{"id":1026,"date":"2025-10-29T13:31:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T13:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/?p=1026"},"modified":"2025-11-04T21:55:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:55:01","slug":"afb-update-fall-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/2025\/10\/29\/afb-update-fall-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni and Family Board Update \u2014 Fall 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection>\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__wysiwyg panel panel-wysiwyg site-section__bg--light\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"wysiwyg\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"site-section__inner l-wrapper site-section__inner--top-padding-minimal site-section__inner--bottom-padding-minimal site-section__bg--gray\">\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t<div class=\"site-section__content \">\n\t\t<div class=\"site-grid site-grid__wrapper site-grid__wrapper-stagger\"\n\t\t\t data-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t data-name=\"columns\"\n\t\t\t data-livetext>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-grid__col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-panel__wysiwyg-content\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"t-content \"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-index=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-autop=\"true\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t data-name=\"column_content\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5>Dear Former Alumni Board Members,<\/h5>\n<h5>I hope this message finds you well. As Chair of the Alumni and Family Board, I\u2019m reaching out to past board members to share an update on our continued efforts to strengthen alumni and family engagement in alignment with the mission and strategic priorities of St. Olaf College. Going forward, I plan to provide periodic updates like this to help keep our extended board community connected to the college\u2019s evolving work.<\/h5>\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m proud to share with you that in the fiscal year ending May 31, 2025, 66% of St. Olaf alumni engaged with the college. This is a number we\u2019ve only recently started to measure and this strong result is a clear indication of the sense of connection Oles feel with their alma mater.<\/span><\/h5>\n<h5>Thank you for the role you played in shaping the work we\u2019re building on today. I hope you\u2019ll take a few minutes to read the update and feel free to reach out with any questions or reflections.<\/h5>\n<h5>With heartfelt gratitude for your past service and a shared purpose moving forward\u2026<\/h5>\n<h5>Um! Yah! Yah!<\/h5>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1108 \" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/files\/2025\/10\/Untitled-design-2025-10-28T154113.329-e1761684133206.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"178\" height=\"105\" \/><\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matt Johnson \u201993<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chair, St. Olaf Alumni and Family Board\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid__col -->\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div> <!-- .site-grid, .site-grid__wrapper -->\n\t<\/div> <!-- site-section__content -->\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:31px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tclass=\"site-section site-panel__image_overlay panel panel-image_overlay site-section__bg--default\"\n\t\t\tdata-depth=\"\"\n\t\t\tdata-js-panel=\"image-overlay\"\n\t\t>\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"site-section__inner site-section__inner--no-padding\">\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t<div role=\"img\" aria-label=\"HCFW 031-Enhanced-NR\" style=\"background-image:url('https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/files\/2025\/09\/HCFW-031-Enhanced-NR-1600x1068.jpg');\" loading=\"lazy\"  class=\"site-section__bg-img site-section__bg-img--m-stack\"><\/div>\n\n\t\t<style>\n\t\t@media all and ( min-width: 960px ) {\n\t\t\t#site-panel__image-overlay-6a2896913825b {\n\t\t\t\theight: 500px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t\n\t\t\t\t\n    \n\t<div id=\"site-panel__image-overlay-6a2896913825b\" class=\"site-panel__img-overlay-wrap site-panel__img-overlay--no-ribbon horz-left vert-middle\">\n\n\t\t<div class=\"site-panel__img-overlay-content\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"t-content t-content--light\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"site-section__desc\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-depth=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-name=\"content\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-autop\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-livetext\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Below are updates on the continued work effort of the Alumni and Family Board to strengthen engagement in alignment with the mission and strategic priorities of St. Olaf College.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Advancing Solution Seekers <\/strong><br>St. Olaf\u2019s strategic plan, <em>Solution Seekers<\/em>, serves as the foundation for the college\u2019s future and the Board\u2019s work. The plan is anchored in three priorities: elevating vocation, expanding innovation, and sustaining community. <br><br>Earlier this year, Alumni and Family Board chair, Matt Johnson \u201993, interviewed President Susan Rundell Singer as part of <em>St. Olaf\u2019s Next Chapter: An Alumni Conversation<\/em>. We discussed how <em>Solution Seekers<\/em> calls alumni to play a vital role in student success and the college\u2019s future. <br><br>\ud83c\udfa5 Watch the interview: <strong>\u2192<\/strong> <strong><a style=\"color: blue;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.stolaf.edu\/multimedia\/play\/?e=5035\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">View the Video<\/a> <\/strong><br>\ud83d\udcd6 Learn about the plan: <strong>\u2192<\/strong> <a style=\"color: blue;\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/strategicplan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Read the Strategic Plan <\/strong><\/a><br><br>Our Board continues aligning its priorities with <em>Solution Seekers<\/em>. We\u2019ve deepened connections with alumni and families across generations, geographies, and shared affinities. In fall 2024, we welcomed 14 new members who reflect the energy, perspectives, and spirit of today\u2019s Ole community. This fall, we are excited to welcome two new board members, Bryan Bass \u201995 and Jack Kemme \u201970.<br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Alumni Engagement Strategy<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><br>To support <em>Solution Seekers<\/em>, the college has partnered with Chris Marshall of <a style=\"color: blue;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cmac.me\/\">CMAC<\/a> to conduct an assessment of alumni engagement at<em> <\/em>St Olaf. Chris completed an initial report last spring, which affirmed our strengths and offered key recommendations, including the creation of a coordinated 3\u20135 year plan for alumni engagement. A committee of campus partners\u2014including Board representation\u2014is now drafting that plan. This work is especially timely as the college begins planning for its next comprehensive campaign. <br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Reunion Weekend 2025 Recap<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><br>This year\u2019s Reunion brought 1,426 alumni to campus, with guests ranging in age from newborns to 97. A personal highlight was hosting lunch for the Classes of 1950 and 1955. These alumni came of age during a time of profound global change\u2014from post\u2013WWII reconstruction to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. And while the world looks different than it did in the 1950s, it was a reminder that what defines St. Olaf still holds true: forming leaders of character, calling people to service, and helping each generation ask not only what they\u2019ll do\u2014but who they\u2019re called to be. <br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Homecoming and Family Weekend Recap<\/strong><br>Homecoming and Family Weekend took place from October 10-12. <strong>Registered attendance increased by 700 this year to a total of 2,073 guests.<\/strong> Much of the increase was due to expanded partnerships with Music and Athletics, including three new events:<br><br><strong>\u2192<\/strong> <strong>Homecoming Athletics Tailgate <\/strong>prior to the afternoon sporting events<br><strong>\u2192<\/strong> <strong>St. Olaf Music Pre-Concert Tailgate<\/strong> prior to the evening St. Olaf Band Concert<br><strong>\u2192<\/strong> <strong>Family Weekend Jazz Brunch<\/strong> on Sunday featuring the St. Olaf Jazz Collective<br><br>Signature events continue to be an important strategy for building meaningful connections between alumni, families of current students, and the college.<br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Task Forces on Alumni Affinity and Identity and Family Engagement<\/strong><strong> <br><\/strong>An Alumni Affinity and Identity Task Force was established to understand how alumni connect to the college through shared identities and interests\u2014and to advise on ways to support meaningful engagement rooted in that understanding. This work reflects our broader commitment to strengthening connection in all its forms\u2014through common interests, activities, life experiences, and held identities. <br><br>The Family Engagement Task Force\u2014led by two parents of current students\u2014was charged with examining how families of current students connect to the college. They identified four core areas for action: communication, volunteering, events, and advancement. <br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Strengthening the Bridge Between Volunteerism and Philanthropy<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><br>The Alumni and Family Board and St. Olaf Fund Board have been working together through joint meetings and aligned initiatives to strengthen the bridge between volunteerism and philanthropy. This collaboration supports integrated strategies and shared leadership across advancement. <br><br><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">2024 Alumni Award Honorees<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><br>Each year, the Board proudly reviews nominations for the Alumni Awards, which honor Oles whose lives reflect the mission of the college. This year, we <a style=\"color: blue;\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/news\/honoring-the-2024-st-olaf-alumni-award-winners\">recognized five outstanding Oles<\/a>: <br><br><strong>Distinguished Alumni Award: <\/strong><br>\u2022 Sylvia Strobel \u201988, President and CEO of Twin Cities PBS and a leader in public media with 30+ years of service. <br><br><strong>Alumni Achievement Awards:<\/strong><br>\u2022 Ward Sutton \u201989, award-winning editorial cartoonist for The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, and The Onion. <br>\u2022 Lazarus Letcher \u201914, scholar, musician, and activist exploring justice and identity through art and education. <br><br><strong>Outstanding Service Awards: <\/strong><br>\u2022 John Hegg \u201963, a nationally recognized school counselor and loyal St. Olaf volunteer through class giving, board service, and reunion leadership. <br>\u2022 Cal Husmann \u201990, higher ed advancement leader and first-generation college graduate who remains deeply involved through philanthropy and volunteerism. <br><br>This November, the Board will host an on-campus celebration to honor the 2025 St. Olaf Alumni Award recipients. Mark Johnson &#8217;91, Sarah Branton &#8217;00, Sarah Hutto &#8217;01, Jon Nordby &#8217;70, and Alison Feigh &#8217;00. While on campus, honorees will visit classes and meet with small groups of students interested in their career fields. Complete information about our 2025 recipients will be featured in St. Olaf News as well as the online St. Olaf Magazine | Winter 2026. <br><br>\ud83c\udfc6 <strong>Nominate someone for next year\u2019s awards: <strong>\u2192<\/strong><\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.wufoo.com\/forms\/z1m9he4f1s6fnf5\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nomination Form<\/a> <\/strong><br><br><strong><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Celebrating Leadership<\/strong> <\/strong><br>At our April meeting, we celebrated Will Lutterman \u201915, whose board term concludes at the end of October. Will has been a thoughtful and steady presence and played a key role in reimagining the Board\u2019s structure and strategy. We\u2019re deeply grateful for his service. <br><br>Whether as a future board member or as part of a committee, we\u2019re always looking for volunteers who want to stay connected to the college in a meaningful way. Please share this message with anyone who might be interested \u2014 we\u2019d love to connect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Upcoming Events<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.alumniq.com\/index.cfm\/events:register\/home\/eventId\/6470\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">St. Olaf Virtual Book Club<\/a>: November 15, 2025<br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/christmas.stolaf.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christmas Festival:<\/a> December 5\u20137, 2025<br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.alumniq.com\/index.cfm\/events:register\/home\/eventId\/6464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Denver Christmas Festival Watch Party<\/a>: December 7, 2025<br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.alumniq.com\/index.cfm\/events:register\/home\/eventId\/6462\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NYC Christmas Festival Watch Party<\/a>: December 7, 2025<br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.alumniq.com\/index.cfm\/events:register\/home\/eventId\/6463\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bay Area Christmas Festival Watch Party<\/a>: December 7, 2025<br>\ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/stolaf.alumniq.com\/index.cfm\/events:register\/home\/eventId\/6471\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chicago Alumni Social<\/a>: December 17, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-background-color has-background has-medium-font-size\"><strong><strong style=\"color: #fcb900;\">Stay in Touch<\/strong> <\/strong><br>If you\u2019d like to reconnect \u2014 by nominating a board or committee member, offering feedback, or volunteering \u2014 please reach out to Matt Johnson.<br> <br>\ud83d\udce7 Send an email: <a href=\"mailto:johns189@stolaf.edu\" style=\"color: blue;\">johns189@stolaf.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advancing Solution Seekers St. Olaf\u2019s strategic plan, Solution Seekers, serves as the foundation for the college\u2019s future and the Board\u2019s work. The plan is anchored in three priorities: elevating vocation, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4424,"featured_media":113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/files\/2025\/08\/0P2A9671.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4424"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1026"}],"version-history":[{"count":57,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1199,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1026\/revisions\/1199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/afe\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}