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Melinda Seevers announced as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships for ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°å Foundation

March 8, 2024

After an extensive national search, the University of Alaska Foundation is thrilled to announce that Melinda Seevers will join our team as Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. In this new role, Melinda will work to raise private funds in the Lower 48 for ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°åA, ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°åF, and ÂÌÅ«Ì컨°åS initiatives, primarily working with major foundations, corporations, individuals, and philanthropic venture funds located outside of Alaska. Melinda starts on March 18 and will be based in Seattle, Washington reporting to Megan Riebe, associate vice president of development.

Melinda is an accomplished advancement executive with 17 years of experience leading successful higher education development programs in environmental, science, climate, and engineering disciplines. As Associate Dean for Advancement for the College of the Environment at the University of Washington (UW), Melinda led a team that increased private support by building effective relationships with institutional and individual donors. Some of her successes included securing the Maggie Walker Deanship and the first endowed chair for Earth and Space Sciences.

Melinda has also served in senior development positions at the University of California Davis, University of Colorado Boulder, and Boise State University. She comes to this role with extensive experience successfully working with corporate, foundation, and high net-worth donors. 

Her role at UW provided Melinda with the opportunity to gain deep appreciation of tribal partnerships. She is a fierce advocate for diversity as one of only six women in her class of 100 engineers at California State Polytechnic University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. 

Fun facts about Melinda include that she is a licensed private pilot, is functionally proficient in Spanish, and enjoys hiking, Nordic and downhill skiing, paddle boarding, cooking, and travel, along with spending time with family and friends.