Dear Colleagues:

I write to remind you that in preparation for the next campaign, we are conducting a stewardship audit to determine strategies to positively impact the donor experience at many levels. We are starting with a basic SWOT analysis, documenting the stewardship strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for key groups of donors. Key areas of focus include the following: principal donors, gift planning donors, recognition societies, matching gift stewardship, corporations and foundations, etc.

I want to thank those colleagues who have aided us in this analysis thus far. Once we identify the numerous opportunities for an enhanced donor experience, we will start to prioritize the strategies and hold a variety of small focus groups to review recommendations for future enhancements. We anticipate these focus groups will take place in late spring and we look forward to your participation. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Warm regards,

Katherine Lane, Director of Stewardship Programs

Colleagues:

I am pleased to advise you that Amy Huff has recently joined the University Relations’ Finance Team as a Finance & Business Analyst.  Amy’s primary area of responsibility is budget support and financial review for Public Affairs and Communications.  She will be a valuable partner to this area of University Relations and will enhance our team’s ability to support the growing needs of our Division.

Amy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame in May 2004 and is a CPA.  She started her career as an audit associate at McGladrey and Pullen, LLP and then joined Bass Pro Shops – Corporate Offices as an Accounting Manager.

Amy and her husband, Cory, have two young children, Charlie (2 ½) and Reagan (almost 1).  When Amy is not busy taking care of their boys, she enjoys working out, reading, and watching movies.

Amy’s first day is Monday, February 4^th.

Mary Ellen Koepfle, Director, Finance & Administration

The Parents Program has coordinated a web-streamed presentation for parents that will be presented tonight, January 28th, at 7 p.m. EST.  The Offices of Housing, International Studies, Student Accounts, Registrar, and the Career Center will share information with parents.  If you are a Domer, or work with Notre Dame parents, this is information you will want to have.

http://parents.nd.edu/news/36884-live-streamed-parent-information-panel/

Barbara M. Kelly, Parents Program

It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing of Jackie Rucker’s mother, Mrs. Elvira Burns. Jackie had worked with Hospice over the past few days and had moved her mom into Hospice House yesterday. Jackie was informed early this morning that her mother passed away in her sleep. Arrangements are pending but in the meantime, please keep Jackie and her family in your prayers.

Timothy D. Sexton, Associate Vice President for Public Affairs

OK friends, we need you!  The Pink Zone Spin-A-Thon is coming up and we still need spinners!!

We have slots open from 9:00 pm Saturday, January 26th through 7:00 am Sunday, January 27th.  If you remember last year, those spots were the most fun and entertaining!

Please contact Amanda Matthews or anyone on the Pink Zone committee and sign up soon.  We want to make sure we have all of our slots filled and make a major impact on the event.

Thanks for helping Development help the Fighting Irish Fighting Cancer!

Our sympathy to Anne Griffith and her husband John, as his mother Jean Butler Griffith O’Connell passed away Saturday January 19 in Dayton, Ohio. Jean was surrounded by her husband, Jack O’Connell and her four sons John, Kevin, Edmund, and Gregory when she peacefully passed on at eighty years of age.

Jean was proud of her Irish heritage and, as an ND parent, loved Notre Dame. Please keep Anne, John, and their family in your prayers as they remember Jean.

The viewing will take place from 4:00pm-8:00pm on Friday, January 25, 2013 at Routsong Funeral Home in Kettering, Ohio and a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, January 26, 2013 at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, OH 45420.

http://www.tributes.com/condolences/view_memories/95112453#4888661

Today’s Soup It Up brought in nearly $400.00 again.  Thank you to all involved. 

Congratulations to Jenn Binder for winning the T Shirt raffle today.  If you came for lunch but did not get a ticket, one was signed and dropped in the bucket on your behalf.

Next week we will switch it up a little and Toss It Up!  Soup and Salad are on the menu.  And possibly some surprise guests!!

See you next Thursday, January 24th.  

Please join me in welcoming Lindsey Bennett to the Notre Dame Development team as Administrative Assistant in the West Region effective Monday, January 21.  Lindsey will give administrative support to Regional Director Stephen Smith.

Lindsey, South Bend native, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in 2009 from Indiana University.  Prior to returning to South Bend, Lindsey spent two years in Korea at the Yongsan International School of Seoul as a curriculum assistant.

Lindsey is no stranger to our Development office, as since June 2012 she has assisted Development with the distribution and processing of athletic ticket requests and payments, interacting closely with our donors.

Lindsey is married to Brian who is a high school chemistry/biology teacher.  She enjoys traveling, reading, and gardening.  Most recently Lindsey and Brian are the proud owners of their first home, purchased over the holidays in South Bend.

Please join me in congratulating Lindsey on her new role in Development and in welcoming her to the West Region team!

In Notre Dame,

Kevin P. Cannon, Senior Director of Development, West Region

Jump Start your 2013 with a Spin! 

In support of the Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Pink Zone efforts to raise money for breast cancer research, the Development Office is teaming up with Knollwood Country Club, the College of Science, and RecSports on the annual Spin-A-Thons.  Their respective dates and times are:

Rec Sports at the Rock:  Friday, January 25^th, 12:00pm – Saturday, January 26^st, 12:00pm

To sign-up, visit http://recsports.nd.edu/ and click on the Pink Zone link.

Knollwood CC:  Saturday, January 26^th, 8:00 am – January 27^th, 8:00 am

The Development office has reserved a bike for the full 24 hours at Knollwood CC.  Please email me ASAP if you’d like to reserve some time.

The donation to ride is $50/hour.  Checks should be made out to the Foundation of SJRMC (Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center) and can be brought to the Spin-A-Thon or given to me prior to event.  Donations are tax deductible!  The dollars raised will stay in the community, assisting women who need mammograms but cannot afford them.

** Please know that you may also sponsor a rider (any amount accepted) if you are not able to physically participate in the event.

If questions, please contact me at x5311 or liebscher.1@nd.edu.  Thanks, and Go Irish!  Go Pink!

Don’t Bring Lunch on Thursday!

Join the ND Pink Zone to SOUP IT UP! 

 Who: ND Pink Zone presents SOUP IT UP!

When: From 12:00-1:00pm on Thursday, January 17^th

Where: In Eddy Street Development’s Family Room and Sorin Board Room

What: For a donation of $5, you can enjoy a cookie, a piece of fresh crusty bread, and steaming bowl of one several varieties of delicious homemade soups. Or for $7 you can try our three soup sampler which includes your choice of three cups of soup, along with bread and a cookie.  In addition, we will have raffle prizes and awesome Pink Zone gear for sale!

Here are some of the wonderful homemade soups we will be serving:

 Devilish Shrimp Bisque    Broccoli Cheddar    Hearty Chili    Southwest Black Bean    Potato Vegetable    Savory Chicken Noodle    Veggie Chili    Italian Lentil    White Chicken Chili

Why: Funds raised from this year’s Pink Zone events at Notre Dame will be donated nationally to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund and locally to the Foundation of Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center’s Women’s Task Force, which includes the Secret Sisters Society and Young Survivors group. Don’t go out in the cold for lunch! Enjoy some healthy, delicious, homemade soup for a great cause in the comfort of your office.

How: Bring your wallet, appetite, and support for a great cause and get ready to Soup It Up!!

I am pleased to announce that Julia and Andrew Sama have a new blessing!

Their baby daughter, Devon Kelly Sama, was born on January 10^th at 7:08 pm and weighed 6 lbs and measured 19.5 inches.  Julia, Devon and Andrew are all doing well.  Please join me in wishing the Sama family the very best.

Shannon Cullinan

Dear UR Colleagues:

I am so very pleased to announce that Beth Ferlic and her husband Nate Lazenga are the proud parents of a perfect little girl! Novena Katherine Lazenga was welcomed into the world last night (December 9^th) at 9:09 p.m., weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Both Beth and Novena are doing well. Notes of congratulations can be sent to Beth at 1610 Cedar Street, South Bend, IN 46617. Please see adorable picture attached.

Warm regards,

Katherine Lane

Dear Colleagues –

The position of Coordinator, Donor Experience has been posted on the HR web page.   This position reports directly to the Manager, Donor Experience (a position which is currently open in the organization).

The Donor Experience team is principally responsible for providing a high level of support directly to the more than 10,000 members of recognition societies at Notre Dame who contribute more than $27.5 million in annual giving to support the University.  The Donor Experience team serves donors who are members of the Sorin Society, the Order of St. Thomas More, the John Cardinal O’Hara Society and the Rockne Heritage Foundation Director’s Circle.

Core processes in the Donor Experience area include: acknowledgements, football ticket support, concierge service, annual renewals, voice of the donor engagement, and phone and e-mail communications.  High service levels are being targeted principally through the application of continuous improvement methods to drive standard work and flow in the Donor Experience operations.  Innovation and adoption of best-in-class stewardship practices from other organizations are critical to the continued success of these efforts.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply on-line and contact me directly to discuss the position.

In Notre Dame,

Brian Couch, Sr. Director, Annual Giving Programs

Please join me in wishing Mary Jane Elias, Coordinator, Office Services, good luck and well wishes as she begins her retirement from the University after 15 years of service. Mary Jane joined the Notre Dame family in 1997 with the Office of Residence Life & Housing and later transitioned to Athletics in 2000.

Today is Mary Jane’s last day in the office (seriously this time) so please be sure to stop by her office (located behind the basketball auditorium between the Men’s & Women’s Basketball offices) this morning to wish her well!  Mary Jane will keep her email address if you wish to contact her in that way:   melias@nd.edu

Good Luck Mary Jane!!

Please join us in congratulating Paul and Janet and their son, Jonah, who welcomed the newest member of the Weikel household over the holiday break. Their second son, Ethan Longjie (LONG-JEE-A), was born the morning of Dec. 28th, 2012.

They  wish to offer their thanks to everyone for all of the well wishes and prayers. Paul offers this on their son’s name:

“In case you were wondering, Chinese names are typically 2 words put together poetically.  “Long” means “dragon” and “Jie” means “outstanding qualities of”.  So, if you take the meaning of his Hebrew name and put it all together he becomes a “outstanding, long-lived and wise dragon”.  I doubt he’ll ever live that down!”    

Please welcome Sue Lister, our new associate director for internal communications, effective Jan. 7. Sue will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies for communicating with Notre Dame faculty and staff through ND Works, The Week@ND, Today@ND, listservs and other channels. She also will contribute to the crisis communications team and assist with other areas in University Communications.

Sue most recently worked at Whirlpool Corporation, including both internal and external communications. She also served as communications coordinator at nearby Lake Michigan College, associate commissioner of the Big Ten Conference, and in sports information and media relations at Duquesne University and her alma mater, Bethany College (West Virginia).

Sue’s office will be on the fifth floor of Grace Hall with other members of University Communications.

Welcome, Sue!

Dennis Brown, University spokesman and assistant vice president for public information and communications

Jay and Renee Rizzi,  with Big Sister Paloma, welcomed Donato Joseph, on Tuesday, January 8th. Donato weighed 7lbs 8oz; his parents are tired and happy.

Please join us in welcoming Liz Harter to University Communications. Effective Jan. 7, Liz will take on the position of Social Media Program Manager and will be responsible for developing, managing and executing the overall social media and online community strategy for the University, plus managing Notre Dame’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels. She also will oversee monitoring and analysis of social media activity around the Notre Dame brand, working closely with Athletics, Alumni, and other departments to ensure a unified voice and presence.

Liz is a 2009 Saint Mary’s graduate who served as the Saint Mary’s news editor of the Observer as an undergrad. She joins us from the Cincinnati-based software company Cincom, where she had been working as an associate public relations specialist focused on Web and social media, e-publications and video production.

Follow Liz on Twitter at @EAHarter, and be sure to get to know her in person as well. Her office will be located on the 5^th floor of Grace Hall in the multimedia suite.

Welcome, Liz!

Julie Flory, Director of Public Relations

Please join me in welcoming Mayuri Changede as a new data analyst with DIS. Her role will be to collaborate with others in University Relations in performing analysis, design, development, support and maintenance of the system applications which support our development goals. This includes web development, Business Objects, and the creation and maintenance of standard reports and ad-hoc requests.

Mayuri graduated in 2008 with a B.S. in Computer Science from University of Pune (Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering) in India. She comes to Notre Dame from Infosys Technologies Limited which she worked as a Software Engineer for 3 years before moving to the United States with her new husband. Mayuri’s technical background and educational background will be a great asset to the department.

Mayuri will join the DIS team on January 7.  Please welcome Mayuri to Notre Dame!

Carleen Quinlan, Director of Development Information Services