Starting Point

Amy Burke, Senior Director of Annual Giving Programs at Wellesley College, talks about loving your work, drinking from the firehose, taking risks, learning from failure, adapting to change, and more.

Meredith Johnston, VP of Philanthropy at Scripps Research, talks about finding true north, the difference between leaders and managers, leaving a place you love, annual vs. major gift strategy, dumb luck, and more.

Colin Hennessy, VP for Alumni & Donor Engagement at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, talks about opening the door to possibility, feeling stuck in annual giving, technology, teaching, consulting, and more.

Amy Bronson, AVP for Advancement Resources and Strategic Talent Management at Boston University talks about thinking beyond salary, recruiting and retaining great employees, stay interviews, adapting to change, having mentors, and more.

Nky McGinnis, Executive Director of Annual Giving Programs at the University of Rochester, talks about believing in yourself, being a student caller, the differences between public and private institutions, managing large teams, the first 30 days on a job, and more.

Scott Nichols, Consultant and Former Senior Vice President for Advancement at Boston University, talks about picking your boss, polishing the silver, being nice, asking for big numbers, sleeping well at night, and more.

Dan Levine, President and Founder of Engaging Minds Inc., talks about developing executive functions, learning to learn, getting things done, the importance of focus, the new skills needed for success, and more.

Fritz Schroeder, VP for Development & Alumni Relations at Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, talks about setting the stage for his own career, starting out in annual giving, learning through osmosis, the job he didn’t take, holding himself accountable, and more.