Special Events in Advancement
CASE requires all attendees, exhibitors, and staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to participating in-person at any conference in accordance with applicable law.
This conference is designed for newcomers to the advancement profession and professionals with mid- and senior-level responsibility.
Why You Need to Attend Special Events in Advancement
Benefits of Attending
- Explore how online, hybrid and in-person events will look moving forward
- Gain a deeper understanding of how to demonstrate ROI for advancement, alumni and university-wide events.
- Discover creative solutions for budget management and doing more with less.
- Learn how to create engaging content to connect with constituencies and market your events.
- Make valuable connections with peers who you can call upon throughout your career.
Who Should Attend
- Directors, managers, coordinators of alumni relations events, regional alumni events, advancement events and university events, events and stewardship professionals, event professionals in the president’s office
- Academic event planners
- Newcomers to special events in advancement
Meet Your Co-Chairs!
Correan Barker
Correan R. Barker is a nonprofit and advancement leader passionate about leveraging philanthropy to equitably bolster access to education and other services. During his eight-year career, he has cultivated reputable experience in fundraising, special events, marketing and communications, donor relations and alumni engagement. Correan has become increasingly recognized for his ability to effectively design and implement institutional and cross-divisional engagement strategies in alignment with organizational priorities.
As the Director of Strategic Engagement at The Evergreen State College, Correan sets the vision for strengthening relationships with constituents and leads high-profile college-wide initiatives involving events and communications for Advancement and the Foundation. He currently oversees a growing team that delivers special events, development communications, annual giving, alumni programs and stewardship. He leads the strategic planning of alumni, stewardship, cultivation, campaign, presidential and board events to maximize impact and support for Evergreen, including doubling the funds raised through their annual scholarship gala over the last five years.
A firm believer in centering humanity at the heart of an organization, Correan leverages systems thinking and data-driven processes that evaluate and enhance collaboration and organizational effectiveness. Correan has been a frequent speaker for CASE and other conferences and has been recognized as a Best of CASE Gold winner for fundraising and special event communications. Correan holds a Master of Public Administration from The Evergreen State College, a Bachelor of Music Performance from the University of Houston and lives by the motto “Success is inevitable!”
Dusti Cermak
Dusti Cermak serves as the Director of Events at the University of Iowa Center for Advancement where she has been for 23 years, executing memorable events of every shape and size. In her role, Cermak leads a team of seven dedicated professionals who produce engaging events for alumni, donors, fans, and friends across the country and world.
Cermak has a demonstrated history of working in the fundraising industry with diverse experience in event planning, stewardship, board governance, and nonprofit organizations. A strong operations professional, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Northern Iowa and is an active member of her community.