In the latest edition of a spotlight series launched in February 2023 to feature integrated business operations (IBO) and administration staff at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC), Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Pediatrics, meet (and welcome!) the IBO’s new Senior Director for Finance & Administration, Melissa Dettmer. She joined Yale just two months ago, as her predecessor Steve Gentile transitioned to a new role as a program lead on Yale’s OneFinance team.
What led you to your career?
Throughout my career, my passion has been working in mission-driven organizations. I've found my niche and interests in strategic and operational improvement roles. My focus has been on strategy, aligning resources to support the strategic direction, managing large and complex projects, and enabling organizational change to support achieving the vision. I love helping organizations to be better and supporting those who are executing missions that improve people's lives.
What is a work-related accomplishment that made you feel proud?
When I worked at the U.S. State Department, I was asked to build a team that would be responsible for designing and implementing a brand-new way of creating and executing strategies. I was fortunate to work with amazing people and develop a team that launched new comprehensive strategic plans for more than 180 embassies and over 50 Washington-based offices. Together, we implemented a new approach to creating strategic direction, aligning funding and people to achieve the direction, and then assessing progress – more than ten years later, that approach still guides how the State Department does its planning and resource management. I'm proud of the strong team and operational foundations that I helped put in place.
What energizes you outside of work?
My number one activity outside of work is my kids – I have an 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter who are the lights of my life. We spend a lot of time exploring, hiking, and at their swim meets. I'm also energized by being in nature – I love to hike, kayak, explore national parks, and see new places, including traveling abroad. I enjoy reading, particularly historical fiction and non-fiction and psychological thrillers, though sadly I don't get nearly enough time to read these days – but I welcome book recommendations!
What three words would your friends use to describe you?
Kind, reliable, resilient
What is an accomplishment you are proud of outside of work?
I'm a single working parent to two amazing and active kids. I'm proud of being able to show up for my kids every day and being their rock while also demonstrating to them that moms can find fulfillment and success in their careers and personal lives as well. Every day, I work hard to model for them being a good and kind member of a greater community. It's always a work in progress!
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
So many choices – I love to travel. I think my top choice would have to be New Zealand for its natural beauty and the energy of the people.
What would you like to share that might surprise your colleagues?
I'm not the only Dettmer here – my sister Amanda is a research scientist at the Child Study Center.
The IBO model was implemented in October 2019, when Yale School of Medicine (YSM) leadership asked the departmental business managers in Psychiatry and the YCSC to collaborate and find opportunities for business operations staff in both departments to work more closely together. The initial collaboration led to further integration of operations in Human Resources, Faculty Affairs and Staffing Administration, Research Finance and Administration, and Clinical Finance and Administration. Each of these areas are now run inter-departmentally, and as of June 2023, the Department of Pediatrics Business Office was added to this IBO structure. The IBO model has now been adopted across nearly all YSM departments.