AVP named one of South Florida’s 50 most powerful, influential black professionals

Duane Wiles, associate vice president of FIU Alumni Relations and executive director of the FIU Alumni Association, has been selected by Legacy Miami Magazine as one of “South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Professionals in Business and Industry” for 2015.

He will be recognized in the April 13 “Power” issue to be included in the Miami Herald’s Business Monday Section. 

At FIU, Wiles is responsible for engaging university’s alumni community and realizing the strategic vision for alumni affinity. His position provides direction and oversight for all aspects of Alumni Relations – in partnership with the university president, University Advancement leadership and leading alumni volunteers. He has created and implemented a strategic plan to strengthen the lifelong connections of alumni through the development of new and enhanced programs.

He manages 36-member board of directors; leads a team of 16 professional staff; oversees a $2.1 million dollar budget; and identifies new revenue streams supporting alumni programs and services. Wiles brings more than 16 years of experience to the alumni relations profession having worked for the University of Nebraska Alumni Association and University of Florida Alumni Association. He joined FIU in 2003.

During his tenure with the FIU Alumni Association membership has grown from 800 to nearly 22,000 dues-paying members and the chapter network grew from 3 to 30 active chapters worldwide. He currently has alumni relations strategically focused on membership growth, chapter development, career services, legislative advocacy, philanthropy and continuing education/lifelong learning.

He’s the recipient of two Council For Advancement And Support Of Education (CASE) Awards for alumni programming; he’s a distinguished Faculty Presenter at National CASE Conferences; a former Forman Fellow of the Council of Alumni Association Executives; and graduate of the High Potential Leaders Class of 2011 from FIU.

Wiles served as a faculty guest presenter at the University of West Indies Annual Volunteer Leadership Retreat, has volunteered as a distinguished judge for CASE District III awards, and presented at several CASE District III Professional Leadership Conferences.

As a former football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he understands what it means to work hard, persevere, and chart the course. Wiles’ personal philosophy is “Think Big, Live Big! Our thoughts become a border around our lives. If we think little, we will live little. If we think big, we will live big. Mark 9:23.”

– Simone Worsdale