Alumni Association in 2012

Alumni Association launches search for new executive director as Bill Draughon takes charge of Alumni Center fundraising

During the past eight years, the FIU Alumni Association has been transformed into one of the fastest growing in the country. In 2012, alumni will see a renewed focus on fundraising for the Alumni Center and the appointment of a new Alumni Association executive director.

Under Bill Draughon's leadership, the Alumni Association grew from 1,000 to 18,000 members.

Associate Vice President Bill Draughon, who has served as the Alumni Association executive director for eight years, will be leading the university’s efforts on the alumni center and the alumni travel program. Duane Wiles will serve as the interim executive director while a national search is conducted. Wiles has been the associate executive for the last eight years.

Senior Vice President of University Advancement/President and CEO of The FIU Foundation, Howard Lipman, said he is pleased that Draughon will be focused on the new alumni center. It is slated to be built in lot 4 east of the Blue Parking Garage.

“Building the alumni center is one of our biggest priorities,” Lipman said. “Bill has done a terrific job educating everyone at FIU about the importance of alumni engagement and he is the perfect person to lead this project.”

In October, the Alumni Association voted to make Draughon an FIU honorary alumnus, recognizing his many contributions to the university. “When Bill began as executive director, FIU was just beginning to understand the importance and power of alumni to the university’s future,” Lipman said. Under Draughon’s leadership, the Alumni Association grew from 1,000 to 18,000 members.

As the executive director of the association, Bill made his mark by developing countless new programs and enhancing existing ones to bring together alumni, family and friends of the university. Among them: the VIP feature in the back of FIU Magazine, the Torch Awards, the Golden Panther Getaways travel programs, the FIU Panther Pit Tailgate. He grew the Alumni Relations staff from three to 11 and has overseen the establishment of new alumni chapters around the world, most recently in China.

A search committee headed by College of Arts and Sciences Dean Ken Furton has been formed for a national search to identify the next Alumni Association executive director. The committee includes alumni Gonzalo Acevedo 91,  Eddie Hondal ’88, MS ’00, Carlos Castillo ’88, Dianne Valdivia ’06, and Sylvia Pozo ‘82.

In the meantime, the Alumni Association is moving ahead with an aggressive growth plan in 2012. The university has more than 165,000 alumni worldwide and plans to graduate 100,000 students in the next decade.

Alumni events are being planned for Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, China, Dallas and Houston, among others. In November, 22 chapter leaders from around the country came together at FIU for an all-day workshop on volunteer leadership, event planning and fundraising

There are plans to develop an alumni/admissions program providing alumni the opportunity to connect prospective students to FIU, enhance alumni career services to include workshops, webinars, and one to one coaching. The Alumni Association will redesign its web site, launch a social media strategy and expand the numbers of alumni chapters and events around the country.

In addition, the Alumni Association is expanding the Torch Awards so that it becomes one of the signature galas in South Florida. The 2012 Torch Awards will be held at the JW Marriott Marquis on Saturday, March 3.