Alumni Board Hosts Retreat

Future alumni cultivation activities were the topic of discussion during the NSU Alumni Association Board of Directors retreat held March 26 at the Cherokee Hills Golf Course clubhouse in Catoosa.

During the retreat, the members formed smaller groups to explore facets of the Alumni Association agenda.

The idea is to look forward short- and long-term about how we invest resources in alumni outreach efforts, said Daniel Johnson, director of alumni services. The nature of our discussions and planning is comprehensive in scope. We discuss our membership marketing efforts initiatives, how we communicate to the alumni community and what expectations we should have with our events."

Carol Ann Barkley, a 1978 alumna of NSU and an association board member at large, participated in a group which focused on events. Barkley said annual functions such as Homecoming and Emerald Ball were discussed, including how to utilize such events to reconnect and maintain contact with alumni.

We want to be connected with all alumni, from decades ago to the most current, she said. During the retreat, our main goal was to regenerate our thoughts and formulate ideas on how to reengage with all graduates of Northeastern.

Members of the NSU Alumni Association already have access to lifetime e-mail, an alumni directory and job-hunting assistance, and Barkley said more association members equates to enhanced or additional services.

More members means more support, she said. One of our main goals is to provide more and better scholarship opportunities for students. We are also excited about the new event center on the horizon. We want to increase awareness of the many ways alumni can support the university. We want to get the word out that NSU is as great as ever.

Johnson said such brainstorming sessions allow the association board to be innovative and expressive in pursuit of its goals and added that ideas forged at the retreat will be included in the Alumni Associations comprehensive plans for alumni outreach and connection.

Barkley and Johnson, on behalf of all on the board, expressed gratitude to the Cherokee Nation for allowing use of the course facilities adjacent to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Barkley said the hospitality was impeccable, and special thanks was offered to Andrea Harner, an NSU alumna and hotel representative who planned the event.

Andrea pulled it all together, and the Cherokee Nation really rolled out the red carpet for us, Barkley said. They made available all the facilities we needed for our meeting and breakout groups and allowed us to accomplish as much as we could.