Charge and responsibilities:
The Membership Committee is charged with enhancing the overall member experience and attracting new members to Apra International. The Committee focuses on ensuring Apra membership's value proposition meets the needs and expectations of the Prospect Development and broader Advancement community.
The Membership committee is responsible for the analysis of membership trends, needs, member characteristics and behaviors with the goal of increasing member value. The committee determines recruitment and retention tactics in alignment with the Apra Board of Directors initiatives and strategic plans through the analysis and introduction of innovative pricing models and members services.
Committee accomplishments and activities:
The Membership committee’s recent accomplishments have included researching, developing, and implementing the associate membership level in 2023. This new membership level provides greater access to community members who do not have resources available to access professional membership.
The Membership Committee partners with Apra staff on the development and analysis of the biannual Membership Needs and Opinions survey, most recently completed in 2026. The survey is utilized to identify membership composition, salient training and learning needs, and networking interests amongst the Apra community.
The Membership Committee continues to explore pricing models, content delivery and topics of interest to ensure APRA continues to meet the needs and preferences of the field.
Term of Service and time commitment:
Committee members serve for one year, effective September 1 through August 31. A committee of 6-8 members typically convenes monthly for one hour via Zoom. Members usually spend 1-2 hours per month attending meetings and working on designated tasks.
Members:
Chair: Stephanie Huggins, Assistant Director of Development Research
Vice-Chair: Brandi Buckler, Associate Director, Research & Prospect Management, The Nature Conservancy
Christine Bitner, Senior Associate Director of Prospect Development, The Ohio State University
Megan Borovicka, Executive Director, Prospect Development, Binghamton University
Selene Hur, Senior Manager of Prospect Development, YMCA of Greater Toronto
Trish Hykes, Gettysburg College
Kate Jorgensen, University of New Mexico Foundation
Jennifer Kehoe, Clemson University
Cheryll McCarty, OhioHealth
Jill Meister, Yale University
Katelin Newman, University of Michigan
Paul Wiklanski, University of Michigan
Board Liaison: Rachel Brandell-Mayers, Executive Director, Prospect Development, Virginia Commonwealth University
Board Liaison: Stephanie Willis, Senior Manager of Prospect Development, Creative Fundraising Advisors
Pillar Steward: Brittani Williams, Director, Prospect Research, Houston Zoo
Staff: Kathryn Bacon, Associate Director