Alumni Engagement and Events: Annual Report 2022-23

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS

ANNUAL REPORT

2022-23

Hello, Gael Friends!

Here in the Alumni Office, we begin each year with a renewed energy and sense of purpose as we rededicate ourselves to our mission to help deepen the connection of our Saint Mary’s alumni with one another, and with our incredible College.

Our community is about being a part of something bigger than just our own experience Beyond the years you attend classes as a student a brief moment in your lifetime your relationship with Saint Mary’s, and one another, is lifelong. We in the Office of Alumni Engagement strive to provide you the opportunities to come together as Gaels at any stage of life in support and celebration.

Our alumni association offers a rich variety of events and programs throughout the year, to engage every interest and age. This year, I am so proud of the launch of our international travel program, offering trips all over the globe with our world class faculty. The addition of our new mentoring platform, GaelConnect, offers our alumni and current students, faculty, and staff to connect with one another and offer support, advice, and mentorship beyond the barriers of the classroom and across generations. Regional events throughout the country brought hundreds of Gaels together to cheer on our nationally-ranked student athletes and division 1 athletic programs. We have so much to celebrate, and we put this report together to share with our alumni everywhere how grateful we are for your participation, and how much we look forward to connecting with you in the future.

Feeling connected is the cornerstone of our community tied together by our common interests, experiences, and this place we call home. As we move forward we will continue to expand our programs on campus and beyond, and hope you’ll join us to experience a little bit of the magic you remember from your Saint Mary’s.

As always, Go Gaels!

DIRECTOR

DIRECTOR

FROM OUR ALUMNI

FROM OUR ALUMNI

OUR TEAM OUR TEAM

Office of Alumni Engagement and Events

MA

MPP

MA ‘23

2022-23 Alumni Board of Directors

Michelle Batista, ’02, MA ’05

Brother David Caretti, FSC ’99

Jeff Clark, MBA ’12

Jon Clark, ’86

Kim Clutts, ’81, ECR '82

Jordann Coleman, ’04

Derrick Crayton, ’08

Thomas Dang Vo, ’11

Maribeth Eggleston, ’87

Caroline Grafft, ’11

Dick Moore, ’67

Jenny O'Brien, ’96, MBA ’97

Carl Reed II, ’96 , MA ’99

Rob Regan, Sr , ’77

Krista Rosa, ’96

Anis Salah, ’04

Milad Sarkis, ’04

Lloyd Schine III, ’98, MA ’04, MA ’12

Bill Sonneman, ’68

Kevin Trochez, ’04

Matthew Van Donsel, ’04

Kelly Webb, ’11, MBA ’13

OUR VISION OUR VISION

The Office of Alumni Engagement and Events strives to encourage, nourish, and inspire connection with one another and our beloved institution, celebrate outcomes and successes, provide a robust network for professional development, cultivate intellectual growth and galvanize philanthropic support among our alumni, parents, and friends for Saint Mary’s College.

WHAT WE DO

The Office of Alumni Engagement provides opportunities for alumni of the institution to stay connected and engaged with the College following graduation through programming, volunteerism, storytelling and services.

Programming

The Alumni Engagement team offers more than 80 events per year throughout the nation, where alumni are invited to gather, meet and engage with one another and the College for increased connection within the Alumni Association

Volunteerism

The Alumni Engagement team manages a variety of volunteer boards and committees, offering alumni the opportunity for deeper engagement with the institution, and to serve as ambassadors of the College Volunteer councils include the Alumni Board of Directors, regional, affinity, and cultural alumni chapter committees and more

Storytelling

The Office of Alumni Engagement manages publications, social media and marketing to the alumni population, sharing the good news of Saint Mary’s College From promoting student and faculty successes, highlighting alumni outcomes and achievements, to sharing rankings and awards for the institution, the Alumni Engagement team tells the story of the College with alumni –celebrating both the Saint Mary’s they remember and the Saint Mary’s of today

Services

The Office of Alumni Engagement serves as the primary point of contact for alumni with the College Providing an array of services to alumni known as GaelPerks, the Alumni Engagement team promotes discount programs, career networking, introductions to faculty and campus partners, mentorship opportunities and campus resources

EEVENTS VENTS

We were proud to host dozens of events that welcomed thousands of alumni, families, and community members.

87 87 Events and Programs

4,500+ 4,500+ Attendees

EEVENTS VENTS

We hosted events across the country and it was great to see so many alumni where you are!

Spotlight: Basketball pregame parties

During basketball season, we get to see more Gaels than any time of year. Many alumni come back to Saint Mary's for exciting men's basketball games and join the pregame festivities in the new pub or directly outside the Pavilion. Many others who live further from the Bay Area see fellow alumni and friends at away games. Alumni Engagement & Events hosts pregame parties before most road games, bringing the Saint Mary's spirit on the road to wherever Gaels show up!

10 Countries

11

25 Cities States

Gael gatherings in:

Albany

Anaheim

Denver

Fort Worth

Healdsburg

Las Vegas

Los Angeles

New York City

Phoenix

Portland

Sacramento

San Diego

Spokane

Walnut Creek

Washington DC and more...

NEW PROGRAMS

Summer Travel Series

Since its launch in the summer of 2022, the Summer Travel Series has sent nearly 100 alumni, family, and friends to locations all over the world! This summer, 42 people participated in this program, traveling to Scandinavia in early June and Mexico and early July. Of those that joined us, half of them were alumni! These educational trips are in true Saint Mary’s style, led by current professors, with participants who jetset and experienced deep immersion and great fun

Homecoming

The Office of Alumni Engagement & Events led the campus-wide initiative to bring back Homecoming for the first time in more than 20 years In partnership with Athletics and Student Life, a full-scale Homecoming event took place on November 19th, with student, alumni, and community events taking place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Events included rugby, volleyball, and basketball games, a memorabilia presentation, learning the fight song, face painting, and a bounce house for kids, student dance, and much more.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi led a Bracketology chalk talk with fans. Over 1,000 constituents participated in an Homecoming event between Friday and Sunday.

NEW PROGRAMS

GaelConnect

In the early spring we launched GaelConnect, our new platform for career mentorship, networking, career exploration, and job connections for students and alumni at any point in their lives. An investment made by the Office of Alumni Engagement and Events to unite and, as evidenced in the platform's name, connect the entire population.

After a very successful launch, we are are still trending well above-average for most universities contracted with PeopleGrove 971 active users as of April 2023

Successfully met our sign up goal of 500 within the first week of launching it to our population of contactable alumni

24,000 emails opened/page views since the start of our launch

78% response rate for messages sent via GaelConnect

Golden Gael Luncheon

In a heartwarming gathering that transcended time, the Golden Gaels Luncheon, brought together graduates from 1963 and earlier. More than 60 distinguished graduates assembled for a day on campus, filled with sentimentality and nostalgia. The event included Mass and a luncheon with featured alumnus speaker Robert Hass. An additional Southern California gathering of our Golden Gaels is scheduled for October 2023.

NEW PROGRAMS

Gaels in Wine Harvest Party

The Inaugural Gael in Wine Harvest Party took place in Healdsburg on November 12, 2022 highlighting three Gael-owned wineries: Orsi Family Vineyards, Dot Wines, and Aldina Vineyards. The event allowed the Office of Alumni Engagement to offer a program in the North Bay, while promoting and supporting alumni-owned businesses. Over 75 guests showed up to the three-hour social event.

Meet the President

A year-long “Meet the President” tour introduced Richard and Mary Plumb to constituents throughout the country, and in our most populated regions Events were organized in Fort Worth, Phoenix, Anaheim, New York City, Washington D C and at all major home games for a total of eight VIP or Meet and Greet events

SIGNATURE EVENTS

All alumni are invited to these major annual programs

Reunion

The first full-fledged Reunion in 3 years saw historic turnout with more than 700 alumni and friends attending weekend events.

July 15-17, 2022

Summer Wine & Beer Fest

400 guests enjoyed wine, beer, bubbles, and snacks from Bay Area vendors, raising $20,000 for student scholarships.

August 13, 2022

Alumni Awards

Distinguished professionals are recognized for their service, scholarship, and overall excellence. January 21, 2023

Music on the Lawn

A free community concert in front of the chapel, open to neighbors, students, alumni and families. September 23, 2022

SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA

The Alumni Association is active on major social media platforms at @GaelAlumni to share news and updates about alumni, upcoming events, and strengthen connection and affinity to Saint Mary’s and other community members.

Growth

INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER

Followers

17.0% 4.9% 9.3%

17.0% 4.9% 9.3%

Year/year growth, July 2023.

4,439

4,930

1,731

COMMUNICATIONS

2,000+ 25,000+

Email inquires received and responded to

1,000+

Phone inquires received and responded to

Contactable email addresses of alumni and friends

Broadcast digital publications include:

Monthly alumni newsletter Event promotions College news

Community updates

We're proud to serve as the primary point of contact between alumni and Saint Mary's College. We communicate with many alumni on a varying array of topics and enjoy hearing from you throughout the year. Connect

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS

ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23