Development leader excited to return, ready for the future
Put simply, there’s no SELC without the team of fundraisers at the heart of the organization. Using her talents and expertise to keep SELC’s fundraising on track isn’t new work for Katie Shevlin, a Charlottesville native who is kicking off the year as our Chief Development Officer.
Shevlin was part of SELC’s Development Team from 2009 until 2014, serving as Chief of Staff and Foundations Manager when she left to take on a leadership role with the University of Virginia’s development department. There, she worked at the intersection of relationships, strategy, and deep program knowledge to transform the university’s foundations program from a two-person office to a ten-person team — resulting in being asked to create a fundraising program from the ground up for the new and noteworthy School of Data Science.
“We can’t imagine a better fit for this role,” says Executive Director DJ Gerken as she comes back on board. “Katie is SELC through and through.”
Read the interview to find out why. Plus, get more on what’s in store for the new year, why the time to support SELC is now, and her lifelong quest to make the perfect pot of chicken and dumplings.
What initially sparked your interest in SELC?
I was interested in high-functioning nonprofits, and there are very few organizations that operate with the excellence of SELC. This remains the smartest and most committed group of people I have ever worked with. It is great to be back on the team and to see how the organization has grown.
What are you excited for at SELC this year?
The organization is poised to take our development work to the next level. We’re lucky to have so many talented people dedicated to this crucial work. I think we’re all really looking forward to reimagining how our incredible team operates and thinking about how each of us can continue to support SELC’s organizational endeavors.
What’s a place in the South that holds a special place in your heart?
As a kid, my family spent time during the summer at Holden Beach near the North and South Carolina border. It’s a turtle nesting preserve. And it’s a special beach that is particularly great for families with small kids. I’ve really enjoyed being able to take my family there and show them this place that was so important to me and my siblings growing up, and it’s been fun to talk to my kids about why we protect sea turtles.
How does your family like to get outside?
We have little kids who are still in the toddler stage, so we love getting outside a little bit closer to home in Charlottesville right now. We love the Rivanna Trail system and Riverview Park. After another year or two they might be ready to take on Shenandoah National Park, which was a favorite place of mine growing up.
You like to cook. Do you have a favorite Southern recipe or cookbook?
My grandmother makes a great chicken and dumplings. I’m in a perpetual, lifelong quest to get my dish to taste like hers.
During my first time at SELC, one of the Reed Award winners was Brys Stephens, who wrote a cookbook called The New Southern Table. It remains one of our favorites to cook from. It’s organized by staple produce grown in the South, and it’s been really great to find new uses for our CSA veggies.
Why should people donate to SELC?
We’re one of the best dollar-for-dollar investments you can make. Whether you care about protecting the South’s natural treasures, addressing industry unjustly pushing pollution onto nearby communities across the United States, or even if you have global concerns about climate change, SELC’s work positively impacts all these critical issues.
The climate work we’re doing is particularly important to me as I think about the future for my kids, their long-term health, happiness, and their ability to continue to grow up in this region that has been home to my family for generations.