Part 1 of this two-part feature shone the spotlight on an INTIX scholarship program that helps members and non-members attend the association’s conferences and helps those organizations that lack the budget to cover professional development costs. Funded by donations to INTIX’s Professional Development & Education Fund — donations that have to be replenished each year — these Professional Development Grants underwrite the cost of registration and travel to a specific conference.

The first part featured nearly a dozen individuals who had received the grants and how each benefited. This second part chronicles the Professional Development Grant Committee that is tasked each year with deciding who gets these special scholarships. And there’s no better place to start than at the top with current Committee Chair Emily Opalach, a past recipient herself.

Opalach, Senior Manager of Ticket Operations for the Washington Nationals, is thrilled to have a hand in charting the program’s forward progress: “I want to look for more avenues that we can use to promote the grants to make sure we are reaching out to as many people as possible. For future years, I will most likely look to see if the questions need to be revamped. With this being my first year involved in the reviewing process, I plan on using it to see if the vetting process needs to be updated at all.”

Opalach has benefited from the strides made by the leaders who came before her. David Damerell, Assistant Director of Ticket Services for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Virginia, is one such past Committee Chair. He continues to regard INTIX’s annual conference as “a valuable opportunity for professional development and networking. Professional Development Grants help INTIX members by granting people the chance to attend the conference whose organizations cannot necessarily afford to send their staff members.”

He continues, “I can see grants evolving in the years to come by allowing INTIX members to use grant funding for other forms of professional development like online courses or attending workshops.”

Another past Committee Chair is Anwar Nasir, Executive Director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Through the scholarships, he states, “Members can gain invaluable insights and connections that ultimately will enhance our field.”

He also has some thoughts on where the program may be headed in the future: “I can see the grants evolving to support more early- to mid-career professionals. I would like to see more young and diverse people get into the ticketing industry. Using the grants as a way to introduce and facilitate learning about the career could help achieve this goal.”

Christina Allen, Senior Manager of Box Office for the Canadian Tire Centre and the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, also once chaired the committee. During her time as its head, she recognized the more wide-sweeping assistance the Professional Development Grants were able to deliver. “Whether it’s a member whose organization is cutting back this fiscal or someone who has never attended, it’s an opportunity to join our community for a week of learning and networking,” she says. “Especially for members who have never had the opportunity to attend … spending a week with those who truly understand the highs and lows of what we do can be — not to be dramatic — life changing!”

She echoed Nasir’s sentiments about the grants being used to reach a younger and more diverse cross section of the INTIX members. She states, “The introduction last year of the BIPOC grant funding was a great success, and I look forward to seeing this continue in the future.”

Chairs like Nasir, Allen and now Opalach have been helped greatly from the input of committee members who assist in the reviewing process. These INTIX pros have ranged from Jamie Brouse, Bucknell University’s Campus Box Office Manager (“I personally look for financial need and enthusiasm” when evaluating candidates), to Dan Ruzow, Director of Ticket Operations for the United Football League, who wants to see how candidates “would use the attendance to further their career and the ticketing universe we all work in.”

David Winn, Associate Director of Tanglewood Ticketing and Tessitura Specialist, sees serving on this committee as a true calling. He says, “In my career, I have been lucky enough to have my employer pay for most of my INTIX costs. But there are many deserving INTIX members who do not have the same support. It is my great pleasure to be part of the process that allows new and unsupported INTIX members to attend the conference.”

So, what are one or two things he has looked for when recommending candidates for a Professional Development Grant? His reply: “You have to look for the underlying goals being expressed in the application letter. ‘I would like to go and am not supported financially’ isn’t going to cut it in my opinion. I believe we need to hear about your journey. What your goals are within the industry. Certainly, your need. This grant is to invest in the educational and industry growth of the person.”

Geo Haynes, Assistant Head Treasurer at BroadwaySF, a part of ATG Entertainment, echoes his committee colleague Winn’s sentiments. When awarding a Professional Development Grant, he notes, “The committee looked for authentic, thorough answers and the immediate needs of the organization/individual. These were very important due to it showing how much the applicant either wanted to attend the conference and be part of the diverse INTIX community or just applied quickly to go with their fellow colleagues.”

He adds that the best thing the grants do is give recipients “the opportunity to see peer colleagues from diverse cultures all over the world. This will help the recipients gain perspective and knowledge to bring back to their jobs and hopefully implement or re-think strategically what can be beneficial.”      

Jennifer Aprea, currently an independent contractor and Chargeback Specialist with Etix, has also served on the committee. What did she look for in her evaluations? “One of the first things committee members look for is an understanding of the applicant's needs. Why do they need a PD&E grant, and how will it help them in their current position? How will their organization benefit from them attending the conference? Secondly, we like to see applications that are complete and have letters of support from a supervisor. You'd be surprised how many incomplete applications are submitted! It's important that applications are professional, but it's always nice to see your personality come through, too.”

Lastly, Danielle Pope, Regional Director of Ticketing at Augusta Entertainment Complex, was a past recipient before serving as a committee member. She was able to attend the INTIX conference in Baltimore back in 2017 when her venue did not have it in the budget to send her. “I was able to meet some amazing people in the industry and hear from my peers, taking back things I implemented at my arena and beyond,” she recalls.

So, what’s it like being on the deciding end of the scholarship program? Pope found it both a thrill and a responsibility. She says, “Grants are designed to empower you to enhance your skills, pursue new opportunities, and further your career goals. I don't feel like as many people apply as they don't feel like they ‘deserve’ it or ‘need’ it. So, even if you think you aren't qualified, you should apply anyway!”

Interested in applying for an INTIX Professional Development Grant? Visit the INTIX website for more information. Applications are due by Monday, Sept. 23.

You can make a difference and be transformational in a colleague's life. Please help fund grants and scholarships by making a donation to the INTIX PD&E Fund today! Every dollar donated goes directly to the fund and all donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Ignite success and donate to the PD&E Fund.

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