We recently caught up with Amelia Ketzle from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale to talk about her mission to restore data quality and how she’s advocating for the unsung heroes in advancement operations.
Summary
• Prioritize data integrity: Amelia Ketzle at SIU successfully rebuilt trust in their database by focusing on data quality, which is crucial for empowering effective fundraising campaigns and alumni engagement efforts. Her journey shows how foundational data work impacts everything.
• Advocate for your unsung heroes: Learn from Amelia's mission to champion fair compensation and recognition for vital backend and data entry roles. Valuing these team members can boost morale and improve the accuracy of your CRM data.
• Embrace AI pragmatically: SIU is exploring AI, with Amelia’s team experimenting with tools like Microsoft Copilot to streamline tedious data tasks. This approach views AI as a practical tool to find everyday efficiencies in advancement operations.
• Rebuild confidence in your CRM data: If your team struggles with data trust, Amelia's experience proves that consistent effort can transform a neglected database into a reliable source. This ensures your outreach and fundraising campaigns are powered by accurate information.
• Make data work visible and valued: Amelia's vision emphasizes that data management is essential, not just backend. By shining a light on this critical work, you can help your team grow with new digital tools and ensure everyone understands its impact on overall success.
“Anybody can do data entry. But that doesn’t mean anyone will do it correctly.”
— Amelia Ketzle, Director of Records & Data Management, Southern Illinois University Foundation
We recently caught up with Amelia to talk about her mission to restore data quality and how she’s advocating for the unsung heroes in advancement operations.
Amelia has been with SIU for the last two decades. From gift processing to data analytics, her well-rounded experience enables her to comprehend the IT needs of colleagues in higher education fundraising and alumni relations. Amelia excels in delivering exceptional reports and software solutions to drive their success.
When Amelia stepped into her current role, she inherited a database where data integrity functions had not had the attention they deserved for some time. While not the flashiest of projects, she rolled up her sleeves and worked to restore confidence in the quality, consistency, and integrity of the Foundation’s data for the past two years. Today, thanks to her persistence, the database is on its way to once again being a trusted source powering outreach, fundraising, and engagement.
Amelia’s biggest goal? Ensuring her team gets the recognition (and compensation) they deserve. Many of her colleagues work in roles that are essential but often overlooked - data entry, backend management, and admin operations. Amelia has added her voice to advocate for upgrades, working with SIU Foundation's leadership team to successfully upgrade pay for some of SIU’s lowest-paid team members. She’s on a mission to make sure good people don’t have to leave just to grow.
SIU Foundation is actively exploring AI, and Amelia's team is right in the thick of it. From experimenting with Microsoft Copilot to streamlining tedious data tasks, she and her team are pushing themselves to find everyday efficiencies. The approach is pragmatic: AI isn’t a threat - it’s a tool, and the key is learning how to use it well.
Amelia’s vision is simple but powerful: make data work more visible, valued, and fairly rewarded. As the Foundation embraces AI and digital tools, she’s focused on helping her team grow with it - and making sure no one gets left behind.
Want to connect with Amelia?
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“We put the service in Advancement Services — that’s what drives me every day.”
— Dan Snyder, Director of Advancement Services, Bennington College
We recently caught up with Dan to talk about the unsung heroics of advancement operations, and how his data-first mindset has streamlined systems, empowered teams, and sparked momentum at Bennington.
Daniel Snyder is the Director of Advancement Services at Bennington College with 12 years of expertise in advancement services. As a director, he has implemented Evertrue, Power BI, and Power Automate, enhancing the team's operations. He led the upgrade to RENXT and the integration of GiveCampus. Daniel is an expert in advancement technology. He received the inaugural Microsoft Power Platform Community award for his contributions to the Blackbaud Community, sharing knowledge and providing valuable support.
Over the last few years, Dan has taken a sharp aim at the tedious — from gift entry to data clean-up — and built smart automations to simplify daily processes. By removing inefficiencies and creating auto-triggered alerts (like thank-you reminders), he’s allowed his team to focus more on what truly matters: relationship-building. The result? Faster answers, less manual work, and a team that spends more time with people than with spreadsheets.
Dan’s proudest ongoing goal is to make data more accessible and actionable across departments. His vision includes empowering non-technical users to engage with reports and insights independently — a push that not only improves internal decision-making, but also strengthens alumni engagement. “It’s been missing,” he says, “but we’ve got great momentum.”
While the AI wave has touched every corner of higher ed, Dan’s approach remains practical and people-first. Whether it’s generating formulas in Power Automate or drafting seating charts, he sees AI as a useful companion — but not a silver bullet. “You still need human judgment,” he says. “It’s not going back in the box, but it’s got to be used responsibly.”
Dan’s big bet for the future: a more data-literate team and better-integrated systems that support genuine alumni connection. As Bennington evolves, Dan envisions operations that are nimble, collaborative, and always a few steps ahead of the next reporting request.
Dan’s achievements in the Alumni Relations and Advancement have been immortalized with their very own AB50C Trading Card.
Want to connect with Dan or learn more about how he’s reshaping advancement operations?
#TheOG50: The One with Dan Snyder
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