Their careers are not focused on fundraising, yet throughout UC Davis we have faculty and staff members who actively engage with donors, stewarding support for the university. In recognition of such efforts, Development and Alumni Relations and the UC Davis Foundation last weekend presented their annual Faculty and Staff Stewardship Awards to:

• John Eadie, professor, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology
• Joseph Gaydos, science director, SeaDoc Society, a unit of the Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine
• Jana Katz-Bell ’91, assistant dean, Interprofessional Programs, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and School of Medicine
• Lauren Snow, director of financial aid, Office of Medical Education, School of Medicine

“Their efforts have created a strong foundation of support in the UC Davis community that will have long-term influence on students, programs, infrastructure and more,” said Shaun Keister, vice chancellor of Development and Alumni Relations and president of the UC Davis Foundation.

The awards ceremony took place in AGR Hall at the Buehler Alumni Center.

Lifetime Achievement Award

John Eadie — As the first Dennis J. Raveling Endowed Chair in Waterfowl Biology, Eadie understands the importance of stewardship and donor engagement. For more than 20 years, he has kept in touch with donors for his professorship through phone calls, meetings, events, and custom and extensive impact reports. Throughout the years, he has developed a deep friendship with Paul R. Bonderson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, and Peter D. Stent and his wife, Nora, who are major contributors to the Raveling Endowment.

In 1996, just seven years after Eadie started his endowed position, he was already able to articulate the extensive impact of it in a 65-page impact report. It included the mission and history of the endowment, key accomplishments, graduate student supported research projects and a heartfelt thank-you to donors. Eadie has continued to show leadership by serving as the model to five other chairs in waterfowl biology at other universities across the nation and as the department chair of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology for five years, 2012- 17.

Staff Stewardship Awards

Joseph Gaydos — Gaydos’ ability to connect with people and share his enthusiasm for the sea, animals and science has contributed to the SeaDoc Society’s growth and success over the past 19 years. The society, founded in 1999, conducts and sponsors scientific research in the inland waters of the Pacific Northwest, also known as the Salish Sea. Gaydos has taken donors onto the sea to show them firsthand the impact of their gifts. He has also established a protocol under which SeaDoc calls and thanks each donor every time they make a gift.

Gaydos leveraged the strong relationships he has built with donors to introduce them to other areas of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, the UC Davis veterinary program that houses SeaDoc and several other programs. Two years ago, Gaydos led a small group of SeaDoc donors to the Gorilla Doctors project in Rwanda and the HALI project in Tanzania. This year, he will lead another group of SeaDoc donors to Argentina to share the important work accomplished by UC Davis Latin American faculty as part of the Wildlife Health Center. These efforts will have lasting, positive effects for the Wildlife Health Center as it looks toward solidifying funding for other upcoming SeaDoc programs.

Jana Katz-Bell — She has a unique ability to connect donors’ philanthropic goals and the visions of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, School of Medicine and UC Davis. She builds meaningful connections with donors and prospects by explaining the impact of philanthropy and showcasing accomplishments through storytelling, tours and introducing donors to students, faculty and UC Davis Health leaders.   

Katz-Bell co-authored the 2007 grant proposal to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that secured the $100 million gift to establish the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing — the largest philanthropic grant in UC Davis history and one of the largest ever received by the University of California. She now prepares an annual report to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that shows the outcomes of the foundation’s investment in the School of Nursing. In addition to annual reports, Katz-Bell is considered the usual liaison with the team at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and works throughout the year on different updates and projects.

Lauren Snow — Snow has created a cycle of gratitude in the UC Davis Health financial aid office for the UC Davis School of Medicine, encouraging scholarship recipients to write heartfelt letters of thanks to scholarship donors. As a member of the annual School of Medicine Scholarship Luncheon planning committee, Snow coordinates students to speak and interact directly with their scholarship donors. Additionally, Snow works closely with the development team on stewarding the donors directly by making personal connections at various events and lunches. She also helps provide ideas and advice to donors, such as how to define possible fund criteria for a new scholarship or endowment.

Snow’s leadership role in financial aid and understanding the critical importance of donor stewardship has resulted in many years of repeat scholarship donors at the School of Medicine. Among these donors, three households have given more than $2 million total over 10 years to the School of Medicine and Medical Education scholarships.

Nominations

Nominations are welcome for next year’s awards. To recognize other faculty and staff members whose extraordinary relationship-building practices are advancing the culture of philanthropy at UC Davis, send nominations by email to Chelsea Clouser.

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