Jessica Elaine Channel-Iler
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Advancement Services
University of Missouri-St. Louis

How many years have you been involved with aasp?
Three years consistently, on and off for five or so before that. My membership is not intuitionally sponsored.

Tell us about your Volunteer Roles with aasp.
I have served as the Mentorship Sub-Committee Chair, Jessica Channell-Ilera Membership Operations Committee member, a Membership Engagement Committee member, and on the Prospect Development Best Practices Committee.

What motivates you to volunteer with aasp?
I have helped build higher education shops/programs toward comprehensive campaign over the past two decades. The one thing I have consistently found is that no two institutions are the same and it takes a community, a full network, of shared experiences and an understanding of others' best practice to build an institutional best practice that bridges CRM and operations at any given institution. Advancement is not plug and play, so I'm here to help where I can.

Which events have you attended?
I attend Mentorship mixers and webinars on the regular.

For which Summits have you volunteered?
The Mentorship Sub-Committee plays a small role each year in the planning, but I've never been able to attend a Summit.

How have you benefited professionally and/or personally by volunteering with aasp?
I have met so many wonderful people and been able to build a network that I can reach out to for mentorship or just to ask a question. It has been a really amazing opportunity to learn and grow through these relationships. I hope I can do the same for others.

What are you most excited about for Summit 2024?
Actually getting to be there, it will be my first Summit.

Do you have a memorable aasp event on which you would like to comment?
John Taylor's IRS summary is an annual favorite, my first virtual Mentorship Mixer was also a lot of fun.

Other than your volunteerism with aasp and your career what are your interests/passions?
Well, we arrived in St. Louis last December, so my family and I have been exploring a bit of Missouri of late. I'm also a life-long thrifter and a jewelry making enthusiast, so I use those passions as tools to balance the burnout a bit.