Regional Strategies for Engaging Alumni

Faculty

Message From Your Chair

Whether you are working with a chapter or regional model, this conference will help you engage alumni across generations and locales. We will focus on how to recruit and work with the alumni volunteers who key to your success, learn best practices and share innovative approaches.

Mike Worley, Conference Chair
Executive Director of Development for Regional Projects
Washington University in St. Louis

Mike Worley started his career in higher education in athletics in 1989 and moved to advancement in 1998. He returned to Washington University in St. Louis in February, 2008 as the executive director of development for regional projects.

Before returning to Washington University, Worley led the fundraising efforts for the College of Fine Arts and Communication at East Carolina University. Under his leadership, the college secured the most resources in a single fiscal year, doubling the previous year. He also served as a regional director at Washington University, where he oversaw 50 strategic leadership volunteers in three key metropolitan areas while securing resources for eight different colleges. At Ohio University, Worley was the associate executive director for the Alumni Association, where he was responsible for most external operations to the association including chapters, societies and government relations.

In 2000, Worley was selected for the National Outstanding Adviser of the Year award from CASE for his work with the Ohio Student Alumni Board. An active member of CASE, Worley has been a presenter and faculty member at numerous conferences and has served on the CASE District III conference committee and on the CASE District V conference planning committee and board of directors.

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Ralph Amos
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Relations
University of California, Los Angeles
Executive Director
UCLA Alumni Association

Ralph Amos has been executive director of the UCLA Alumni Association and assistant vice chancellor, alumni relations at UCLA since August 2007.
Previously he served as executive director of the Ohio University Alumni Association and as assistant vice president of alumni relations for Ohio University. He has also served at the Alumni Association of his undergraduate alma mater, Ohio State University for eight years, including four years as the assistant vice president of membership/marketing.

Amos has been a member of the CASE Committee on Opportunity and Equity, the CASE Commission on Alumni Relations and the CASE Board of Trustees. He has taught at many CASE conferences and in 2005 was awarded the prestigious CASE Crystal Apple for excellence in teaching.

Fluent in French, Amos received his bachelor's degree in international studies from Ohio State University and a master's degree in public administration from Ohio University. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration.

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Paul J. Clifford
Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations
President of the East Carolina Alumni Association
East Carolina University

Paul J. Clifford is the associate vice chancellor for alumni relations and the president of the East Carolina Alumni Association at East Carolina University (ECU). He is responsible for directing a program that offers programs, services and communications to 120,000 Pirate alumni worldwide.

Prior to taking the post at ECU, he was the director of outreach at the University of Connecticut Alumni Association, responsible for chapters, affinity groups, school & college societies, community service and volunteer management. He was director of alumni relations at SUNY-New Paltz, prior to joining the staff at UConn. He began his career as assistant director of alumni relations for communications and student programs at James Madison University.

Clifford has received peer recognition for both individual achievement and outstanding programming. He served as the adviser to the James Madison University Student Ambassadors, the 1998-1999 SAA/SF District III Most Outstanding Organization. His alumni program at New Paltz received the 1999-2000 State University of New York Council for University Affairs and Developments Excellence Award in Alumni Programming and he was the recipient of the 2001 CASE District I Rising Star Award. In 2005, his programs were recognized by CASE District III with Special Merit Awards in Electronic Communications and Overall Alumni Programs. Most recently, CASE District III again deemed his programs award worthy with the 2007 Grand Award of Excellence for Overall Alumni Program and a Special Merit Award for Constituent Programs. In addition, his program earned their first international recognition with a CASE Circle of Excellence bronze medal in the category of collaborative programs.

An active member of CASE, Clifford has been a presenter, faculty member and faculty chairperson at numerous conferences sponsored by the professional organization. In addition, he has published a number of articles in the Development & Alumni Report and was the co-editor of Alumni Clubs and Chapters (CASE Books; 2002.) He has also served as a commissioner on CASE's Commission on Alumni Relations. He will be the editor of CASE Books' upcoming Launching Your Alumni Program.

In January of 2008, Clifford was named to the inaugural class of 20 that was selected to participate in the Chancellor's Leadership Institute. The Institute is the most prestigious leadership training program at ECU designed for faculty and staff that are poised for future leadership roles.

Clifford is a 1996 graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where he was named the 2005 Young Alumnus of the Year.

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Jennifer Heisey
Director of Alumni Affairs
Chief Operating Officer
University of Cincinnati Alumni Association

Jennifer Heisey is the director of alumni affairs and chief operating officer at the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association (UCAA). She oversees all programs and services for UC's 230,000 + living alumni. In addition, she serves as a chief strategist for the UCAA, manages the operating budget and participates in establishing university-wide goals for the institution's alumni relations priorities. She serves on the University of Cincinnati Diversity Council and on the CASE District V Board of Directors.

Previously, Heisey spent four years at Ohio University, primarily as the director of outreach and engagement for the OU Alumni Association. During this time, she worked closely with CASE Affiliated Student Advancement Programs (formerly ASAP), serving as the District 5 adviser.

Heisey's experience in the field of higher education began at the University of Cincinnati, working in the division of Student Affairs for three years and as the student director of freshman orientation. She held graduate assistant positions in the areas of alumni relations, continuing education and student activities at the University of Cincinnati, Wright State University and Xavier University.

She also held positions outside of academia as a Xerox sales agent and as a sales and marketing specialist for Epic International, a premium promotional sales and marketing company.

Heisey received her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Cincinnati, a sales training certificate from Xerox Document University, and a master's degree in higher education administration from Wright State University.

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Guest Speaker

Robert Shoss
Founder and President
Performance Enhancement Group, Ltd

Robert Shoss is a founding member (1992) of Performance Enhancement Group, Ltd. (PEG), an organizational development consulting firm specializing in helping companies measure things that are often considered unmeasurable, such as customer/alumni satisfaction, market perceptions and alumni/employees' perceptions of organizational support.

In 2001, PEG worked with leading alumni and development executives from universities across the country to develop the first Alumni Attitude Study© (AAS). The Alumni Attitude Study defines key drivers of alumni loyalty and provides the right information to successfully manage communication, programs and participation issues. Over 100 colleges and universities across the United States have participated in the study during the past six years, giving the Alumni Attitude Study the unique ability to compare each participant's results against a group of peer universities.

Over the last five years Shoss has published several articles on national alumni trends for CASE CURRENTS and presented survey results at CASE conferences on how schools are developing programs and communication strategies that are targeted to meet the needs of their alumni.

Shoss received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Tulane University and a master's degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

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This faculty member has earned a CASE Crystal Apple award in recognition of excellence in teaching at 10 or more conferences, workshops, and institutes.