SUMMER 2008 Volume 3

College of Maine Magazine

Saint Joseph’s College makes a difference:

Every time we engage a mind or touch a heart or discover a truth, we make a difference.

Institutional Advancement is here to help donors make a difference, too.

Institutional Advancement staff Members of the Institutional Advancement Staff (left to right, front row): Heather Plati, Charmaine Daniels, Meg Gresh, Renee LeBrun ’70, Sue Johnson, Sue McAuliffe, Kristina Foley Green ’04 and Liz Schran. Back row: A.P. Perkinson, Travis Soule, Bill McCarthy and Brent Wooten. Missing from photo is Lynn Novak.

We in Institutional Advancement are responsible for communicating the difference that Saint Joseph’s College makes to its students, the community, the state and even the planet. We also enlist support (through gifts, volunteering, and through telling others about the college), so that the college can continue to make a difference. These two actions – communicating and enlisting support – constitute the mission of the Institutional Advancement office.

The Institutional Advancement Office has three components. First, there is Marketing and Public Relations, led by Bill McCarthy, and staffed by Renee LeBrun ’70, publications director; Charmaine Daniels, editor of the Saint Joseph’s magazine and media relations director; Travis Soule, graphic designer; Sue Johnson, web coordinator; and Brent Wooten, marketing administrator. This team creates and coordinates:
• college publications, including this magazine
• web site and media relations,
• college’s message to prospective students, alumni, and the outside world,
• conduit of information between the world and the campus.

The two other components of Institutional Advancement, Alumni Relations and Development, have been reorganized to increase productivity and prepare for the college’s centennial in 2012. Here is how the reorganization looks:

In the Alumni Welcome Center, Sue McAuliffe, executive secretary, greets visitors and provides administrative support. Meg Gresh, Institutional Advancement assistant, will coordinate database functions and support of the donor stewardship function.

Heather Plati, director of alumni relations, will now add “parent relations” to her title. While Heather’s role will broaden to include the alumni and parent portion of the Fund for Saint Joseph’s, she will remain the master planner and supervisor of alumni relations. Kristina Foley Green ’04 will manage alumni programs as the new associate director of alumni and parent relations and will continue to coordinate the online alumni community, “The ROCK.”

On the development side of the office, Lynn Novak is now director of donor research and corporate relations. She will continue her work of donor development and add responsibility for implementing a corporate relations program to connect businesses in our region with resources and programs at the college.

Liz Schran, who has served as director of foundation relations for 19 years, will now be associate director of Institutional Advancement. She will continue her successful work with foundations and the Corporate Alliance Program for Scholarships, as well as her roles as manager of government relations, strategist and author of some of the office’s major publications. She will also now enhance and supervise the donor stewardship function, which ensures not only the privacy of donors, but proper recognition of their giving and encouragement of repeat giving.

A. P. Perkinson, vice president, will manage all Institutional Advancement operations and the faculty & staff annual fund, as well as major gifts. In this role he will work with present and past trustees and a broadened base of corporations. He will also provide staff direction for the Make a Difference capital campaign.

A director of planned giving will be added in 2009 to work with individuals on legacy giving to Saint Joseph’s College.

For today, the coming year, and the coming centennial, the Institutional Advancement office is ready to help alumni, friends, parents, foundations and businesses in supporting the college – which in turn prepares students to make a difference in the world, now and in the future.

We hope to welcome the Saint Joseph’s Centennial in 2012 with the annual Fund for Saint Joseph’s at a record $1 million! We are here to help those closest to the college provide the support that enables Saint Joseph’s to continue making a difference through its students, faculty, and graduates. “
– A. P. Perkinson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

While the college’s mission and values are constant, its needs are always evolving.
According to A.P. “Bun” Perkinson, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, “This is the right time to organize our staff to meet the needs that are before us now and as the college prepares for a watershed event – the 100-year celebration of Saint Joseph’s founding. Our charge is to advance the cause of Saint Joseph’s and its students, moving those who believe in us the most – our alumni, trustees and friends – toward greater levels of support.”

We thank all our alumni and friends for their continued support of Saint Joseph’s College.