Congratulations to KEES placement, Peggy Asseo, for celebrating 13 years of service at The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International! To honor this anniversary milestone, we recently spoke with Peggy about her time as Director of Planned and Major Gifts over the past decade and the exciting events ahead.

1. What do you most remember about the search process with the KEES (or back then, Alford Group Executive Search)?

I remember the search process very clearly. I was at lunch with long-term friend at what was then Alford Group Executive Search (now KEES), who I had met in a previous search. Toward the end, she said, “I know you’re not looking, but I have this really interesting opportunity that I’m working on.” I was doing my own fundraising consulting at the time, and I was enjoying it. I basically said to her, “Oh, no, I don’t want to go to a large organization and that isn’t appealing at all.” And she pushed me to look at it because it was an impressive organization and had great leadership. So, I agreed! The timing was right to step into this role and explore what the future might bring.

2. What has been your greatest accomplishment at Rotary?

Working with a donor last year to bring in a gift of $15.5 million to establish a new Rotary Peace Center in the Middle East North Africa region. This was a culmination of years of work on the Rotary Peace Centers project, which just topped $188 million in gifts and commitments. The relationship that we had with this donor was cultivated over 10 years. She’s just a remarkable human being in her own right, and it has just been a joy to work with her.

3. What is your primary goal for this next year?

I am really looking forward to working with the new Rotary International President, Jennifer Jones. Jennifer is the first woman president, and she is inspiring Rotarians to support Rotary in so many different ways. I’m going to enthusiastically springboard into growing gifts, major and planned gifts in particular!

4. What would you tell your younger self during a job search?

If I could go back in time, I would tell myself that commitment to the mission needs to be balanced with a commitment to a supportive and respectful work environment. It is a change for the positive that I have seen over the years in the workplace — an understanding that fundraising professionals can and should have work-life balance.

Thank you, Peggy, for sharing your experience and your deep commitment to the profession of philanthropy. Please help us celebrate Peggy by congratulating her on this amazing career milestone! We wish you and the entire Rotary Foundation team all the best in the year ahead!

To read more about our current placements, click here. KEES (formerly Alford Executive Search) is a non-profit executive search firm that builds diverse teams and dynamic leaders in the non-profit and public sectors. A woman owned and operated firm, KEES offers a full array of non-profit consulting services, including executive search, leadership development, interim staffing, and HR support. For more information, please visit www.kees2success.com.