December ’24 DAR Star: Michelle Rotondo

by Gabby Adekogbe

We work with absolutely incredible people — and we all have varied interests and experiences, which adds to the unique makeup of the University of Georgia. We’ll be regularly spotlighting a few rock stars from around the division so that even if you don’t cross paths with them in the break room or Zoom with them on a weekly basis, you can get to know colleagues who can enhance your work life and productivity.

Without further ado, please enjoy our Q&A with Michelle…

Name: Michelle Rotondo

Title: Senior Regional Director

  • I work with alumni, parents and friends in Metro Atlanta to generate philanthropic support for campus priorities. In addition to this, I lead a team of two major gift officers and one leadership annual giving officer, all focused on strengthening relationships and growing support from Atlanta-based prospects.

Where can we find you?

Time in DAR: 8 Months

What are 3 things you wish others in DAR knew about your job? First and foremost, the new team in the Atlanta office is focused on building new relationships for UGA. This will require time, persistence and extensive collaboration with partners across campus. Second, we serve as a valuable starting point for engaging hard-to-reach prospects and would love to represent your unit and UGA to explore their potential philanthropic interests. Finally, we invite you to visit us in the Atlanta office! Our space is perfect for colleagues to drop in, work for a few hours or host donors!

What is your favorite reason for working for UGA/DAR? It is amazing to work for an institution that means so much to my family (met my husband at UGA!) and positively impacts people across the state of Georgia, whether or not they are alumni. I take great pride in representing UGA and the work we do to support all Georgians!

No. 1 tip for someone just joining DAR: Get to know as many colleagues as you can! Whether or not your role regularly interacts with theirs, there’s always something to learn from everyone.

I grew up in: East Lansing, Michigan

What is your favorite spot in Athens to grab lunch? Cali N’ Titos

Outside of work, I’m passionate about: Spending time with our people, family and friends.

Something you might not know about me is: I spent a summer while in college living in Cuba! I studied abroad with 24 other students and only three of us spoke Spanish. The whole experience was eye-opening and an incredible way to learn about somewhere that is so close, but feels so far away.

My dream vacation would be to: To tour around Chile and Argentina.

Tell us about your family! I met my husband, Nick, through a mutual friend while in graduate school at UGA. We have two children, Rooney (4) and Louis (1), along with two dogs, Skipper and Picasso. On weekends, we’re often in Athens cheering on the Dawgs or chasing after the kids. Our little ones are frequent travelers and especially love flying to Michigan to visit my family.

We hope you learned something new about Michelle. We are lucky to have her on our DAR team! Feel free to reach out to her for a quick bite at Cali N’ Titos or to chat about life in Michigan.

, /by