NORDP 2023 Fellow: Karen “Fletch” Fletcher 

by Kirsten Abel

The NORDP Fellow Award recognizes the long-term accomplishments of members who have made sustained contributions to NORDP and worked tirelessly to advance research development as a profession and/or as a field. Status as a NORDP Fellow is the highest professional distinction the organization may bestow on a member. 

What is leadership to you? 

Leadership is empowering the people around you. Both in a professional and personal capacity. I think the role of a leader is to encourage people to do their best and want to do their best.

What has your journey within NORDP looked like so far?

Initially, I joined the mentoring committee and then became co-chair of that committee. When I had an opportunity to run for the board, I jumped at it. I got involved with the conference planning committee, the communication working group, the member services committee, the nominating committee, the sponsorship committee, and the finance committee; I just wanted to be part of anything I could! I figured the more I learned, the more valuable I could be – in NORDP and in my every day job. While on the NORDP Board of Directors, I became secretary, then served the three-year term of vice president, president, and immediate past president. Since leaving the board, I am co-chair of the New Opportunities for Research Development (NORD) committee. I believe in the mission of NORDP and I believe in our community, so I want to give back. 

Throughout your time in NORDP, which experiences stand out to you? What led you to take on leadership roles within the organization?

The support of NORDP members and the varied opportunities available in NORDP stand out to me. As I learned more about NORDP, I was constantly asking, “what skills are needed and how can I contribute?” When leadership opportunities presented themselves, I took a leap of faith that I could learn once in that role, and I was fortunate to have support from other incredible members. 

What initiatives are you most proud of from your time as a NORDP volunteer?

So much has happened! The growth of NORDP – when our membership surpassed 1000 during the time I was President – was really exciting. I am very proud of the work we did around NORDP’s first strategic plan and how this has helped shape NORDP into the organization it is today. Most recently, it would be my work in NORD; creating a system for publishing NORDP supported articles and working to establish the editorial board for the Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal is something I am very proud we could make happen. 

How has your involvement in NORDP impacted your career in research development?

It is interwoven into everything. Being part of committees helped me move forward and learn new skills. Zoom is actually a great example of that. We used Zoom so much in NORDP among members from all over that when Covid hit and Zoom became the default meeting mechanism at my university, there really was no learning curve, it was already so normal to me! 

One of the biggest ways in which my career has been impacted is that after attending my first NORDP conference, I reached out to a member I met and asked if I could come and visit their university to learn how they were growing their research development office. After adopting some of those practices I learned from her and a few years later, I had the opportunity to interview and was hired into that position to carry on her work when she left it; I continue to visit other research development programs of members and learn so much from them – I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without the shared insight and experience of NORDP members.

What are you most excited about when you think about the future of research development as a field?

The growth of NORDP. We have so many new members and new job opportunities, the field is exploding, and we have such a positive impact on faculty and the evolving landscape of research development. I am so excited to see where research development is going next. 

Karen was interviewed by Kirsten Abel, Faculty Recognition Director at Iowa State University.