Date: June 17, 2022
VTS encourages learning and professional development for all staff and faculty. Those who embrace that encouragement can find new career opportunities. So it is that Wendy Bermudez, Development Associate for Database and Gift Processing, is moving on to be Database Manager at The Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, MD. Her last day at VTS will be Friday, July 1.
Wendy started at VTS five years ago in the Academic Administration and Student Life department. She has been part of Institutional Advancement (IA) for two years. In her time here, Wendy has continued work on her bachelor’s degree and trained extensively in the Raiser’s Edge (RE) database. She started with introductory RE courses and moved incrementally into more advanced training. Always seeking improvement, Wendy searches for better processes and solutions to problems. She uses the RE knowledge base regularly, checks in with Terrell Whittaker in finance, and consults her IA colleagues when trying to solve a problem. Wendy has an inherent gift for understanding that a database is not just data; it is a record of people, relationships, and affinities. She has a talent for researching records and making necessary connections.
A self-starter, Wendy began training on the RE membership module as soon as she learned about VTS’ acquisition of FORMA and the need to add their membership information to our database. Wendy will not complete the membership module work before she leaves, but nothing will be lost in her transition because she has worked closely with Jeff Harre.
Jeff has supervised Wendy for the past two years. They have a mutually respectful relationship that has allowed Wendy to stretch and grow. While he is sad to have Wendy leave, Jeff is incredibly proud of her. He knows that the most critical job for any supervisor is to coach, mentor, and encourage direct reports to flex their wings and fly to bigger and better things. In that vein, I call this last article from Institutional Advancement for summer 2022 “The VTS Launch Pad.”
Linda L. Dienno
Vice President for Institutional Advancement