Every month, the Administrative/Professional (A/P) Council highlights an A/P staff member through a series of questions as another way for the Illinois State University community to connect. This month, readers get to know Jill Wilberg, chief operations officer for University Advancement.
Job title/position: Chief Operations Officer for University Advancement
Job duties: I oversee Advancement Services, which includes Gift Processing, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Fund Compliance, Prospect Research Management, Advancement IT, Foundation Accounting, Endowment Management/Investments, and Foundation property management.
How long have you been an employee at ISU?: 2 ½ years
What do you love most about working at ISU?: The people! ISU brings a tremendous sense of community, and everyone made me feel extremely welcome as soon as I joined the team.
What is one fact about yourself that might surprise people?: One thing that might surprise some people is that I own a coffee shop in Michigan!
When you’re not working, what are you most likely doing?: Relaxing by a lake whenever possible!
What is your favorite spot on campus?: The Bone Student Center. It is always so lively, and I enjoy seeing the students making the most of the space.
What quote most inspires you? Why?: I have a few that come to mind, but one that really resonates right now is, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” —Albert Einstein
I regularly challenge my team to think outside the box. One of my least favorite answers to any question is “because that’s how we’ve always done it”! Change is hard and isn’t always the answer, but we’ll never know until we try! Trying new ways of doing things can make work and life so much better in the long run if you give it a try.
