By Lilli Dwyer
Staff Writer

Emily Maggart

SYRACUSE — Emily Maggart has, as she said herself, “always been a local.” She grew up in Syracuse and, after high school graduation, went on to earn a degree in communications at Purdue University.

“During college, I joined this student-led group called the Student Activities Board,” said Maggart. “We planned events for our fellow students during Spirit Week and athletic games. I like planning events and then wanted to figure out how to a get a degree to continue this.”

After college, Maggart left the area for a while to work in the nonprofit world in Fort Wayne and South Bend. Eventually, she felt motivated to return to her hometown and has been the development officer for the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation since April.

“I was in a position where I was looking for a new role and wanted more of a higher impact,” Maggart recalled. “I think the most high impact I could think of is my community that I grew up in. I grew up swimming on this lake, I’ve been on it my whole entire life. This was a no-brainer, to come back and support an organization whose mission is to take care of Lake Wawasee.”

As development officer, Maggart has a variety of responsibilities. “Fund raising is my main job here, and I also dabble in our events,” she said. She also oversees things like donor stewardship and finding volunteers for the foundation. She researches donors for the foundation goals. “I help my development committee find donors that would be the right match for the asset we’re doing.”

Maggart said her communications degree is useful for talking to donors in her day to day work. When it comes to what motivates her, Maggart said that the WACF’s goals matter to her.

“What’s important to WACF,” she explained, “is maintaining the quality of Lake Wawasee and the Wawasee watershed. Without this lake, this town wouldn’t prosper. The summer residents come in and they spend money here and they just keep this town alive. I remember growing up, everyone always wanted to leave because there was nothing to do in the wintertime, but having this lake here, there’s activities year round.”

In addition to that, Maggart wants to make the people around her feel included, regardless of their circumstances.

“I have always felt the need to ensure everyone in the community feels a sense of belonging,” she explained. “I focus on donors of all economic levels to have an opportunity to give monetarily. Any generous gift allows us to keep up the organization’s work.”

Outside of the office, Maggart enjoys spending time in nature, including out on the lake, and with her friends and family.

“I love to be out in the sun,” she said with a smile.