Alumless

If you’re leading marketing, communications, or alumni engagement at a small institution, this next episode is for you. Pete Brumbaugh is Executive Director of University Communications & Alumni Engagement at MidAmerica Nazarene University, where he and his team are tasked with delivering meaningful connections and value without the luxury of large budgets or big staff. Hear our conversation w...

What happens when a long-time alumni board volunteer steps into their alma mater's top alumni engagement role? In this episode of Alumless, Ryan and Chris welcome Heather Stanley, Senior Director for Alumni Experience at Western Michigan University, to talk about her transition from volunteer to staff leader—and what that shift has taught her about the work of alumni engagement. Heather shares ins...

Sorry listeners! Uploading this one from two weeks ago. Chris and Ryan welcome Jeff Williams, Assistant Vice President for People and Engagement at the University of Maryland, for a conversation focused on the internal dynamics of advancement work. With a role that blends talent development, team culture, and stakeholder engagement, Jeff offers a unique perspective on how investing in people direc...

In this episode of Alumless, hosts Ryan and Chris are joined by Sean Devendorf, Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Tufts University, for a conversation on aligning alumni engagement and annual giving teams to drive more efficient and effective advancement outcomes. Sean shares his experience leading this integration at Tufts, reflecting on the early challenges, lessons le...

In this episode of Alumless, Ryan and Chris are joined by Gina Yazzolino, Assistant Vice President for Constituent Engagement at the University of Portland, for a conversation about how engagement strategy is evolving to include more than just alumni. Gina shares insights from her work building a constituent engagement team that casts a broader net. Our conversation explores how Gina and her team...

In this episode of Alumless, Chris Marshall and Nicole Kempton explore the growing intersection of innovation and university advancement with Dr. Davy Norris, Senior Vice President for Innovation and Advancement and CEO of the Louisiana Tech University Foundation. Louisiana Tech recently made a bold move by merging its Innovation Enterprise with University Advancement, a strategic shift that posit...

In our next episode of Alumless, we welcome Sarah Kathryn Ricci, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Baylor University, for a conversation on management and leadership in university advancement. In this episode, "Managing Up, Down, All-Around," we explore the challenges of leading teams, collaborating across departments, and engaging alumni volunteers. Sarah Kathryn...

In this episode of Alumless, Ryan Catherwood and Chris Marshall explore how alumni associations can generate new revenue streams while continuing to build strong engagement. With traditional revenue sources like affinity partnerships and membership dues fading, alumni professionals are being challenged to innovate and adapt in ways that align with their mission. Joining the conversation is Paul Cl...

Subscribe to Alumless World on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  In this episode of Alumless World, hosts Ryan Catherwood and Nicole Kempton explore the evolving landscape of alumni engagement and advancement with Mandy McFarland, Executive Officer at Educate Plus. Mandy shares how Educate Plus is expanding its membership across Australasia, providing vital resources for institutions looking to str...

On this episode of Alumless, Cindy Fredrick, Senior Associate Vice President for Advancement at the University of Virginia, joins us to discuss the crucial role that volunteers play in engagement and philanthropy. With over 5,000 volunteers involved in UVA Advancement’s efforts, Cindy brings her expertise in scaling volunteer programs, stewarding alumni, and maximizing their impact on the conversa...

We’re excited to announce that our newest CMAC Podcast, Alumless World, is now live! Hosted by Ryan Catherwood and Nicole Kempton, Alumless World explores alumni engagement strategies from an international perspective, highlighting best practices, challenges, and innovations worldwide. In this first episode, we welcome Dr. Maria Gallo, Founder of KITE-Keep in Touch Education and Research Fellow at...

Join us as we explore email as a critical metric for alumni engagement. Chris and Ryan welcome special guest Ashley Budd, Senior Director for Advancement Marketing at Cornell University and co-author of Mailed It!: A Guide to Crafting Emails that Build Relationships and Get Results. We discuss with Ashley why email remains essential and the metrics that truly matter, and also chat about the challe...

We’re wrapping up the year on Alumless with a special holiday episode inspired by A Christmas Carol! This festive edition explores the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future—alumni engagement style. Joining us are six special guests to help us reflect on our field, where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed in 2025 and beyond. On this episode, we’re reflecting on: 🔍 Lessons learned and...

Hey, Alumless community! Join Chris and Ryan this week for our latest edition. We will explore how institutions can prioritize alumni engagement over the long term and what it takes to bring a campus together around the endeavor. Our special guest on this episode is Amy Layman, Associate Vice President for External Engagement at Franklin & Marshall College. On the show, Amy will share insights...

In this episode of Alumless, Chris and Ryan chat with Lauren Villanueva, Vice President for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at Syracuse University, to explore the transformative work behind Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University. Lauren shares insights into the ambitious engagement goals set for the campaign and the strategies her team used to bring them to life. We also discuss...

Join us for a thought-provoking episode featuring our newest colleague, Shane Dunn, Vice President and Senior Consultant at CMAC and founder of Shane Dunn Social Sector Strategies. We dive deep into the evolving world of alumni and philanthropic engagement across various nonprofit sectors. We explore why “alumni-ness” is becoming a crucial focus for organizations beyond higher education. Our discu...

This episode is all about reorganizing constituent engagement for the future. We’ll explore how The Ohio State University is working to redefine its approach and build a modern, holistic engagement strategy. Join Chris and Ryan as we welcome special guest Samantha Frost, Assistant Vice President for Constituent Experiences at Ohio State University, who shares insights on leading one of the most un...

On the show, we welcome Steve Rittler, Founder and CEO of AlumnIQ, as our special guest! Steve shares his expertise in producing high-quality alumni events and we discuss technology's role in shaping alumni engagement's future. A big thanks to Steve and the team at AlumnIQ for supporting Alumless as our newest presenting sponsor! Listen to take advantage of this chance to elevate your alumni engag...

Originally published on September 13, 2024. In this episode of Alumless, Ryan and Chris are joined by Lauren Simione, Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement at the University of Delaware, to discuss strategic planning in alumni engagement. From Lauren's partnership with CMAC to developing alumni surveys and engagement metrics, this episode dives deep into assembling a strategy that works....

In this episode of Alumless, we dive into strategic engagement in university advancement with special guest Heather Junod, Associate VP for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at the University of Central Florida. We explore the challenges and opportunities schools face when crafting next-generation engagement strategies. Join us for a great conversation as Heather shares insights from her 16-year...

What should alumni leaders focus on as summer winds down and the new academic year approaches? How do the roles differ between decentralized college positions and central alumni association roles? In this edition of Alumless we dive deep into these critical questions! This week's special guest is Renée Hirschberg, Chief Alumni Relations Officer at Stanford Alumni Association. We discuss with Renée...

We're grateful to be back with a new episode of Alumless this week featuring Matt Brandon, Associate VP for Alumni Engagement and CEO of the W&M Alumni Association. We discuss Matt's work at William & Mary, and his team's efforts to redefine and expand on concepts of alumni involvement, and ask for his insights into W&M's unique qualities, future program visions, and successful alumni...

Thanks to our friends and CASE Summit sponsors Washburn & McGoldrick, LLC , we took the conference stage on Monday, July 22 for a live, hour-long episode of Alumless. Check out our conversation with Bonnie Devlin and Carla Willis our colleagues and co-owners and Managing Principals at W&McG, along with special guests: - Amy Yancey , President and CEO of the University of Connecticut Founda...

Listen to our latest episode of Alumless from Friday, July 19th, 2024, where we dive into annual giving strategies. We're thrilled to feature Howard Heevner, Executive Director of Annual Programs at UC Berkeley. We'll discuss systemic challenges in annual giving, innovative approaches to connecting with rising generations, and the findings from a major alumni giving study. Plus, hear about Howard'...

We've got a great show for our Alumless community this week. Check out our conversation with Charlie Melichar, Principal at Foster Avenue. In this episode, we discuss best practices for campaign communications and how advancement leaders connect mar/com work with engagement. We also ask Charlie about the organizational models for advancement communications, what works, and where friction is often...