Nicole Ginolfi

FLY: Tell me about your current role at Yale University:

Nicole Ginolfi: I am a Program Coordinator working with the Capital Campaign planning team in the Office of Development. I focus on volunteer structure and engagement.

FLY: How has your work, which is primarily focused on external university partners, broadened your scope of the university?

NG: It has opened my eyes to all the amazing connections people have to Yale. Our partners are passionate about so many different elements of the university, from Yale College to the residential colleges to the graduate and professional schools to the Peabody and the art galleries. The excitement of our alumni and friends is contagious. It’s clear they’re passionate about Yale!

FLY: How did you begin your career?

NG: I have always worked with nonprofits. Before Yale, I was a family support specialist and summer camp director with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I regularly met with families, assisted them with obtaining resources and equipment, ran monthly support groups, and directed camp programs in several different states. In that position, I also had the opportunity to work with Yale’s medical teams through their pediatric and adult MDA-sponsored clinics.

FLY: What skills, abilities, and personal attributes are essential to success in your job?

NG: Being flexible is key. I find a lot of the projects I work on to be highly rewarding, but prioritizing is critical. I collaborate with a lot of different people and teams, so being clear and effective in communication is also important.

FLY: What non-work-related aspect have you enjoyed most about the Yale community?

NG: I try to get out and explore! Walking around campus helps me realize I am part of a larger community. Our office is right in the heart of campus, so getting out among the students was great to do pre-COVID. I’ve also greatly enjoyed visiting Yale’s outstanding galleries and museums.

FLY: What new ideas are you most interested in implementing as you embark on your role as co-chair of Future Leaders of Yale?

NG: FLY has been running so well with wonderful virtual programming during this pandemic. We would love to continue enhancing our collaboration and relationships with the other affinity groups. FLY focuses on what our community is passionate about and strives to offer a platform for people to engage. We are also trying to focus on introducing new resources that would be helpful for those of us who are working remotely these days.

FLY: What changes have been made to your work since COVID-19 started to impact Yale?

NG: I am lucky because I can do most of my work from home. The programs and initiatives I was working on prior to COVID are continuing. I do occasionally get Zoom fatigue, but I make it a point to log off at the end of the day and stop looking at screens. For FLY, we are working to transition some of our more popular in-person events— such as career panels, professional development sessions, and the Recognition Awards—to virtual spaces that allow us to recreate their impact.