THE ALUMNI RECORD 11/23/2004 • VOL. 2/NO. 2>>Top of Page

HOMECOMING ’04

Color and pageantry The crowning of queen and king was a homecoming halftime highlight. -More coverage- photo by Ken Robinson

THE ALUMNI RECORD 11/23/2004 • VOL. 2/NO. 2>>Top of Page

Changing Faces

‘Career Blue Raider’ Corley lands alumni relations director position

By Randy Weiler

Corley

Ginger Corley is not only all about MTSU (a “career Blue Raider,” a prominent alumnus calls her), but is also the right fit in her new capacity as director in the Office of Alumni Relations.

A native of Watertown, Tenn., in Wilson County, alumna Corley (B.B.A. ’89, M.Ed. ’92) was elevated to the position when chosen by Joe Bales, vice president for the Office of Development and University Relations, from a final pool of candidates selected by a committee.

“Ginger has been involved in the BRAA (Blue Raider Athletic Association) and the alumni association on several levels,” Bales said. “She has served as an officer and committee chair in the alumni association on the local level, and also on the executive board of the national alumni association. She also has experience in the admissions office, as a student adviser in one of the colleges, and as director of Student Support Services.

“Ginger brings not only a depth of knowledge on the history and traditions of the university, but also a great deal of energy, enthusiasm, and new ideas to the job. We are excited that she has joined the university advancement team.”

Corley fills the position vacated by Debbie Coppinger, who left to become alumni relations director at Belmont University.

“I was very excited when I got the job,” said Corley, who started Sept. 15. “When I first thought about the position, I thought about the number of people I have contact with in the local chapter and the National Alumni Association board. I want to utilize the local contacts I’ve developed. I want to help MTSU have more visibility around the state and country.

“When I think about the position, I think about the opportunity of working with the people I have come in contact with in past years,” she said.

Corley began her new job in the middle of an already busy fall semester with only about 40 days to prepare for Homecoming 2004, which was held the week of Oct. 25-30.

“There is just so much to do,” she said Day 1 on the job. “It has been very busy and a lot of learning going on, which is the best way to get started – hit the ground running. People who know me well know I don’t like to sit still.”

After homecoming, Corley will have more time to sift through goals and challenges.

“I want to inform the campus of what we do and how we can increase communication. Educating them and letting them know what we do will allow us to all work together."

MTSU’s alumni base numbers about 78,000 with another 1,500 to become alumni at 10 a.m. Dec. 18 during commencement in Murphy Center.

“We’re approaching 80,000 very rapidly,” Corley says. "That’s another challenge. It’s getting large and very diverse. What services can we provide to our alumni? Times have changed. What an alumnus from 1960 is looking for and what an alumnus from 2004 is looking for are so incredibly different. And we have to find ways to cater to both of those.”

Ben Landers, president of the National Alumni Association, said he has known Corley for several years and she is uniquely qualified to serve as alumni director.

“I had the pleasure of working with Ginger on the national executive committee and must admit she is the closest thing to a ‘career Blue Raider’ that you could expect,” he said. “She has seen the university as a student, an employee, an alumna and through the eyes of thousands of students.”

The Office of Alumni Relations staff – assistant directors Michelle Stepp, Katy Francisco Riddle and Valerie Avent; administrative assistant Martha Jordan; and office assistant Sherry Young – have made the transition easier for Corley.

“They’re wonderful,” she said. “I couldn’t have made it without them.”

Also on Corley’s immediate agenda will be the hiring of an associate director to fill the void left by the departure of Kim Hutto, who became alumni relations director at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., after being at MTSU five years, and the hiring of an assistant director to fill the spot vacated by Steven Barnes, who now serves as development officer for the MTSU College of Mass Communication.

Alumni relations marks the fourth area of the university where Corley has served.

She was assistant director in the Office of Admissions from August 1990 until July 1993. She moved to the College of Basic and Applied Sciences as program coordinator and academic adviser from July 1993 until December 2001. Most recently (January 2002 until this September), Corley was director of MTSU Student Support Services.

(Doug Williams, director, MTSU Office of News and Public Affairs, contributed to this story.)

THE ALUMNI RECORD 11/23/2004 • VOL. 2/NO. 2>>Top of Page

Alumni relations adds Avent to reach multicultural groups

By Randy Weiler

Avent

Versatile Valerie Avent’s energy and enthusiasm for MTSU are meshing with her dual role of working with the Offices of Alumni Relations and Multicultural Affairs.

A university alumna (B.S. ’79 and M.S. ’96) and MTSU employee for nine years, Avent’s task is summed up by this job description:

“Serve as a resource person for parents, students, alumni, faculty, staff, administration and the community, helping develop relationships and creating partnerships with university offices throughout the campus community, to ensure the Offices of Alumni Relations, Multicultural Affairs and MTSU remain responsive to and maintain goodwill with the university’s ethnic and minority communities on and off campus.”

Avent reports to alumni relations and its new director, Ginger Corley.

“We are very excited about having Valerie in alumni relations” Corley said. “She will be an integral part in coordinating alumni activities and student organization activities associated with multicultural affairs.”

As for Avent, she “is excited about this new opportunity.”

Specifically, Avent will be working with African-American alumni as the target audience. “I am currently developing a strategic plan so that we can have a clear focus. A major component of my job is to help current students who will become future alumni (through the multicultural affairs office and by serving as an adjunct faculty member teaching a University 1010 course).”

In spring 2005, Avent plans to schedule a networking reception.

“The purpose will be to highlight some of our university signature programs,” she said. “We hope, as a by-product, to build more collaboration with our alumni.”

The recent homecoming saw her oversee the mailing of nearly 4,400 brochures “to promote homecoming and inform constituents,” she said. “My first project was to coordinate a reception, hosted by alumnus Darrell Freeman.”

Other goals, she said, are to establish scholarships and internships for students. “Our vision is to increase existing revenue and generate new revenue streams for the university community,” she said.

Avent, a Shelbyville native, had 15 years of corporate experience as a BellSouth telecommunications manager before coming to MTSU.

Avent’s husband, Charles, graduated from MTSU (B.S. ’79, M.Ed. ’80). Their daughter, Mary, is an MTSU sophomore and member of the 2004-05 Student Ambassadors. Thier son, Chuckie, is a Siegel High School senior. They are members of Higher Ground Worship Center.

THE ALUMNI RECORD 11/23/2004 • VOL. 2/NO. 2>>Top of Page

Noteworthy

Pittard’s ‘algebra’scool’ gains Golden Lamp

Pittard

Murfreesboro native and 2000 MTSU Distinguished Alumnus Billy Pittard (B.S. ’78), executive producer of “algebra’scool,” received the 2004 Golden Lamp Award this summer from the Association of Educational Publishers for the best instructional materials of the year. This was Pittard’s initial plunge into the field of educational products.

The Golden Lamp is the top award in educational publishing. Previous recipients include Scholastic, Nickelodeon, Children’s Television Workshop and National Geographic.

“Algebra’scool” (published by BestQuest Teaching Systems of Little Rock, Ark.) received the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing from the Association of Educational Publishers. The graphically animated curriculum has garnered 10 awards, including the Golden Telly for being voted one of the best video productions in the last 25 years.

“After working exclusively in media and entertainment for so many years, it was a joy to use what I have learned to help kids learn skills that may improve their entire lives,” Pittard said.


Green earns 3rd straight national golf title

MTSU senior golfer Kenny Green won the National Amputee Golf Championship for the third straight year in October at the Boulder Creek (Nev.) Golf Club. Green, who plays with a prosthetic limb below his knee, carded a 3-under par 213 (73-71-69) to win the event by eight shots against Jeff Nicholas, whom Green beat for the third consecutive year. “To win three straight years is amazing, but it was something I really wanted heading into the tournament,” Green said. “Things did not look good after the first round, but I kept plugging away, found a groove and just started making birdies.”

Green defeated Nicholas for the third time after Nicholas had won the previous 12 titles.

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