Stop Doing It the Hard Way: Power Automate in Advancement Services

June 10, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM ET

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Description:

What happens when a small BI team at a major research university decides to stop accepting "that's just how we do it"? In this session, Meg Padovani from University of California, Davis shares how her team has used Microsoft Power Automate—alongside Power Apps and other tools in the Microsoft ecosystem—to quietly revolutionize the way their advancement office operates. From syncing complex fundraising data across platforms to streamlining badge tracking and beyond, this isn't a session about technology. It's a session about what becomes possible when you stop doing things the hard way.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand how Power Automate can solve real, everyday problems in Advancement Services without a large technical team
  • See practical, working examples of automation built at UC Davis, including data sync workflows, form automation, and operational tooling
  • Leave with a framework for identifying your own team's "manual work that shouldn't be manual" and a starting point for tackling it

Speakers

Meg Padovani, Director of Business Intelligence, University of California, Davis

Meg Padovani didn't set out to become one of Advancement Services' most decorated data leaders. She just kept building things that worked.

Over a decade into her tenure as Director of Business Intelligence for Advancement Services at UC Davis, Meg has quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) reshaped what's possible in higher education fundraising data—earning 15+ CASE awards along the way, including the 2019 Rising Star Award and the Excellence Award for Behind the Scenes Impact.

Her secret? She sees data the way an artist sees raw material. Every dashboard, every visualization, every solution her team ships is designed to actually be used — not just admired in a demo and forgotten by Q2.

These days, Meg leads a BI team at UC Davis, co-hosts a podcast in the advancement services space, and shows up regularly as a speaker on data analytics best practices in the field. She brings serious technical credentials to the table — SQL, JavaScript, Power BI, MCSA, ITIL, Advanced Certified Scrum Developer, and Certified Agile Leader — but what she's really fluent in is turning messy problems into clean solutions.

When she's not doing that, she's making textile art and spending time with her husband and kids. The artist never really clocks out.

Somayeh (Somi) Sadeghizadeh, Service Desk & Business Analyst, University of California, Davis

Somi Sadeghizadeh holds a Master of Engineering degree and has worked at UC Davis for over four years, driven by a passion for learning and using technology to improve productivity and efficiency. In her role within the Service Desk, she focuses on customer support and ticket resolution, Power Platform application development, and data analytics and reporting. Somi enjoys leveraging technology and data-driven solutions to create meaningful impact. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and writing, exploring the arts, visiting new places and museums, and watching films—interests that fuel her creativity, curiosity, and lifelong love of learning.

 

Registration Rates 

  • aasp Members: Free
  • aasp Non-Members: $129
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Webinar Policies 

Cancellation Policy: All registered attendees will receive a webinar recording after the webinar has taken place. If you would like to cancel your registration and not receive this recording, please email the aasp Office within 48 hours of the scheduled webinar, in which case non-members may receive a full refund (members attend for free).

Technical Failure Policy: I understand that if there is a technical failure at the attendee's home or workplace that prevents access to the live webinar, the attendee will not be given a refund. It is the responsibility of the attendee to confirm system requirements and test their computers prior to the start of the webinar. If a technical failure is the fault of the service provider and the webinar is canceled, a full refund will be provided.

 

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