Presidential Working Group on Engaging Alumni

The 2021-2024 Presidential Working Group on Engaging Alumni is a newly formed team of campus and volunteer alumni leaders dedicated to creating a long-term plan to achieve sustainable and meaningful alumni engagement with and for the nearly 30,000 successful graduates of F&M.

 

Why Your Engagement Matters

F&M is Your Alma Mater. Show Your Pride!

Your time at F&M was a transformational experience that helped to forge the path you are on today. But our goal is for your relationship with F&M to surpass those four years on campus and extend for a lifetime. Alumni like you should feel empowered and motivated to engage in the life of F&M as ambassadors, advocates, advisers, mentors, connectors, speakers, and donors. We understand that your deep and broad commitment is vital to our success.

We also understand that raising the profile of the F&M brand in the world will not only help the institution’s success, but also the success of our 30,000 alumni. The value of your degree and career opportunities will rise alongside the College.

A Reciprocal Relationship

Alumni like you can play a vital role in delivering and deriving value from meaningful, professionally based interactions throughout your life. F&M strives to serve as a partner in providing enriching, lifelong learning opportunities and supporting career development for alumni. In turn, we hope you will help current students find their paths so they can follow your lead and contribute meaningfully to their occupations, their communities, and their world.

“This working group on engaging alumni is one of the most important and exciting initiatives the College has undertaken during my 20 years at F&M.”

—Stephen K. Medvic, The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government

“Your success is our success. And our success is yours. The world needs more Diplomats—like you.”

—President Barbara K. Altmann

Alumni-Student Connections

Diplomat Pride

Your Alumni Association

Founded in 1840, the Franklin and Marshall College Alumni Association is one of the oldest alumni organizations in the country. All alumni of the College – more than 29,000 around the worlds – are members of the Alumni Association.

Regional Events

Mark your calendar! We host — virtually and in-person — alumni events and a variety of educational and social programs year-round.

Diplomats Forever

To show our tremendous pride in our many distinguished and accomplished Diplomats, we are celebrating our alumni community throughout the academic year by spotlighting them in a variety of ways — on social media, in print, on our website, and through a series of banners adorning the heart of campus.

About the Working Group

Goals

  1. Gain a deeper understanding of the history and impact of alumni engagement and alumni giving at the College.

  2. Clearly identify the best ways the College should invest resources to enhance alumni engagement and alumni giving for the long term.

  3. Research and propose a detailed list of attainable and measurable goals the College can implement to improve alumni engagement over the course of the next 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. 

  4. Provide resources to help faculty, staff, students, and alumni understand and leverage the power and value of a more fully engaged alumni community.

 

Members

The Presidential Working Group on Engaging Alumni comprises dedicated campus and volunteer leaders, including representatives from the Office of the President, the Board of Trustees, Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Board, other key alumni volunteer groups, College Advancement, faculty and professional staff, the student body, and more.

Steering Group 

Co-Chairs 
  • Dr. Stephen Medvic
    Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government, Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs and Co-Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy 
  • Mo Butler ’95
    Board of Trustees 
  • Amy Layman
    Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving 
Consultant/Process Manager 

Chris Marshall
Founder & CEO, Chris Marshall Advancement Consulting 

Members 
  • Barb Stambaugh
    Vice President, College Communications 
  • Gretchel Hathaway
    Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 
  • Drew Stelljes
    Vice President of Student Affairs
  • Colette Shaw
    Dean of Students 
  • Ricardo Rivers ’93
    Board of Trustees
  • Susan Kline Klehr '73, P'12
    Board of Trustees and Co-Chair, Now to Next Campaign 
  • Liz Smith '87
    Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association President

     

    Full Working Group 

    • Dr. Daniel Ardia
      Professor of Biology, Department Chair of Biology 
    • Sue Mennicke
      Associate Dean for International Programs
    • Nancy B. Kurland

      Professor of Organization Studies, Department Chair of Business, Organizations and Society

    • Donna Pflum
      Director of Alumni & Volunteer Engagement 
    • Lauren Packer Webster
      Director, Athletics & Recreation 
    • Beth Throne ’95
      Associate Vice President for Student and Post-Graduate Development and Adjunct Professor 
    • Jason Klinger
      Assistant Vice President of Marketing, Content & Creative
    • Kelseyleigh Hepler ’16
      Director of Leadership Communications & Brand Alignment; Assistant Secretary of the Board 
    • Kelly E. Schenke '95
      Academic Department Coordinator
    • Ken Mehlman ’88
      Board of Trustees 
    • Akbar Hossain '13
      Board of Trustees 
    • Amit Sinha ’00
      Leadership Council 
    • Lisa Brooks ’85
      Franklin & Marshall College Alumni Association Past President
    • Danielle Sang ’19
      GOLD alumni representative 
    • Tyler Schubert ’19
      GOLD alumni representative 
    • Ali Husaini ’22
      GOLD alumni representative 
    • Hope Petralia '24
      Chair, Student Philanthropy
    • Sara Florez '24
      Chair, Student Philanthropy
    • Hillen Grason
      Dean of Admission
    • William Keller
      Assistant Vice President of Advancement Marketing & Communications
    • Debra Faust Saporetti '91
      Academic Department Coordinator
    • Dr. Kostis Kourelis
      Associate Professor of Art History
    • Dr. Nicole Jones Young
      Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior
    • Dr. Emily A. Marshall
      Associate Professor of Sociology and Public Health
    • Magnolia W. Laurie
      Associate Professor of Art

Contact Us

If you have questions or want to know how you can get involved, please reach out!

Dr. Stephen Medvic, The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government, Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs and Co-Director of the Floyd Institute for Public Policy

Amy Layman, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations & Annual Giving