#NAADD25th: In honor of NAADD's 25 years of commitment to the development of collegiate athletics, NAADD will be featuring the full testimonials of Past Presidents throughout 2018.
 
To close out the yearlong #NAADD25th celebration, the spotlight turns to Scarlett Schneider, senior director of development at the West Virginia University Cancer Institute.
 
Here's what Scarlett had to say about NAADD:
Why should someone become a NAADD member?
Being a NAADD member provides the opportunity to connect and build working relationships with professionals in our industry. NAADD is a great opportunity to share and exchange fundraising ideas. Being actively involved with NAADD aides in one's professional growth in our athletics development profession.
 
What has NAADD meant to you?
As a member of a cohesive NAADD Executive Committee team and former President, we implemented programing and services that assisted in the growth and professionalism of NAADD. Personally, I was able to form many wonderful life-long friendships.
 
What impact did your time as NAADD President have on you as a professional?
Serving as NAADD President I continued to learn, grow, build and strengthen my professional skill- set.
 
What is your fondest memory of serving as NAADD President?
I was one of a few women throughout the NCAA who oversaw the development office at their institution. When elected to the NAADD Executive Committee, I tried to serve as a mentor to other females in NAADD. Early on, I was able to organize an early morning coffee session for the women attending the conference to get together, share & exchange thoughts on work and work-life balances. The first session was well-received providing an opportunity for colleagues to share similar experiences. This important initiative has grown in size, involves other participants attending Convention and appears regularly on the NAADD Conference programming.
 
How do you see NAADD progressing in the next five years? Next ten years?
The need for knowledgeable development officers with a strong skill-set will only continue to grow. The athletics development profession will definitely become more diverse.

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Catch up on the NAADD25th celebration and all things NAADD related by following @NAADDevelopment on Twitter by using the hashtag #NAADD25th and #PastPresidentTestimonial.

About NAADD: NAADD is the first organization of its kind to provide educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics development and fund raising. For more information about NAADD, please visit www.naadd.com. NAADD is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 54^th year. For more information on NACDA and the 17 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.