For Paige McKay Kubik, joining the Florida State University College of Social Work staff as its new Development Director is like returning home.

“I was a first-generation college student at Florida State,” she recalled fondly. “When I was on the field with the Marching Chiefs, I’d look into the stands of Doak Campbell Stadium and marvel at the crowd. So big that every person in my small Alabama hometown could have a seat, and there would still be 70,000 seats left to fill.”

Even as an undergraduate, her focus was on connection and collaboration. While at FSU as a student, Paige was a leader in new student orientation and was the first woman to serve as a drum major for the Marching Chiefs after the university became co-ed in 1947.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1986 with minors in women’s studies, peace studies, and music at Florida State, and the impact of her experiences has stuck with her.

After FSU, Paige served in the Peace Corps, spending two years as a community organizer with women’s cooperatives in rural Honduras. She then completed a master’s degree in public and urban affairs at Georgia State University before beginning her career with the United Way of Greater Atlanta.

She would spend over three decades in Atlanta in executive leadership and development roles with Atlanta human service nonprofits serving children and adults experiencing disability, homelessness, and poverty.

Among her most proud accomplishments, Paige led two capital campaigns, raising more than $20 million for five early education centers opened in partnership with public schools. She also led the financial turnaround of a $5 million nonprofit, including establishing a $3 million endowment. She leveraged relationships with nonprofit partners to develop a nationally acclaimed internship program helping refugee women establish careers in early education.

In partnership with Georgia State University, she launched a nature-based early education program accessible to children with disabilities and those from under-resourced communities. The program was a finalist for the Zaentz Early Education Innovation Challenge Prize from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She also led a transitional childcare center serving unhoused children, which became the first center of its kind to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

This dedication to human services, especially to those impacted, has been a driving force in Paige’s life’s work and purpose. Pursuing human connection and transforming that energy into positive change also drew Paige and her husband back to Tallahassee.

“It only took a day or two in Tallahassee to feel like I’d never left,” she expounded. “The welcome and enthusiasm I have felt from every person I’ve met since returning to campus is contagious.”

Starting her role in January, Paige has focused her energy on learning and listening. With a passion for storytelling and the power of partnerships, she was struck by the dedication and devotion to serving others among the College of Social Work’s students, alumni, and the overall community to match her own. “The future to which I’ve devoted my career is in good hands,” she expressed.

As she grows in her role, Paige has also forged a strong bond with Colette Podgorski, the College of Social Work’s Development Director, for more than a decade. Colette continues her leadership role at Florida State, furthering its philanthropic mission as the Senior Director of Development for Principal Gifts. Colette’s role looks at philanthropy through a university-wide approach focusing on transformational gifts.

“I’ll be taking over the day-to-day management of philanthropy at the College of Social Work and collaborating with Colette as she continues to be the primary liaison with some of the college’s most influential and generous donors,” Paige explained. “Social workers change the world, and it has been my honor to work with the best people for the last 12 years, and I’m excited to continue to support the college in this new role and partner with Paige,” Colette conveyed. 

Together, Paige and Colette will continue to sustain the College of Social Work’s goals and mission. “I’m thrilled to step into a role that empowers current and future generations of social workers,” Paige shared.

To connect with Paige or Colette, contact them at:

• Paige McKay Kubik:  pmk14@fsu.edu | (850) 644-5939
• Colette Podgorski; cpodgorski@.fsu.edu | (850) 228-8536