Date: September 3, 2021
One of the many aspects I appreciate about Virginia Theological Seminary is its focus on education. Well, right, this is a Seminary, and our mission is training ordained and lay leaders for the church, so one might say “duh!” about VTS’ focus on education. Here though, I’m addressing the educational needs of the staff and faculty. We are never too old or too experienced to learn more in our fields or learn about new interests.
We have many avenues of learning in Institutional Advancement. Daily, one of us is diving into Blackbaud’s resources to find information or learn new database and gift processing techniques. Meredith Wied took this to the next level and received a Professional Blackbaud Certification. Shelagh Casey Brown introduced us to the Annual Giving Network (AGN); she is engaging in their courses on alumni relations, and Jennifer Greiner, Wendy Bermudez, and Jeffri Harre are signed up for modules related to the Annual Fund and acknowledgment letters. In addition to AGN and Blackbaud diving, Wendy is tackling classes at Strayer University to earn her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Jeffri has signed up to audit Dr. Judy Fentress-Williams’ fall evening class entitled, “Genesis: The Ancestors.” I’m starting my Master of Science degree program at Denver University in non-profit leadership, concentrating on philanthropy and resource development.
Do we still have time for our daily work? Absolutely! Learning never ends, and from it, we acquire better work strategies and methods. Devoting some time to our continuing education enhances our jobs and helps us serve this institution and each of you better.
Linda Dienno
Vice President for Institutional Advancement