Foundation Staff

Brian Dill

Vice President, External Affairs, Tanner Health System

Executive Director, Tanner Foundation

Brian leverages a proven track record of corporate communications, government affairs and public policy strategy, corporate fundraising success, contractual negotiations, and corporate budget management in his current role at Tanner Health System.

Externally, Brian currently serves as the Chair of the Georgia Telecommunications Commission (GPB) and is the immediate past President of the University of Georgia Alumni Association. In addition, he serves on the Board of Governor’s for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and is a University of West Georgia Foundation Trustee.

A 2013 member of Leadership Georgia, Brian has served on their Board of Trustees and is a J.W. Fanning Fellow. He and his family are members of First Baptist Church of Carrollton.

A native of Irwin County, Brian is a 1994 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Political Science and a 2019 graduate of UGA’s Executive MBA program.

Brian is married to Carmen, the Culinary Arts Teacher for Carrollton High School and a 1995 graduate of UGA. They have one son Mason who is a Sophomore two-sport athlete with Dean College. The Dills currently reside in Carrollton, Georgia.

Mary Saravia Busby

Director of Development

As Director of Development, Mary manages the Foundation team and directs the Foundation’s fundraising efforts to secure corporate and individual major, annual and planned gifts as well as grants and sponsorships. She has overseen Tanner Foundation's signature event, The Magnolia Ball, which became a venerated local tradition welcoming 600+ guests for a evening of dining, dancing and auction in support of key hospital projects.

Mary advances Tanner Foundation's mission via web, print, social media and video communications. She builds community relationships, crafts proposals, structures programs and supports donors in developing multi-year fund and endowment agreements to champion the patients and services of Tanner Health System.

She leverages more than a decade of experience in strategic sales and communications from her early career in the cable industry, serving as Director of Sales Strategy for The Weather Channel and as a marketer for Cox Communications. She has developed and directed integrated marketing campaigns with teams from Disney and ESPN, AMC Networks, NBC Universal and other cable industry leaders.

Mary is a graduate of Binghamton University, a top-rated public research center in New York, and was inducted into Mensa in 2002. She has earned certificates in Fundraising Management (2021), Major Gifts (2016) and Annual Giving (2012) from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy Madison Institute and graduated the Tanner Leadership Institute Director's Cohort (2017.)

Janet Bradley Whitt

Finance and Operations Specialist

For more the 17 years, Janet has served the community through strategic positions with Tanner Foundation. As Finance and Operations Specialist, she manages the general accounting functions and the management of the donor database for the Foundation. Her duties include monitoring endowments, processing month end close, preparation and distribution of reports to management and maintaining the integrity of donor information.

Janet has earned certificates in Philanthropy Operations, Elements of Major Gifts, Planned Giving and Hospice Development from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy Madison Institute and bCRE certification from Blackbaud University. Janet attended the University of West Georgia and is a current member of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy.

Lauren Gledhill Gann

Donor Relations Coordinator

Lauren Gledhill Gann is the Donor Relations Coordinator at Tanner Foundation where she serves as a key liaison between the Executive Director and the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, staff, donors and prospects. She supports the Foundation’s major initiatives in support of Women’s and Children’s Health, coordinates Board of Trustees, Board Committee and Campaign Committee Meetings and maintains the Foundation’s official records. Lauren has earned a Fundamentals in Resource Development certificate from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy Madison Institute.

Lauren is a graduate of Oak Mountain Academy and holds a bachelor's in psychology from LaGrange College. While at LaGrange College, Lauren had unique fundraising opportunities including being the co-founder of Panthers Pounce on Autism, a 5K run to support Autism Speaks.

Joel Truss

Government Affairs Coordinator, Tanner Health System

Development Coordinator, Tanner Foundation

Joel Truss is a lifelong resident of the State of Georgia and was born and raised in Dekalb County. He brings several years of local and state campaign experience with his most recent position being Regional Outreach Coordinator for the Georgia Republican Party during the 2020 Presidential Election. As Development Coordinator for Tanner Foundation, Joel leads development and donor support in Tanner’s East Alabama market while promoting service line fundraising and awareness. As Government Relations Coordinator, Joel advances Tanner Health System's legislative priorities, representing the organization in Atlanta, Montgomery and Washington.

Joel is a graduate of Albany State University with a B.A. in Political Science and is currently studying for his Master's Degree in Global Affairs and Trade at the University of Oklahoma. He currently resides in Stockbridge, Georgia where he is a member of Grace Baptist Church.

Bree Kelly

Donor Relations Coordinator

Bree Kelly is the Donor Relations Coordinator at Tanner Foundation where she acts as an ambassador of the Foundation and fosters outreach to the community. Bree supports Tanner Foundation's development, fund management, administrative operational and accounting functions to maximize fundraising efforts and help build a culture of philanthropy. She supports the Foundation’s major initiatives in support of Orthopedic and Spine Health, as well as Neurology. She oversees Heartbeat, Tanner’s Employee Giving Program, and supports Tanner Foundation’s communication development through web, print and social media.

Bree graduated magna cum laude from Lander University with a bachelor's in English. While attending Lander, she was a member of the NCAA DII Women’s Volleyball Program and served as a Presidential Ambassador. Bree was the 2021 recipient of the Lander University Margaret M. Bryant Excellence Award.