This year, I had the pleasure of interviewing, via email, Kelli North, the recipient of Apra’s 2025 Distinguished Service Award. This honor, established in 1990, recognizes an individual who has significantly advanced both the prospect development profession and Apra through exceptional contributions beyond their daily paid work. The award recognizes excellence in professional and personal competencies that elevate learning, collaboration, and talent in our field.
Kelli currently serves as Associate Director of Development Research, Fundraising, and Strategic Alignment at the University of Michigan. Her work centers on embedding inclusive, pipeline-expanding practices into prospect development. She has led efforts to evaluate bias in wealth screenings, develop policies for identity and affinity data, and align development practices with social justice principles.
As we turn our calendars to 2026, make personal and professional resolutions, and do other things that beginning a new year entails, the Content Development Committee (CDC) is taking a moment to reflect on contributions from you, our members, that shaped 2025. It was a year full of change, creativity, and conversation across the prospect development community. Apra Connections continued to be a space where practitioners shared insights, learned from one another, and elevated the field through best practices, experiences within our organizations, and big-picture thinking.
A manager's experience reveals that team success hinges on navigating different "life stages." Initially, an experienced, high-performing team was a "well-oiled machine" that quickly left for promotions. This led to a team of all "newbies" who, despite needing intense training, brought vital fresh energy and innovative process improvements. The author now favors the "Half and Half" approach—a mix of tenured and new staff—which balances institutional knowledge with fresh perspectives. However, it requires intentional effort to ensure equitable development. Discover why managing these different compositions—from high-speed efficiency to urgent training needs—is the key to sustained success in a constantly changing environment.