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.
The Apra Scholarship Award is designed to promote professional growth and accessibility to educational programming. Get to know 2024 Apra Scholarship recipient Elizabeth Mills, whose commitment to professional growth and innovation exemplifies the spirit of this prestigious award in this Q&A.
In this Q&A, we celebrate Kathryn Thomas, recipient of the 2024 Apra Distinguished Service Award. Get to know Thomas, director of prospect development for City of Hope, as she reflects on the trajectory of PD from both personal and professional perspectives.