Colleagues,

Wishing much happiness to Jared Mrozinske and Jenna Bilinski who got engaged on Saturday at Rocco’s (the site of their first date!). They had a marvelous evening celebrating with friends and family! As Jared says, “We could not be happier!”

Brooke’s mother, Mary Kay Tuohy, MD, died on September 24th at her home in St. Paul, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Sunday, September 28th, and a private burial takes place today, September 29th.

Here is the obituary: http://www.ohalloranmurphy.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2719705&fh_id=12984

To respond to the growing needs of Notre Dame’s graduate business programs, the Mendoza College of Business has created the Graduate Business Fund. This fund effectively replaces the MBA Annual Fund.

Alumni and friends who give to the Graduate Business Fund support the key priorities of the MBA, EMBA, MNA, MSA, and MSM (formerly MSB) programs. The Fund offers a convenient way to directly and immediately benefit every aspect of the Graduate Business experience at Notre Dame. Donors may choose to direct support to the specific program of their choice.

The first Graduate Business Fund campaign will begin with a mailing that is scheduled to drop on Tuesday, September 30. It will be sent to Graduate Business alumni excluding Double Domers.

Please visit http://supporting.nd.edu/annual-giving/graduate-business-fund/ for more information.

Please contact Jim Cunningham at jcunni10@nd.edu with any questions.

It is with sympathy that I share news about the passing of Laura O’Sullivan’s grandmother, Helen Murphy. Helen was a member of Holy Cross Parish, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday, September 29, 2014 at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN, where a Parish Rosary will be prayed at 4:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to: Harbor Light Hospice, 1608 E. Day Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545. To send condolences, please visit, www.kaniewski.com.

I know you will keep Laura and her family in your prayers.

Katherine Lane

Please remember to have attendees for the Stanford Pep Rally Reception entered in BEAT by Tuesday, September 30 at 5 PM.  Also, please remember to have attendees for the Stanford Tailgate entered in BEAT by Friday, October 3 at Noon.

If you have any questions about the pep rally receptions, please feel free to contact Teri Vitale at 1-9986 or Heather Moriconi at 1-9784. If you have questions about the game day tailgates, please contact Jennifer McGuire at 1-3278, Mary Fisher at 1-3663, or Sara Kassen at 1-2975.

This best practice is brought to you by Development’s ND Voice Committee and their initiative to enhance communication by sharing best practices for employee recognition and appreciation.  Special thanks to Sara Kassen and Carolyn Lax for this month’s posting.

Employee recognition is on every organization’s to-do list but sometimes gets de-prioritized.  Studies show when putting together a recognition program it is important to praise effort and reward results. Being recognized for achievements, knowing one’s contributions matter to the organization, and the opportunity for growth and professional development have all been shown to have a considerable impact on employee satisfaction and commitment.

The University of Washington established an employee recognition program to raise morale and to encourage higher levels of performance.  One of the ideas they created was  a “Stress Support Kit” which included a comedy video, healthy snacks, wind-up toys and a stress ball.  Employees were gifted the kits as a way to acknowledge their hard work and effort during stressful times.

Another idea to reward employees who make a difference is through gift cards.  The amount of gift cards can be $25 and under and can be purchased at a variety of places close to campus including:  Kilwin’s, the ND Bookstore, Jamba Juice, McAlister’s, Biggby’s, Rolf’s for a zumba class, Chiptole, etc. Please be advised that gift cards are taxable compensation and you can find information regarding gift tax policies at http://controller.nd.edu/assets/91706/gift_current.pd.

Let us know if you implement any of the best practices we’ve posted and be sure to stay tuned for next month’s best practice brought to you by your ND Voice Committee.

Annual Giving & Strategic Marketing is excited to announce the inaugural Proud to Be ND Virtual Run and Walk!  This #GivingTuesday,December 2, give the gift of a Notre Dame education, and get active wherever you are!

1. Register at http://Proudtobe.ND.edu/VirtualRun by choosing a distance and making a gift to the Notre Dame Fund.

2. On #GivingTuesday, December 2, run or walk (or bike, or swim…) your pledged distance. Share your photos and videos using #ProudtobeND!

3. All Virtual Run & Walk donors will receive a finisher’s medal in the mail. Register by October 19 and receive your medal before race day!

Questions? Contact Race Director Jonathan Retartha, ’07 ’11 at Jonathan.Retartha@ND.edu or 574-631-5340.

 Faculty and Staff receive a 10% discount in Starbucks everyday!  Just show your ID.

The American Heart Association will be hosting the St. Joseph County Heart & Stroke Walk 5K Walk/Run on Sunday September 28th from 1pm – 4pm

This event will require us to close Eddy St.  Eddy Street will be closed at 10 a.m. on this date and will re-open after 6pm.

The Parking Garage at Eddy Street Commons will remain open for guests, employees, and event parking customers.  Patrons can enter the garage off of Angela on Burns Street (next to Fairfield Inn & Suites).   You will be able to exit the garage on Burns St onto Angela Blvd.  Please notify all employees and residents.  Parking will be FREE for this event.

It’s with great excitement that I announce our two new teammates to Development’s Marketing & Communications Team!

Ms. Catey Traylor, a 2014 graduate from Central Michigan University – and, Mr. Terry Howard a 2013 graduate of the University of Notre Dame.  They will be asked to “fill the shoes” of Michael Rodio and Bob Quakenbush…

We had more than 100 outstanding applicants for these two open positions – and I will tell you we are EXCITED about these two talented individuals!

Ms. Catey Traylor hails from “Pure” Michigan.  She grew up riding horses (family owns a horse farm), playing softball and writing stories in a north-west suburb of Detroit called South Lyon.  She was the “Editor-in-Chief” of Central Michigan University’s student-run school newspaper – responsible for a staff of over 50 students.

Catey was one of 20 top college journalists selected by the Carnegie-Knight Foundation Initiative to participate in an eight-month investigative project about post-9/11 war veterans reacclimating to civilian life.  Catey spent the summer traveling all over the country interviewing homeless veterans.

Catey also spent a summer at New York University as an intern in NYU’s Hyperlocal Newsroom.  Her “news beat” was local shops and she wrote stories, shot video and photo and created multimedia packages about life in East Village, Manhattan.

Catey graduated from CMU with a degree in Online Journalism with minors in Media Design, Production and Technology, and Leadership.

Catey Traylor Fun Fact: College and NBA sports fans may recognized the last name TRAYLOR.  Catey’s first-cousin Robert “Tractor” Traylor was a college basketball star at the University of Michigan and played seven seasons in the NBA.

Here’s what one of Catey’s supervisors (Mary Marron) at CMU said about her:   Mary stated that she is one of Catey’s biggest fans. Catey was an incredibly engaged and outgoing student – with these personal traits:

– Mature– Reliable– Hard-working– Accepting of challenges– Go-Getter– Self-motivated– Willing to take direction and learn

Mr. Terry Howard is a “Hoosier” from just down the road from South Bend in a town called North Judson, IN.  Terry grew up on a gravel road — playing football and baseball in this farming community.

An “early admit” to the University of Notre Dame – Terry is the first person in his famiy to go to college.  He graduated from Notre Dame with a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing.

While at Notre Dame, Terry was a student assistant at the Hesburgh Libraries – all four years.  He was also very involved with Inter-Hall sports for the BIG RED of Dillon Hall – the best residence hall on campus!

Since graduating from ND in 2013, Terry has been serving as the Assistant to the Director of the Pulaski County Community Development Commission. He also worked as a Community Impact Intern for the United Way of St. Joseph County and served on the Long Range Planning Committee for the Pulaski County Library.

We also learned that Terry and his Dad have “played catch” – in 25 states – with a goal to do this in all 50 states.  When they take family trips in the car – they will pull off the side of the road, grab the mitts and a ball and play catch.  Isn’t that cool!

Terry Howard Fun Fact:  Terry is the all-time career-rushing leader at New Judson – San Pierre High School!

Here’s what Notre Dame Professor Valerie Sayers had to say about Terry:

In fall 2012, Terry was a student in my advanced fiction workshop, and undergraduate elective that attracts the strongest writers on campus.  He quickly distinguished himself as one of the stand-out writers of narrative.  The first line of my first set of commentary on his work reads;  “You’re a graceful, straightforward writer who takes a big chance here,”  — taking a chance signifying a level of above-and-beyond engagement with the material that I tell my students makes a writer.  Fiction writing may be the best test of initiative ever devised and it was my sense that Terry pushed himself to write at a level of complexity that most college students aren’t ready yet to achieve.  By the second manuscript I wrote “It’s very exciting to see this draft, both because it confirms my initial sense that you have talent and because these pages real liveliness and engage the reader throughout.”  By the time he submitted his final project, I felts a strong writer had achieved a new level of depth and development.

Terry is intelligent, thoughtful, witty and charming.  I recommend him without reservation and with admiration and regard.

Please be sure to stop by and welcome Catey and Terry to Notre Dame – we’re excited they’re here!

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Jim Gosz has joined the
Operations & Technology team in Annual Giving & Strategic Marketing as
Assistant Director of Digital Content. Jim joins us from the
Mishawaka-based media conglomerate Schurz Communications where he
served as Digital Creative Director.  In that role, he was creative and process 
lead for the digital communication efforts of various cable,
television, radio, and newspaper properties across the country.

Prior to Schurz Communications, Jim spent a total of 9 years working
for the University in both the Information Technologies department as
a Web Designer and the University Communications Department as a
Senior Interactive Designer.

As Assistant Director of Digital Content, he will oversee oversee the strategic plan, program management and execution for procurement of digital content to be included in
the strategic and fund marketing efforts of the annual giving team, as well as
supporting various strategic marketing efforts through the analysis of
digital content effectiveness.  Jim will also partner with Marketing Communications (Development), OPAC and NDAA on digital content initiatives.  

Jim and his wife, Dori, have 3 children: Jacob (8), Lucas (5), and Nathan (2).

Please join me in welcoming Jim to the University Relations team.

Please join me in welcoming Michael (Mike) Svarovsky as a new Director, Corporate Relations working primarily with the College of Science.

Mike comes to us from 3M where he was a Microbiologist and Group Leader within their Corporate Research Materials Laboratory. In addition to conducting research at the interface of microbiology and materials science, Mike was a member of 3M’s Academic Relations Committee and served as the liaison for several interactions between the company and academia including 3M’s industrial membership in the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State, sponsored fellowships for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin, and recruiting Ph.D. candidates from UW’s College of Engineering.

Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2000. He went on to complete a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006.

Mike, his wife Gina Navoa Svarovsky and their 2 year old daughter, Sonia, relocated to South Bend from Minneapolis.  Gina holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a Masters in Education from Notre Dame (through the ACE program), and a Masters and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She is an Assistant Professor of Practice with a joint appointment in the College of Engineering and the Center for STEM Education within the Institute for Educational Initiatives.
Jeff Arnold, Director of Corporate Relations

We wish Lauren Dunbar the very best as she has decided to return to her career in real estate.  Lauren has been a great team player in the Annual Giving & Strategic Marketing organization as the leader of the Alumni 21+ years out segment for the last two years.  She will be missed, but will remain in the area.

Lauren is pursuing her real estate interests to provide greater flexibility after she and her husband Josh welcomed they daughter Louisa into their family earlier this year.  Please join me in wishing Lauren well.

The position of Assistant Director, Alumni 21+ will be posted onjobs.nd.edu shortly.  Jonathan Retartha is covering the 21+ Alumni responsibilities until Lauren’s replacement is hired.

Brian Couch, Sr. Director, Annual Giving & Strategic Marketing

Please join me in congratulating Geoff Stookey recently promoted to Budget Analyst.  In addition to a growing portfolio of budget management, Geoff will manage the credit card payment gateways and ensure our compliance with credit card payment industry standards.  He is also responsible for the review of certain audit reports to ensure data quality.  Geoff has taken a leadership role with the management of the monthly gift reports and has done an excellent job in reviewing Suspense Funds and Sundry Outright Gifts.  Geoff always enjoys a challenge and worked diligently to identify over $500k in funds that helped us reach our Unrestricted Goal of $40M in FY 2014!  We look forward to seeing what he will accomplish in 2015 and beyond!

We have a new face in Finance!  Suzanne Dunne joins the University Relations Finance Team on Monday, September 22^nd.  She will provide financial management and budget oversight for Annual Giving Programs, Principal Gifts, Special Events, President’s Circle and Advisory Councils.  She will also be involved in financial forecasting and special initiatives.

Suzanne is a University of Notre Dame MBA Fellow and earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Washington, Seattle.  She is Six Sigma Greenbelt Certified and is a Project Management Professional. Suzanne is a strong leader as evidenced by her service in the United States Navy – Surface Warfare Officer and is experienced in financial management through her work at Honeywell Aerospace, The Vanguard Group and Whirlpool Corporation.

I am delighted to announce that Aaron Wall will be taking on an additional assignment as the Program Manager for Notre Dame Day, 2015, reporting to me.  This assignment will be in addition to Aaron’s current role as Associate Director, Student Philanthropy.

Aaron will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination and execution of Notre Dame Day which we be held on April 27, 2015, building on the incredible success of Notre Dame Day, 2014.  As program manager, Aaron will lead the Core Team that actively manages the Notre Dame Day scope and work plan, while also coordinating the activities of the campus-wide Executive Steering Committee.

Aaron has demonstrated a high level of leadership and program management skills in the successful launch and development of our vibrant Student Philanthropy program.

Please join me in congratulating Aaron on his expanded role, and supporting him as we take Notre Dame Day, 2015 to new heights.

Brian Couch, Sr. Director, Annual Giving & Strategic Marketing.

Jack Cashel Lazenga was born 9/21/14 at 8:58 pm to delighted parents Beth Ferlic and Nate Lazenga. He was 8 pounds 1 ounce and 21.74 inches. He is named for Nate’s late father and the city in Ireland where Beth and Nate were engaged.

The family is all doing very well, and Beth says she is “so relieved and overjoyed.”

Dear Team,

It is with great enthusiasm that I announce Patty Herrity will be transitioning to the role of Development Project Specialist for the following 24 months.

In this role, Patty will serve as the primary liaison for the Campus Crossroads Project as well as manage four strategic projects in various areas of the Development organization.

Patty will report directly to me over these two years, and will split her time between the Joyce Center and Eddy Street Commons / Grace Hall. Patty’s experience in the Ticket Office,  Donor Services, and Prospect Management prepare her for this multi faceted rotation opportunity.

Patty will begin this transition effective Monday, September 22, and she will split her time between the project specialist role and prospect management for the next four weeks, as we identify her successor in Prospect Management.

Please join me in congratulating Patty as she embarks on the next phase of her career in serving Notre Dame.

All my best, 
Micki 

Dear Colleagues,

The 2014 Fall Mailing began to drop on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.  Pieces take 3-5 business days to reach the Notre Dame family around the country.

This mailing is a foldout brochure that uses great images to instill nostalgia and remind them of their love for Notre Dame. The mailing was sent to over 130,000 alumni, parents and friends, and contains both a reply card and a business reply envelope.

This piece would not have come together without the ongoing partnership with University Communications and the hard work of Morgan Bullock and Lindahl Wiegand. Thank you!

Go Irish!

Amy Schell, Director, Annual Giving Funds

The American Heart Association will be hosting the St. Joseph County Heart & Stroke Walk 5K Walk/Run on Sunday September 28th from 1pm – 4pm

This event will require us to close Eddy Street at 10 a.m. on this date and will re-open after 6pm.

The Parking Garage at Eddy Street Commons will remain open for guests, employees, and event parking customers.  Patrons can enter the garage off of Angela on Burns Street (next to Fairfield Inn & Suites).   You will be able to exit the garage on Burns St onto Angela Blvd.  Parking will be FREE for this event.

On September 23rd, these three teams will join forces for a ‘TEAM BUILD’.  Together, we will be constructing Pallet Christmas Trees for purchase by our UR Colleagues with the proceeds going to make an impactful donation to a local charity.  Each pre-ordered 4’ tree will cost $20 ($25 with the base) and be delivered by the first week of October.

Order now to spruce up your holiday decorating and support our team building and philanthropic activity!

Place your order via email with Sarah Bogucki (sbogucki@nd.edu) by September 23rd, both cash and check will be accepted.

Free on-campus health screenings

Screenings will be at ESC on Oct 9th and at Grace on Oct 24th.
Schedule your on-campus screening by calling askHR at 631 5900.  For more information about screenings and Your HRQ, click here.

Development Colleagues,

University Relations has two open roles for Associate Directors, Global Advancement.. If you are interested in these positions, please apply at jobs.nd.edu. The job # is S14082.

on behalf of Maria Di Pasquale:

I’m teaching a class this semester working with Healthworks Kids Museum downtown to identify opportunities to improve the museum and bring more visitors there. Students in my class are looking to interview parents with young children (up to approx 8 yrs old) to find out your needs and wants in regards to places where you can take your children to entertain them. It doesn’t matter if you have visited Healthworks or not. If you wouldn’t mind participating, students will contact you to schedule a short interview at a convenient location, (with or without your children), say perhaps a park or playground where your kids can play at the same time.

For families who haven’t been to Healthworks, you can also schedule your interview there and have your family enjoy the facilities at no cost. Your initial thoughts on visiting the museum for the first time will be of great interest.

If you can help us out, please email me at  aconrado@nd.edu  with your name, and contact info (email and/or phone number) and a student will contact you in the next few days. The interviews will take place over the next two weeks. Thank you so much!

Ann-Marie Conrado, Assistant Professor, Anthropology

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to Teri Vitale and her family on the death of her father-in-law. Eugene “Pete” Vitale passed away on September 1st at the age of 87. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm Friday, September 5, in the Palmer Funeral Home -Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan Street, South Bend, where friends may visit for one hour prior. Military graveside services and burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be donated to Corvilla, Inc., 3231 Sugar Maple Business Court, South Bend, IN  46628.

Please join the Chicago Regional Office in welcoming Anna Seghetti as a new Administrative Assistant on our team!
Anna graduated Magna Cum Laude from Notre Dame in 2010 and she is currently pursuing her Masters of Nonprofit Administration at Notre Dame.  Anna has spent the past four years working for the Chicago Historical Museum, and in that role has had valuable experiences in event planning, stewardship and development.  Anna shares a great passion for Our Lady’s University and Her mission, and we are thrilled to have her join our (growing!) team based in Chicago.  Anna will begin on Monday, September 8th – welcome, Anna!

Rich Reynolds’ daughter Ryan (’09) and her husband Erik (’09) had a son on Saturday the 30th of August. His name is Callan Paul Condra and he weighed 6 lbs 14 ozs, and was 19 inches tall. Callan is Rich and Kim’s first grandchild.

The Kelly Cares Foundation will be hosting Gameday Chase Race 5K/10K this Saturday, September 6th, from 6am-10am.

This event will require us to close Eddy St. and a portion of Napolean St. at 3 a.m. on this date and will re-open after 10am.

The Parking Garage at Eddy Street Commons will remain open for guests, employees, and paid event parking customers.  Patrons can enter the garage off of Angela on Burns Street (next to Fairfield Inn & Suites).   You will be able to exit the garage on Burns St onto Angela Blvd.  Please notify all employees and residents

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Eddy Street Commons Management Office

It is my pleasure to announce that Erin Fessler, Class of 2014, has joined the UR team as an Intern for the Class Agent program.  Erin will be researching peer institutions on their own class agent programs, recommending a course of action and executing a Class Agent Program unique to Notre Dame.  Erin successfully served as the Co-Chair for the Senior Legacy for the Class of 2014 and spent three years working as a caller and manager in the phone center.  Please join me in welcoming Erin back to Notre Dame after a few post-graduate months in Ecuador.

God Bless,

Aaron Wall

On September 23^rd, these three teams will join forces for a ‘TEAM BUILD’.  Together, we will be constructing Pallet Christmas Trees for purchase by our UR Colleagues with the proceeds going to make an impactful donation to a local charity.  Each pre-ordered 4’ tree will cost $20 and be delivered by the first week of October.

Order now to spruce up your holiday decorating and support our team building and philanthropic activity!

Place your order via email with Sarah Bogucki (sbogucki@nd.edu) by September 23^rd, both cash and check will be accepted.

Congratulations to Al and Marilyn Bucci on the birth of their grandson, Rocco Bucci.  Rocco was born August 29th weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces.