Updates //
ICYMI: Updates from Homecoming Meetings
Alumni Council
Alumni Council held its first meeting of the academic year during Homecoming Weekend. They had the opportunity to hear from President Kornfeld on the progress of the College’s strategic plan, along with a fundraising and engagement update from Vice President for Advancement Colleen Garland. Vice President for Communications Janet Marsden also presented a new brand ambassador toolkit, designed to enhance alumni engagement.
These Alumni Council subcommittees also convened to advance initiatives set forth in the Alumni Council’s strategic plan.
- Visibility Subcommittee, led by Ronald Maheia ’13
- Values Subcommittee, chaired by Ellen Leerburger ’86
- Trustee Engagement Subcommittee, chaired by Jarrod Sowell ’10
On Friday afternoon, Alumni Council heard a presentation on the new student and alumni mentorship program. The following day included committee report-outs, followed by an update on the
Generosity Project and a vote on the slate for the Alumni Trustee position to present to the Board of Trustees.
Special guests included current Alumni Trustee Densil Porteous ’02 and a student reporter from The Collegian.
KFEC
The Kenyon Fund Executive Committee (KFEC), chaired by Bi Vuong ’03, convened for its fall meeting during Homecoming Weekend. Four new members joined the committee this fall: Jeff Bell ’84, Brady Furlich ’19, Delaney Gallagher ’23 and Becky Hoyt ’99.
In addition to joining Alumni Council and Reunion Planners for sessions with President Kornfeld, the CDO and members of senior staff, KFEC engaged in thoughtful discussions on current enrollment challenges in higher education and the best case for a Kenyon education and support. Updates on the Advancement Division’s Slate database conversion, including improvements to the Volunteer Portal and tracking reports, were shared along with plans for additional volunteer training sessions in October. Other key meeting takeaways included:
- Review of FY25 Advancement and AG Goals to put the coming year's work in context
- Discussion of targeted strategies for Young Alumni engagement and 5th Reunion participation
- Plans to streamline and enhance the impact of Kenyon’s online giving challenges through consolidation into a single challenge in the Spring.
- Preview of the Student Advancement Officers program (Phonathon 2.0), aiming to involve current students in fundraising efforts. Assistant Director of Student and Young Alumni Giving Emily Vonck, who joined the Annual Giving team in July, is leading this effort.
- Director of Leadership Annual Giving Tracey Wilson provided an insightful update on the past year's work in Leadership Annual Giving (LAG), setting the stage for future initiatives in this area.
The committee also devoted time to planning KFEC outreach efforts and reviewing the fall appeal and digital marketing strategies.
Reunion Planners
Reunion planners representing the 0s and 5s classes, celebrating their 5th-45th reunions, gathered on the Hill over Homecoming weekend to kick-start plans for Reunion 2025. Energized and inspired, they're excited to finally reunite in person after their previous celebrations were held virtually. Determined to make this reunion extra special, they will encourage classmates to join them in record numbers for their reunion celebration and by reaching impactful fundraising goals that will benefit today's students. They are ready to celebrate, reconnect and make Reunion 2025 truly memorable!
Regional Associations — It's never too soon to start planning holiday parties!
Regional Association Steering Committee members met virtually on Sept. 17 for their quarterly meeting. The group recapped an active and exciting summer of regional events ranging from baseball outings to welcome picnics to brewery gatherings. If you missed it, catch the recording
here.
Coming up this month, our New York City regional association is partnering with the Kenyon Review to host an event on Oct. 9 celebrating the organization’s 85th anniversary. Happening at The Center for Fiction, the evening will kick off with a Kenyon happy hour, followed by a reading which will be open to the public. The Denver regional association has planned a family-friendly pumpkin carving get-together on Oct. 21 that promises fall fun for all ages!
Looking forward, we would love to see a long list of Kenyon holiday parties as we move into the winter season and now is the time to start the planning! If you have questions about planning, reach out to Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Emily Shackle or fill out our
Alumni Event Promotion form.
Class Agents — See you at our October Lunch Chat
The first Lunch Chat of our academic year is finally here. Please join us on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. ET for the introduction to our new
Slate Volunteer Platform. Advancement has been working hard to build this new system and we look forward to sharing it with you at this event.
Register here to save your front row seat.
