180,000. At the World, she wrote more than 50 news stories covering a variety of subject matters and incorporating investigative, creative and analytical writing skills. (Her favorite story was a piece about the airplane division of the police department, where she rode inside a puddle jumper and helped the cops clock speeding motorists on I35. She still feels a little guilty for the two cars who became victims of the radar gun she was handling.)

Blythe also has served as a morning show producer for KRBB Wichita (Kan.), B-98 FM where she wrote and recorded public service announcements, managed news content and provided guidance to news editors for the daily news program.

She majored in Journalism and Broadcasting with a minor in Speech Communications, graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science from Oklahoma State University. (Go Cowboys.) She is a native of Wichita, Kansas, and currently resides in Falls Church, Virginia, with her husband, two sons and two standard poodles – her first two children.

TJ Londagin believes any beach can serve as a remote office and plans to someday lead a peaceful rebellion against the ban of flip-flops as appropriate office attire. TJ has spent his career successfully managing change and helping others adapt to and thrive in challenging and fluid environments.

TJ joined Chord most recently from the American Red Cross National Headquarters where he led change management and communication efforts for a national fundraising initiative to help transform the organization to a more donor-focused, major-gift-centric and collaborative organization. When he joined the Red Cross in 2003, he served as an officer for the Senior Vice President of Development helping direct day-to-day interactions and operations of the 200-person department and working closely with the Office of the President and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to his stint in the not-for-profit arena, TJ spent nearly five years working day and night as a consultant for Accenture. During his Accenture adventures he focused on organizational transformation, training, client relations and communications for groups such as Barnes&Noble.com, NASA, Qwest and AT&T. He learned the necessity of maintaining client satisfaction, bringing in projects on time/on budget and delivering impeccable work products – while also becoming versed in the nation’s best airport lounges and how to pack two weeks’ worth of necessities into a single carry-on.

His introduction to client-centered work began while learning the ropes at leading public relations firms such as Ketchum Worldwide in New York and Fleishman-Hillard in Kansas City.

TJ plays the part of referee, guitar protégé, resident smart aleck and creative shop for the Chord Partners team. While Skip is busy dreaming up strategies to increase client resource and revenue; and Blythe is pounding away on a keyboard creating painstakingly detailed project plans and elegantly written materials; TJ is focusing on design, layout and imaginative solutions. He also, begrudgingly, has responsibility for much of the IT support for the team.

TJ met partner Blythe Thomas during their inaugural college course – an 8:30 a.m. Sociology class – at Oklahoma State University. He majored in Agricultural Communications (you will have to ask for an explanation) with an emphasis in print media and public relations. He was raised on a beef and wheat farm in the western plains of Oklahoma that has been in the family since the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run.

When he is not working TJ is planning his next escape to a sun-drenched locale, working on The New York Times crossword puzzle (Sunday through Wednesday – he hopes to someday graduate to Thursday, Friday and Saturday) or reading. Some of his favorite books include John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, J.D. Salinger’s A Catcher in the Rye, David Sedaris’ Holidays on Ice, and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.

Although more likely to be found wearing high heels than cowboy boots, Abbie Gibbs calls Austin, Texas home, having recently relocated from Washington DC. Before joining the Chord team, Abbie worked in DC leading partnership, fundraising and communication efforts for some of the nation's best-known non-profits. Abbie's almost 10 years of experience allows her to bring expertise and focus to strategic corporate and individual donor identification, cultivation, partnership and stewardship. Though heartbroken to leave her colleagues at Chord, she is joyously adjusting to year-round warm weather and the abundance of weekends at the lake. (Thankfully her role at Chord brings her to DC quite often to work with clients on-site.)

Prior to setting up Chord's Austin office, Abbie was the Director of Development for Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, concentrating on individual and corporate fundraising for the Institution's largest program. She focused on health care, business competitiveness and infrastructure and tax policy issues, and designed a strategic plan and giving programs that raised funds to help meaningfully effect research and policy around these platforms.

Before her role at Brookings, Abbie was the Development Director for the Student Press Law Center in Arlington, VA. She joined the group six months before the end of a three-year fundraising campaign with a matching foundation grant and $1 million left to raise. Abbie created and implemented a three-pronged program that met the goal just days before the deadline. (She still practices her breathing exercises from this particular time in her career.)

Abbie also managed corporate partners and sponsorships for Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation events across the country for more than two years, working with national brands such as Jenn-Air and American Express. During this time she brought in five new sponsors and corporate partners. Her career began at the American Red Cross National Headquarters where she spent five years focusing on communications, corporate cause marketing and later development strategy for the entire organization.

Both the Association of Professional Fundraisers and IEG Sponsorship, Inc. have invited Abbie to speak at conferences, where she led discussions on individual, campaign and corporate giving as well as sponsorship. Prior to her career in fundraising, Abbie was a writer and won national, state and regional awards for her work and is published in a college level textbook. Abbie met Chord partners Blythe and T.J. in that same 8:30 a.m. Sociology class at Oklahoma State University (see above bio). She majored in Agricultural Communications with an emphasis in journalism.

When Abbie is not working, reading or lounging by the pool, she is acclimating herself to her new city, which includes boycotting the Austin live-music scene and constantly searching for the perfect cheap manicure.