Annual Giving
Leading by Example: Paula Pretlow
As one of five siblings raised by a single parent in Oklahoma City, University Trustee Paula Brown Pretlow ’77, ’78 MBA was taught that by working hard, she could achieve her goals.
Her mother’s own work ethic served as inspiration. “The lesson I learned from my mom is to lead by example,” says Pretlow, who has encouraged her children in the same way. “Given our circumstances at the time, she certainly could have said, ‘Lower your expectations.’ But my mom never squashed a dream.”
Northwestern also has aspirations that can be reached with the support of others, and Pretlow is leading the charge. In January 2017, she succeeded Trustee Adam Karr ’93 as Campaign co-chair for participation, serving as a key adviser and principal spokesperson for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern. In this role, Pretlow is building awareness of the “We Will” Campaign and expanding the base of support, creating a culture of giving that will benefit students and faculty now and in the future.
“Getting alumni and friends involved is like lighting a match,” Pretlow says. “The larger the number of people who participate, the brighter that light is in the world. It sends a message to alumni as well as current students and their families that we care about the future of our institution and we understand the importance of our place in higher education.”
Growing and strengthening our community of supporters is critical to the success of the Campaign, Pretlow explains—that’s why it’s important that alumni, parents, and friends make the University a philanthropic priority, no matter the amount they choose to give. “Giving every year should be a mindset,” she suggests. NU Loyal members, who make consecutive gifts year after year, are vital to accomplishing the goals of Northwestern’s strategic plan.
“It is the process of giving that really makes a difference in the lives of others and enriches the lives of those of us who give,” says Pretlow, who knows firsthand the impact these gifts make, having attended Northwestern with a full financial aid package. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Weinberg College, followed by an MBA in finance and economics from the Kellogg School of Management. Pretlow’s career was in investment management. She took a position with Wells Fargo in San Francisco in 1978 and has lived in the Bay Area ever since, retiring in 2011 as a senior vice president at the Capital Group.
Pretlow now sits on the board of the Kresge Foundation, a national organization that is expanding opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and social investing. She also is a member of the San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors.
Northwestern remains a valuable part of her life. A member of the Campaign Steering Committee, Pretlow also serves on the Weinberg College Board of Visitors and previously sat on the Kellogg Alumni Advisory Board. She is a 2017 Northwestern University Black Alumni Association Salute to Excellence Honoree.
“The power of the Northwestern network, friendships and the common bond we share because we all lived and studied and grew up there—those don’t go away,” Pretlow says. “They only grow stronger when you take the time to nurture them.”
Pretlow shared her experience when she delivered the 2016 convocation address for Weinberg College, telling graduates, “People, some from the most unlikely places, want to help you succeed. Allow them, and when it is your turn, pay it forward. That is how to say, ‘Thank you.’”
Pretlow remains passionate about education. She currently is a fellow at the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute—a yearlong program for established leaders seeking roles with impact at the local, national, and global levels—and is putting her skills to work for Northwestern.
“I have an obligation to make the world a better place,” Pretlow asserts. “I think I was born this way.”