As we move from April to May, we're continuing our Q&A series with another new Apra-IL board member.

Up next is Melanie Pozdol, who joins the APRA-IL board this year as our new Secretary. Melanie has worked for Northwestern University since 2019, and since 2022 she has been the Associate Director of Prospect Management and Analytics at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Business. In this role she provides guidance to gift officers on portfolio management, assists with formulating prospect strategies, helps to plan and execute prospect pool analyses, and works closely with fundraisers to ensure they are effectively moving prospects through the fundraising pipelines. Read on for more about Melanie!

1. What is the superpower that you use often at work?

I love bringing people together, and this is something I do at work all the time, including bringing together people from different teams. I feel like I am often a “super connector” in that I often don’t specifically have the answer, but I know who to ask or can find the right person to ask when there is a question.

2. What is one thing Apra has done for you?

I like to think that APRA quite literally helped me get my job at Northwestern! I went to PD in Arizona in 2019, and Brock Silvey (who would eventually become my supervisor when I worked on the Central PRM team at NU) was rolling off the board. I was ready for a career change and looked to see if he was hiring. Sure enough, he had an open role on his team! I applied, and here I am still at Northwestern coming nearly 6 years later, though I am now on a different team over at Kellogg. In any case, I’m not sure I would have thought to even apply for a role at NU had I not seen Brock at PD!

3. If the annual Apra International conference could be anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?

Somewhere warm and with a beach, like Hawaii. I’m overdue for a beach vacation, so I would definitely tack on some extra days after the conference to do some sightseeing and lounging on the beach!

4. How do you explain your role to people outside of Development?

I help identify rich people who could make a large gift to Northwestern and then give those names to the frontline fundraisers who then actually ask for the money. I also manage fundraiser portfolios, do a lot of data analysis, and manage a lot of rules and policies regarding how data is entered into our database. And if you were wondering, NO I do not directly ask people for money!

5. If you were not in Prospect Research, what career would you have?

I had a brief career working as a professional oboist in an orchestra after grad school. I would say that maybe doing something in the fitness industry would be a preferred career if I wasn’t in Prospect Development, but after having done music as a full-time career and burning out on something that had previously been a passion, maybe not…

6. If you could tell your 15-year-old self about your job, what would you say?

You have great health insurance and other work benefits, and you’re able to do work that is interesting while also enjoying many extracurricular activities!

7. Why did you join the Apra-Illinois board?

I joined the Apra board because I love creating connections and bringing people together. There are so many great prospect development professionals across Illinois, and I love that Apra-IL provides a space for those in our industry to connect! I also was really interested in bringing together people from institutions undergoing CRM conversions (Northwestern is undergoing a move to Salesforce), and Apra-IL felt like a great space for people to be able to share their experiences.

8. Why do you think Apra-Illinois and all of the local Apra chapters matter?

The main Apra organization is a great way to connect to people across the country, but the local chapters provide opportunities to connect with people who work at institutions nearby. It also can provide lower-cost opportunities to meet up with and learn from individuals from statewide institutions. This is a huge benefit, especially if members don’t have access to a professional development budget to attend Big Apra events.

9. What is your #1 productivity tip?

Take breaks when you need to! Sometimes going for a walk around the block can help when you’re feeling stuck!

10. If you wrote a book about prospect development, what would it be called?

How Dating Apps Can Help You Understand Prospect Development (and vice versa).

11. What book are you reading right now?

I usually am reading more than one book at a time – right now I’m reading Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano and Show Don’t Tell, which is a collection of short stories by Curtis Sittenfeld

12. Currently, what is your favorite restaurant in your city?

Not a restaurant, but I love Begyle Brewery in Chicago!

13. What is your favorite social platform to connect with people?

Instagram.

14. What is your hobby?

I have multiple hobbies – running and playing the oboe! I’m a member of the Chicago Fleet Feet Racing Team and also am a member of Team USA for the Beer Mile (I’m the 2022 Women’s World Champion). I studied music in college, and I perform as principal oboist in the Lakeview Orchestra, which is a community orchestra in Chicago.

15. Are you a texter or a caller?

I prefer calling, but now that I discovered that I can text using the google messages app on my computer, texting doesn’t annoy me as much.