Kevin Pickett is a Principal Consultant of Programs at Gobel Group. We recently conducted an interview with him regarding his background and experience.
- What did you do before joining Gobel Group?
For most of my career, I’ve considered myself a major gift fundraiser. I have had the privilege to lead teams of talented fundraisers at academic medical centers. I spent many years leading large gift planning teams, major gift officer teams, and annual fund programs. Immediately prior to Gobel Group, I was fortunate enough to work with large nationally recognized non-profits. I learned from gifted leaders, mentors and peers. - Why did you decide to join Gobel Group?
I really do believe that every hospital needs to have a productive grateful patient fundraising program – the philosophy, strategy, and implementation that Gobel Group offers was clearly aligned with my personal fundraising philosophy from the very beginning. I was on several committees with Randall Hallett, President of Gobel Group, and I learned early on that he and Chad Gobel, CEO and Founder of Gobel Group, were people that I wanted to partner with in any way I could. - How would you describe your consulting expertise?
One of my major strengths as a consultant is my passion for helping fundraisers grow as fundraisers. I enjoy working with them to create a clear, concise plan, as well as helping them to become more specific and tactical in their approach and also improving their skills as fundraisers. I tend to take a very direct approach in working to engage clinicians and building trust to ultimately get gratitude referrals.At heart, I’m definitely something of a teacher or a coach – I really like that aspect of consulting. And I like that each hospital and gift officer is unique, and each requires an individual approach and solution.
- What excites you about working with Gobel Group’s clients?
What really excites me is seeing the growth, implementation, and eventual success of the program during our engagement. We provide our clients with tangible benefits, and watching my clients realize those benefits and use them to succeed is thrilling. It’s so interesting to watch an organization or a gift officer grow – I just love being a part of that. - What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Primarily, I find the results to be the most rewarding. I love the fact that I can partner with clients in order to impact these great organizations in their communities. The programs we’re creating provide significant funding for care and for life-saving equipment, and I am honored to be able to assist in their development and implementation to create lasting results. I know that the work we do makes a significant impact in the lives of patients and their families in their communities. - What are a few personal details you could share?
I’ve got four young adult daughters, three of whom are currently in college. I really enjoy outdoor activities, like running, biking, and hiking. I will say, one of the benefits of being a consultant is that I’ve gotten the chance to travel a lot throughout my career. I’ve been to a number of cool state and national parks – I’ve seen eight national parks in the last two years! – and I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy running in beautiful, amazing and interesting places. I have run along the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, in the mountains, and in various cities all around America.
