August 9, 1999 Volume 21, No. 18

Two Positions Filled in the Office of Alumni Relations The professional staff in the Office of Alumni Relations is back to full strength. Gretchen Schaffer DeBolt, M.M. ’93, began her duties as assistant director for campus alumni activities on July 16, and Gregory Victory will start as associate director of alumni relations on August 16. DeBolt will plan and implement the College’s annual Homecoming and Reunion events and be responsible for ground-breakings, dedications, and other development-related activities. In addition, she will play an active role in strengthening the relationship between alumni relations and the campus community as well as support the efforts of the Student Alumni Association. DeBolt received a bachelor’s degree in music education from West Chester University and a master’s degree in music performance from Ithaca College. She started working at the College in 1990, first as a secretary in the office of the assistant vice president and treasurer and then as collection coordinator for Perkins student loans/financial offices assistant. She most recently served as administrative and executive secretary to the vice president for institutional advancement. She is a member of the All-College Planning and Priorities Committee and serves as cochair of the quality of work life task group. Serving as the College’s primary liaison with off-campus alumni will be a major part of Victory’s new duties. In addition to helping implement and manage a comprehensive program to support alumni participation in College programs, he has the primary responsibility for national alumni clubs and other off-campus programming. He will also help support Reunion and other on-campus programs and assist in developing short- and long-term strategic planning for alumni relations. Victory comes to Ithaca College from the Crouse Health Foundation in Syracuse, where he served as campaign coordinator for a $7.7 million capital campaign. In addition to maintaining a community-wide public relations plan, he was responsible for special events relating to the campaign, donor records, and a training program for more than 150 volunteers. Prior to that, Victory was a social studies teacher in the Fulton City School District in Fulton, New York. A graduate of Le Moyne College, he has been member of the Le Moyne College Alumni Board of Governors since 1993. Both DeBolt and Victory report to Graham Stewart ’81, who assumed the directorship of alumni relations in May. "The efforts that began last fall to fill these two key positions have paid off very well," says Stewart. "Gretchen and Greg will solidify our staff and allow us to move forward. I would like to welcome them aboard and express my appreciation to the office’s support staff — Anita Costa, Cerise Foster, and Melinda Butler — for a wonderful job of keeping things running smoothly while working with an interim professional staff."