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#TheOG50: The one with Amelia Ketzle from SIU, Carbondale
“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
Meet Amelia, the Director of Records & Data Management at SIU 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.
Rebuilding trust in data
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.
Fighting for fair pay behind the scenes
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.
Leading SIU’s AI evolution
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.
What’s next for Amelia and SIU
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.
Amelia BTS (Behind The Screen)
Want to connect with Amelia?
“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
Meet Amelia, the Director of Records & Data Management at SIU 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.
Rebuilding trust in data
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.
Fighting for fair pay behind the scenes
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.
Leading SIU’s AI evolution
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.
What’s next for Amelia and SIU
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.
Amelia BTS (Behind The Screen)
Want to connect with Amelia?
Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, and Almabase, the digital-first alumni engagement solution, have announced the expansion of their partnership to the education sectors of Canada and the United Kingdom. The partnership will provide institutions with a modern, digital-first solution to improve constituent data, drive self-serve engagement, and boost event participation.
A Unified Vision
The partnership aligns with Blackbaud’s commitment to customer-centric innovation across digital engagement, Advancement CRM, and financials.
“Partners bring integrated capabilities that extend capabilities and outcomes for Blackbaud customers. We are thrilled that Almabase’s offering, integrated with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and leveraging Blackbaud’s best-in-class payment solution, Blackbaud Merchant Services™, is now available to even more of our customers around the world.”
- Liz Price, Sr. Director of Global Partners at Blackbaud
