11.08.2012

The Kids Are Alright


Barbara Ferguson

CASE District VII Gold Award
"The Kids Are Alright"
Excellence in Design: Editorial Spread

Day Job
Senior Creative Director
University of San Diego

Evening Job
Sleeping designer! Creativity happens even while you are snoring.

Greatest Victory
Never allowing myself to stop learning or limiting my curiosity for creating wonderful design in any area of materials or platforms provided me.

If History Came to Dinner...
Betsy Ross (Why a five point star?)
Carroll Burnett and Tim Conway (I love their talent and creative process and they just make me laugh)
Henry Ford (A great example of persistence, vision, creativity, and business savvy)
Julia Child (someone has to cook, because I surely can’t)

One Word to Describe Yourself
It would probably be two words: “What if?” I am a person who loves to find solutions to things, whether in design or simple life situations. In design, there are endless answers to any project’s needs. And finding those answers are easy as long as you stay open to the creative process. It will work if you stay playful, analyze your solutions from every angle, and continually ask yourself, “What if we did this? Or that?”

Best Practice
As you might expect from a zoo, there are a lot of departments trying to get their messages out to the visitors in the park, everyone thinking their area of educational wealth being more important than the other guy’s factual tidbits on elephants or meerkats. Hence, the art department [at the San Diego Zoo, where I used to work] started seeing an uncontrollable flood of more and more sign requests.

When the competition for space hit its max, art director Bill Noonan brought the zoo back to basics in a morning meeting. “People are not here to see the signs,” he shouted. “They are here to see the animals, and if we ever want them to come back, we had better start making their visit fun and stop blocking their path to the exhibits.”

We need to prioritize our communication systems and blend appropriate information with a fun visual experience. As Bill said, “They are not here to earn their Ph.D. in zoology; they are here to learn something in the context of a fun learning environment. Leave them wanting more and wanting to come back.”

10.08.2012

Give Back to the World


Marie "Toni" Alejandria 

CASE District VII Gold Award
CAAA Chapter and Network Leader Conference
Alumni Relations Program: Volunteer Engagement and Leadership

Day Job
Regional Chapter Programs Administrator
Cal Aggie Alumni Association
University of California, Davis

Evening Job
Dancer and choreographer
If History Came to Dinner...
Richard Avedon, Gene Wilder, Plato, King David and Noel Coward.

How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who used their skills to give back to the world through art and advocacy.

CASE Dream
I would love to see CAAA continue to blaze the trail in alumni relations through programming and engagement and be able to share best practices with other universities.

Favorite Quote
"Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order." – Samuel Beckett

Best Practice
It's important to build relationships with the people you work with, whether co-workers or volunteers. Establishing your personal and professional network will provide a foundation and help you succeed in whatever you strive to accomplish.

9.08.2012

Golden Graduates

Leticia Lozoya

Day Job
Alumni Programs Coordinator
California State University, Long Beach

CASE District VII Gold Award
Golden Graduates Program
Alumni Relations: New Program Initiatives

Inspired By
My brother reminds me every day to do what makes me happy and success will come along with it. In challenging times he remains positive and keeps a smile on his face.

Greatest Victory
One of my greatest victories since coming into this profession is helping establish our Golden Graduates Program. It has been a great pleasure to create opportunities for our alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago to reconnect with each other and with the university.

Favorite Quote
"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." —Christian D. Larson

My Best Practice
Sometimes to ask a quick question, rather than e-mail, I like to pick up the phone and call. Quick conversations over the phone can go a long way in building great relationships.

8.08.2012

Watching Students Succeed


Cheryl House

CASE Service
CASE District VII Board of Directors
CASE Philanthropy Commission

Day Job
Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director, Pima Community College Foundation

Greatest Victory
Being able to see students succeed because of the support that we’re able to provide, and to see how much joy the donors get knowing that they are helping those students. My favorite days are when I get to send a thank you letter from a student to a donor and the donor calls me up practically in tears.

Inspired By
Our students inspire me because they work so hard and overcome so many challenges every day just to get to school. We have a lot of working adults who are coming back and training for jobs so they can support their families. They work during the day and go to class at night. It’s not easy.

If History Came to Dinner...
Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem, Thomas Jefferson

Favorite Quote
"And the day came when the risk to stay inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."

My Best Practice
Don’t be a slave to e-mail--pick up the phone instead.  You can accomplish what you need to much more quickly, and the personal connection is almost always appreciated.

7.11.2012

Family Tree Challenge

John Carothers

CASE District VII Gold Award
Family Tree Challenge
Alumni Relations: Special Constituencies

Day Job
Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations University of Nevada, Reno Executive Director University of Nevada, Reno Foundation

Evening Job
Telling stories to my sons Ian and Sean.

Inspired By
Students overcoming obstacles to complete their education.

If History Came to Dinner...
Lyndon Johnson, Tip O’Niell, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Raquel Welch

Little Known Fact
I am a Trekkie.

My Best Practice
I personally sign gift acknowledgement letters and write personalized notes. I try to be hi-tech yet as personal as I can be.

6.08.2012

Satisfying the Inner Philanthropist


Alan Ball

CASE Service
CASE District VII Board of Directors

Day Job
Director of Annual Giving at Harvard-Westlake School

Evening Job
iPad2 junkie: learning the ins and outs of becoming a dedicated Mac person

Inspired By
I really like seeing the joy that a donor experiences when they make a gift that satisfies their "inner-philanthropist." I am also a sucker for reality shows like "Secret Millionaire" and "Undercover Boss." The element of unexpected appreciation is a powerful thing and I like to see that it still exists.

Your Greatest Influence
My mom and dad have made a deep and lasting impact on me. They modeled for me hard work and perseverance as well as made personal sacrifices for my sister and me. They taught me to not be bashful about dreaming and reaching for what I never thought possible.

A Turning Point in Life
Getting 1K status on United Airlines (Haha!!). Seriously, one was completing an MBA at Pepperdine. That program opened me to a whole new circle of friends, reinforced my belief in "Possibility Thinking" and expanded my ability as a "big picture thinker."

How would you like to be remembered? 
As a kind person who is a dreamer.

What do you enjoy about your CASE membership? 
CASE has given me an incredible network of friends and colleagues from all over the world of all backgrounds and institution sizes as well as different needs and abilities. I am never at a loss of who to call, but also enjoy being a resource for others. So I guess in one word, it is network. CASE is like a professional match-maker!

Favorite quote? 
"If you can dream it, you can do it! " –Walt Disney