Merle Knight Eldridge

Merle Knight Eldridge has had a diverse work experience, with positions in various organizations. Merle worked as the Director of Philanthropy at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, where they managed the Planned Giving program and worked with senior philanthropists on Big Bets and Individual Giving. They also had the responsibility of managing a personal portfolio of gifts and donors.

Prior to that, Merle held the position of Director of Donor Recruitment & Mobile Collections at Mississippi Blood Services, where they oversaw marketing, public relations, donor recruitment, telerecruitment, and community outreach efforts. They were also in charge of statewide mobile collections and operations in North Mississippi.

Merle's work experience also includes serving as the Vice President of Fundraising at the American Lung Association - Plains Gulf Region. In this role, they were responsible for all aspects of fundraising and volunteer recruitment & engagement in the southern region. They had accountability for achieving fundraising targets, including individual giving, corporate giving, foundation giving, planned giving, and special event fundraising.

Lastly, Merle worked as an Area Sales Manager at Dillard's, where they led and managed a team of over 30 employees. Their responsibilities included strategic planning, budgeting, recruitment, and marketing to increase sales.

Overall, Merle Knight Eldridge has accumulated extensive experience in fundraising, donor management, sales management, and leadership roles throughout their career.

Merle Knight Eldridge completed a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Interdisciplinary Studies at Mississippi State University from 2010 to 2012. Prior to that, from 1997 to 1999, they studied Elementary Education at Belhaven University. Before their time at Belhaven, from 1995 to 1997, Merle Knight Eldridge attended Millsaps College and focused on Biology/Chemistry.