Jackie Donnelly
Executive Assistant
Education/Certification
Bachelor of Arts from Grand Valley State University and 10+ years of experience in the administrative field.
What is your area of specialty – how do you best help your clients?
• Accountability Partner
• Organization and Prioritization
• Person-first Approach
• Strategic Partnership
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Technology tools champion
How do you like to give back to the community?
• Alumni Advisor – Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, GVSU Chapter
• Milwood Neighborhood Community Garden Member
• Accessibility Advocacy
What are your superpowers – something you’re good at that others should know about?
My superpowers are the ability to hyperfocus and instill a sense of calm in high pressure moments.
Accomplishment you’re proud of?
I think it’s vital to be a life-long learner and have recently begun learning to play the guitar this past year! It is both challenging and incredibly rewarding.
Tell us about your life outside of work (family/pets/sports/activities/interests/hobbies)
My husband and I recently married (fall 2023) and purchased our first home that we’ve been fixing up – over 30 projects and counting! When I’m not doing home improvement, you can find me outside on hikes with our golden retriever, Summer, or inside curled up with a good book and my tortie cat, Autumn.
We are a camping family and aiming to hit all of the national parks together and have been to 8/63 as of April 2024. I also read over 100 books a year and have found a wonderful book club in Kalamazoo that I meet up with monthly that encourages me to read books outside of my normal preferences and have joined a virtual writing group that helps hold me accountable to completing some book reviews for my blog.
Most recently, I’ve been enjoying learning guitar at Kalamazoo Music School and digging into some graphic design using Canva.