Chelsey Megli

Moving from Eugene, Oregon, DAR’s new Executive Director of TMHR and Finance and Administration, Chelsey Megli left behind mountains, wine country, and a majestic coastline. However, she looks forward to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the city’s legendary art, music, and theater scenes. 

Chelsey, who earned an undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and a master’s from American University, plans to use the first weeks in her new role to learn more about DAR’s priorities while getting to know our culture and people. Coming from the University of Oregon, she aims to work with the TMHR team to help our colleagues grow in their careers and achieve their goals, especially as we approach our next campaign. 

What does your job involve that others might not realize? 

Talent management is all about good relationships and trust. So much of what we do is listen, coach, and facilitate the success of others. I think it often surprises people how much of my work isn’t making big decisions, but rather involves sharing information internally and helping leaders and staff members navigate the challenging situations they might face. It also surprises people how frequently I am pulled in for career coaching and helping individuals think about their own next steps in the context of our overall organizational direction. 

How did you get into the development and alumni relations field? 

Like most people, coincidentally, I pivoted from wanting to be a diplomat and was looking for something mission-oriented and dynamic. Development surpassed my expectations. 

What do you like most about your work? 

Getting things done! Helping leaders think through what they want and building a strategy that gets us there. My best days are helping other people have their best days or supporting them through their worst days. 

What accomplishment are you most proud of? 

I am incredibly proud of the role I have played in shaping our industry dialogue around talent management, equity and ethics, fundraiser performance, career pathways, and employee safety. I helped build a program at Oregon that shaped the CASE residency program and am a leader of an industry-wide collaborative focused on building respectful workplaces in a field where our work is heavily external and involves evenings, weekends, and travel. 

What do you like to do when you are not working? 

I have two dogs — Puck and Daquiri — who keep me busy. I also love theater and any live performance in general. I enjoy fishing, board games, and gardening (a classic trio, I know). I played Cribbage in Oregon so, if anyone at JHU knows of a Cribbage Night in the area, I’m all ears! 

I also try to have a green thumb in the garden, and I am pretty proud of growing annual flowers and vegetables from seeds. I have a couple of plants that are on their sixth generation.