The Divinity School’s Office of Alumni Engagement and Development has made two key appointments. Barbara Palmer-Bostick is the new Senior Associate Director for Major Gifts, and Debby Jagielow is joining the staff as Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving on October 28.
“We are confident that their skill sets complement an already-strong team of professionals ready and able to fulfill the department’s goals and objectives,” said Barbara Sabia, Senior Director of Alumni Engagement and Development.
Barbara Palmer-Bostick joins YDS from the University of Chicago, where she held leadership positions at the Divinity School and University of Chicago Library for the past decade. Most recently, she served as Associate Director of Major Gifts at the Divinity School, managing a portfolio of more than 100 major donors and playing a key role in the school’s capital campaign. While in this role, Palmer-Bostick reorganized the development and communications functions to create an external relations department to strategically plan all communications to Chicago’s Divinity School community.
Palmer-Bostick also brings significant experience managing volunteers. She reinvigorated the Divinity School’s Advisory Council and supported the work of their Alumni Council. In addition, her effective collaboration with faculty and staff across the university earned her an Award of Distinction.
Debby Jagielow comes to YDS from Yale’s School of Medicine, where she has served as Director of Alumni Affairs for the past nine years. In that capacity, Jagielow has supported volunteer leadership of the Association of Yale Alumni in Medicine and has had primary responsibility for the school’s spring Reunion Weekend, including program development, communications, and logistical aspects of the multi-day event for 350-plus guests. In her current role, she coordinates the work of a team of five that supports annual fundraising, alumni communications, and major gift fundraising.
For ten years prior to her role at the Medical School, Jagielow worked with the Yale Alumni Association (YAA), planning Yale College reunions and alumni class activities.
Jagielow succeeds Gail Briggs, who has led alumni relations and annual giving with great distinction for the past ten years. “We extend our warmest thanks to Gail,” Sabia said, “and wish her the best as she begins her new journey in retirement.”