Take part in an opportunity to gain valuable information from seasoned professionals at a fraction of typical workshop costs. All participants registered for pre-conference worhops must also be registered for the conference. Sign up early; space is limited!

Discover and serve your alumni better!
Understanding the Relationship Between Alumni and Their Alma Maters
Sunday, Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-Noon
— Steve W. Epley, Ph.D. , President, Epley Marketing Services Inc.
— Vince Nelson, President, University of Iowa Alumni Association

Most college and university alumni do not participate or participate only marginally in the life of their alma maters. Even those who join or accept membership in alumni associations or activities are often members in name only. Is this true because of the intrinsic nature of the relationship between alumni and their alma maters, or are there opportunities to build stronger relationships with alumni? What is the nature of these opportunities? What do alumni need? What would be required for institutions of higher education to address these needs?
This presentation will feature insights gained from intensive one-on-one in-depth interviews with 140 alumni from seven institutions participating in a joint study with Epley Marketing Services. The research explores at the deepest level the nature of the relationship and the needs alumni bring to the institutions from which they graduate. Join us for an interesting and thought-provoking view of alumni relations from the viewpoint of the people who matter the most — alumni themselves.

In his 16-year tenure as president of Epley Marketing Services Inc., Steve Epley has applied his background as a psychologist to challenging issues in relationships between organizations and their customers. He has served as the primary consultant on scores of studies on customer acquisition and retention. Steve currently conducts a series of monthly teleconferences on customer relationship management. Over the years, he has helped some of the nations leading companies improve their sales processes, provided advisory services at a strategic level, and has worked to ensure that customer needs and customer requirements are represented at the highest level of an organization. Although Epley has spent much of his professional career in the business world, his first love is teaching. His goal in working with CASE is to provide fresh, creative insights that help colleges and universities better understand and serve the needs of their alumni.

Was that in the fine print?
Leaders in Development: Doing What is Not in the Job Description
9 a.m.-Noon
— Angela White, Senior Associate, Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates
— Marianne Downey, Associate Director of Development, University of Illinois College of Law
— Stephen Gauly, Executive Development Officer, DePauw University
— Steven Stolen, Executive Director of Development, Major Gifts, and Campaign Programs, Butler University
— Gordy Taylor, Associate Vice President for Alumni Programs, Western Illinois University

In most cases — if not all — effective leadership is doing what’s not in the job description. This pre-conference workshop will focus on leadership skills necessary to be a successful development officer and will specifically focus on personal solicitation as a part of a development officer’s role. Come prepared to discover what separates a leader from a manager and how to develop the leadership necessary to enhance relationship-building with your prospects and donors.
Before joining Johnson, Grossnickle and Associates in 1996, Angela White was executive director for institutional advancement at the University of Indianapolis. There, she managed the functions of development, alumni relations, marketing and media relations, publications and research. She began her career in development at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, where she rose to the position of vice president of institutional advancement. She directed the successful $15 million Sesquicentennial Campaign for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, the largest in the college’s history at the time. In 1996, she served as conference co-chair of the CASE V conference. White serves as managing counsel to clients on feasibility studies, campaigns and development assessments.

Step outside the daily routine to reflect on larger issues
Advancing Yourself, Advancing the Sector
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
— Timothy L. Seiler, Ph.D., CFRE Director, Public Service and The Fund Raising School, Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

As you advance in your fund-raising career, the challenges change. Rather than focusing on the how-to-do, you begin focusing on the why, the rationale. Why is fund raising important? Why is there a philanthropic (voluntary) sector? What are the challenges facing philanthropy and fund raising today and tomorrow?
This pre-conference workshop will engage you and other advanced fund-raising professionals in discussions about the foundations for philanthropy and fund raising, the issues facing the philanthropic sector, and some of the ethical dilemmas in fund raising. It's a way to step outside the daily routine to reflect on the larger issues facing you as a manager and leader in the sector, to help you become a spokesperson for the role of philanthropy and fund raising.

This intensive all-day workshop is designed for the senior development professional and limited to 30 participants.