{"id":39983,"date":"2025-11-07T09:46:54","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:46:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/?p=39983"},"modified":"2025-11-14T12:53:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:53:28","slug":"magazine-welcoming-furmans-new-director-of-alumni-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/magazine-welcoming-furmans-new-director-of-alumni-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcoming Furman\u2019s New Director of Alumni Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Greetings from campus!<\/strong> I\u2019m thrilled to be serving the community as our new director of alumni engagement. For those of you who have reached out with congratulations or words of encouragement: Thank you. It\u2019s meant a great deal. As always, you’re welcome to reach out to our team at alumni@furman.edu<\/a>. We\u2019re happy to connect anytime.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m so excited to be back at Furman and in a place that has given me so much. I can\u2019t think of anything more meaningful than serving the institution that shaped me during some of life\u2019s most formative moments.<\/p>\n

Before I began this role, a former colleague asked, \u201cWho shaped and molded you while you were at Furman?\u201d I hadn\u2019t considered the question before, but the answers came pouring out. Honestly, I got a bit choked up just thinking about it (apologies to those in the room that day for shifting the vibe).<\/p>\n

During my senior year, my single mother became terminally ill. I took a leave of absence to be with her, and in that incredibly difficult season, the Furman network surrounded me. Professors checked in. Friends and their families helped with transportation and support. When I returned after my mother\u2019s passing, that same network held firm. Staff connected me with alumni and professors kept a close eye on me. I truly believe that at any other institution, I might have fallen through the cracks. My life would look very different.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, for me, Furman is family. Returning now feels like coming home.<\/p>\n

This is a deeply personal place, and I\u2019m proud that President Davis is building on that culture through individualized student pathways. As I step into this role, I think often about how we can extend that same spirit of care far beyond campus and how alumni will be essential to that work.<\/p>\n

In my first few weeks, I\u2019ve joined the Class of 1975 at their 50th Reunion, many of whom haven\u2019t missed an annual gathering since graduation. I\u2019ve met new graduates at Commencement and celebrated with them at Senior Send-off. These moments reminded me that alumni engagement is about more than events. It\u2019s about relationships that last a lifetime.<\/p>\n

They also raise important questions:<\/p>\n

How can we help recent graduates feel part of a lifelong community?<\/em><\/p>\n

How can alumni create stronger outcomes for our students as mentors, volunteers and advocates? <\/em><\/p>\n

How do we inspire today\u2019s students to feel the same pride and loyalty at their own 50th Reunion?<\/em><\/p>\n

Alumni surveys show many of you feel informed, but fewer feel deeply engaged. There\u2019s a clear desire for more: more mentoring, more ways to help recruit future students and stronger networks that support both alumni and students alike.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re listening, and we\u2019re ready to act.<\/p>\n

In the months ahead, we\u2019ll open new doors for student-alumni connections that lead to tangible outcomes. We\u2019ll invest in growing our Furman Alumni Networks across the country, expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement in every chapter of life.<\/p>\n

The desire is there. Now we\u2019re putting it into motion.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to hear your ideas. Please don\u2019t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to working with you to build the next great chapter of alumni engagement at Furman.<\/p>\n

Go Paladins!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ford Riddle shares his vision on Furman University’s alumni office and how he hopes to engage fellow Paladins. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":389,"featured_media":39701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,3494,3484,1963],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-class-notes-fall-2025","category-fall-2025","category-furman-magazine"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/389"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39983"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40290,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39983\/revisions\/40290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.furman.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}