Melanie Burzynski

Melanie Burzynski is a seasoned development officer and her 20+ years of external affairs and development experience have helped change the trajectory of a variety of organizations during her career. 

As the Senior Vice President of Advancement Services and External Affairs for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles (LFLA), she oversees the development, communication, and implementation of a robust and comprehensive fundraising plan for the organization. She is an active leader who collaborates with key figures from the president and CEO to the Board of Directors to the City Librarian outlining top funding priorities and building a sustainable culture of philanthropy. 

Prior to joining the LFLA, Melanie served as Senior Executive Director of Development at UCLA, raising six- to nine-figure gifts for engineering, student support and scholarships, and children’s health. During her six years at UCLA, she worked closely with the Chancellor, Deans, UCLA Foundation Board, and key university partners during the Centennial Campaign to quadruple the amount of funds given toward university-wide student scholarships in less than four years.

Melanie also worked as the Senior Director of Development for the Alumni Association, Office of Financial Aid, and the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan for seven years. Before her work in development, Melanie spent over 10 years in costuming. She has worked for the Los Angeles Opera, Center Theatre Group, St. Louis Opera Theatre, Glimmerglass Opera, Cleveland Playhouse, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Santa Fe Opera, various television and film positions, and over 2 years as a Disney Imagineer for Tokyo Disneyland.