The longtime UMB employee is honored for her work in leading the Office of Philanthropy’s Research and Prospect Management team.
Mary Beth Nibley, MBA, MA, director of development research and prospect management in the Office of Philanthropy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), has been recognized with a University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents Staff Award.
The awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary staff members across USM and come with a $2,000 prize. Nibley, who leads the Office of Philanthropy’s Research and Prospect Management team, was awarded in the Effectiveness and Efficiency category.
“I was deeply honored and grateful to receive the University System of Maryland award,” Nibley said. “After 29 years of service, this recognition feels especially meaningful — not just personally, but as a reflection of the incredible work our Research and Prospect Management team does every day. Our work may often happen behind the scenes, but it’s deeply rewarding to know that our research, data stewardship, and strategic insights help fuel the University’s philanthropic mission.”
The Research and Prospect Management team plays a key role in helping the University raise private donations. The office gathers and analyzes information about potential donors — such as alumni, foundations, and corporations — to help UMB understand who might be willing and able to give. They create detailed profiles, estimate giving capacity, and track donor engagement to support fundraising efforts.
The office also helps to manage the University’s alumni and donor database, approximately 200,000 records, to keep information accurate and up to date. This includes fixing mailing addresses, merging duplicate records, and updating financial and biographical details using trusted sources. By organizing and maintaining this data, the office ensures that the seven schools and the University as a whole have the right tools and insights to build strong relationships and secure philanthropic support for the University’s mission.
Nibley’s colleagues Esther Rosenfeld, development associate II, and Nora Dunne, development associate, nominated her for the award, highlighting her efforts to keep the team productive and effective after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the team to shift to telework.
Nibley’s proactive approach played a pivotal role in navigating the uncertainties that employees faced at the outset of the COVID-19 office shutdown in March 2020, the nomination said.
“In the days following the shutdown, Mary Beth ensured that everyone had the necessary equipment and technology available to work from home, including personal computers and database access,” Rosenfeld and Dunne wrote. “Daily schedules were established to provide stability and productivity during the pandemic, and this provided a benefit to remain focused and ambitious during those difficult times.”
Once employees began returning to the office, Nibley created a hybrid work schedule for her team.
“This flexible and accommodating work environment had created a 70 percent increase in productivity during the remote era,” Rosenfeld and Dunne wrote. “The benefits of the hybrid model, promoted by Mary Beth, extend beyond the circumstances of the pandemic. It has become abundantly clear that this approach not only saves the University money but also significantly reduces hundreds of hours each month in commuting time, contributing to a positive impact on the environment.”
UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, provided a recommendation letter in support of Nibley’s nomination, calling her “an indispensable asset to our organization.”
“Mary Beth possesses exceptional leadership skills that have been pivotal in fostering a cohesive and high-performing team within her department,” Jarrrell wrote. “Her ability to inspire and motivate her team members, coupled with her adeptness in cultivating a collaborative work environment, has resulted in a team that is both long-tenured and experienced but also more productive every year.”
In announcing the Board of Regents Staff Award winners, USM Chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD, said, “There’s no asset we have at the USM more valuable than our people. Nothing else comes even close. And every year, when we recognize our staff award winners, we get to celebrate that value — colleagues who transform how we work and how we serve, how we operate more efficiently, how we make a difference in the lives of our students and our neighbors.
“The fact that Marylanders place so much trust in us to drive positive change is a credit to staff across the system doing exactly that, every single day. It’s a privilege to honor their dedication.”