FSU social work development director wins local award in non-profit leadership
FSU College of Social Work Development Director Colette Podgorski has been awarded The Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals’ “20 under 40” Golden A.C.E. Award for 2016 in the category of Non-Profit leadership. The Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals selected finalists from more than 130 applications to recognize outstanding contributions to the community at the 2016 Golden A.C.E. Award Ceremony and Gala held on May 7, 2016. Colette was recognized among 20 notable young professionals for her leadership and commitment to authentic community engagement.
Colette’s role as the FSU Foundation’s development officer for the College of Social Work centers around fund development– a personal passion for her. “Philanthropy changes lives,” Colette said. “As the development director I am honored to share the College’s vision and to work to address the needs of faculty, students, and alumni. It’s great to be able to connect those with our alumni and donors’ philanthropic goals. It’s inspiring to hear each person’s story, and especially how FSU has impacted each life. I love watching people give back in order to help new generations of students, and to help our donors support the development of new knowledge through their underwriting of important research.”
Along with her position as development director for the FSU College of Social Work, Colette served as the 2015 Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Big Bend Chapter President. The AFP advances philanthropy by enabling people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising. Colette helped fulfill AFP’s mission through education, training, mentoring, research, credentialing, and advocacy. One of the primary initiatives during Colette’s term as president was to work closely with other organizations to create a community-wide giving campaign centered around #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving that was celebrated across the U.S. Colette and AFP’s Big Bend Chapter joined with the Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence, the United Partners for Human Service, the Community Foundation of North Florida, the United Way of the Big Bend, and the Council on Culture and the Arts to create a local version of this initiative called #BigBendGivesBack, which involved more than 280 nonprofits.
The FSU College of Social Work’s Dean Jim Clark said that he was not surprised that Colette was recognized as an outstanding young professional. “Colette is a crucial member of the College leadership team. She possesses a keen understanding of the importance of philanthropy for a thriving University, and for that matter, for a thriving community. She continues to make significant contributions to our College’s development, and is also doing important work in advancing FSU President John Thrasher’s commitment to fund the growth of the FSU Student Veterans’ Center.”
Colette is grateful for this honor and hopes to continue raising the bar for philanthropy. To learn more about how you can give back to the FSU College of Social Work and its students visit CSW.FSU.EDU or contact Colette at cpodgorksi@foundation.fsu.edu.