Many of you have received emails from me about various huddle rooms that you have booked on the third floor of ESC in the coming weeks. I wanted to send a more comprehensive update about these rooms as well as what options exist for small meetings and calls over the next few weeks. The following rooms will be impacted by various furniture swaps just after the dates shown below:

• Leahy (offline after February 28th)

• Cavanaugh (offline after February 28th)

• Badin (offline after February 28th)

• 3777 (offline after March 8th)

• 3778 (offline after March 8th)

• First-come first-served huddle rooms next to George West’s current office and Anne Overly’s former office (not available after February 28th)

At the upcoming Blueprint, we will be going through an updated floor plan and instructions for booking newly created huddle rooms where the vacated Annual Giving and Prospect Management offices existed. Until then, we ask that you use the following rooms on a first-come, first–served basis for small meetings and calls:

• Office #3121, Katie Kerby’s vacated office, will remain available throughout construction

• All other offices lining the Annual Giving area have furniture swaps taking place February 29th and March 1st but are available for drop-in meetings/calls starting the week of March 4th

• The two huddle rooms near the Family Room in the “Blue Room” area will remain available throughout construction

• Cavanaugh Room has furniture swaps taking place February 29th and March 1st but is available for drop-in meetings/calls starting the week of March 4th

• Badin Room has furniture swaps taking place February 29th and March 1st but is available for drop-in meetings/calls starting the week of March 4th

• The Family Room, when not in use, can be a great place to have an impromptu meeting with a colleague

And then there are still a couple of currently bookable rooms available that are ideal for smaller meetings as well, both of which will remain available throughout construction:

• Rockne Room

• Hammes Room

• Holy Cross Room

During this transition period, we understand that finding a space for a small meeting may be more difficult but we appreciate your patience as we work through this. Please reach out with any questions or concerns!

Patty Kokesh

I want to alert you of a texting data issue that impacted several assigned benefactors yesterday. We intended to send a text alerting unassigned, undergraduate alumni of their dropped/missing 2024 football ticket lottery status and the text mistakenly went to certain individuals who do qualify for the 2024 Football Ticket Lottery, some of whom are assigned. I am very disappointed by this because our team should never reach out to assigned benefactors for things of this nature. Our communication with assigned benefactors is primarily restricted to stewardship and engagement based on their level of giving (Giving Society stewardship, etc.).

Everyone who received the text incorrectly also received an apology text 20 minutes later. Our team has been responsive to all inquiries and people have been very understanding, but I wanted to share a list of assigned benefactors who were impacted in case you also wanted to reach out to them.

Here is the list of people who are impacted >

I am really sorry about this issue. Please know how committed I am to ensuring this does not happen again.

-Katie Kerby

Please help us to welcome our newest Development Coordinator, Rebecca “Bec” Grose to Regional Development.

Bec is proud to be an Adam’s High School alumna, a graduate of Ivy Tech Community College and Ross Medical Education Center. For more than ten years, Bec worked as a certified Medical Assistant providing insurance and record keeping support for SBO, South Bend Clinic and Granger Community Medicine before testing her entrepreneurial skills as the owner/operator of Above Only Childcare.

Bec is a native of South Bend. She and her husband, Danny have three adult children and love being grandparents to four grandchildren (soon to be 5!) . Her passions include serving as the leader of the women’s worship group at her church, spending time with family, reading, music/dancing/singing and enjoying the outdoors.

Bec’s first day is Monday, February 26th.

Welcome, Bec!

Deena Chamberlin

Cellular signal strength has been an issue at Eddy Street from day one because the building is a large metal box that blocks signals. Plus, the interior rooms and offices have floor-to-ceiling metal walls which further block the signal.

To improve your cellular calling experience, it is strongly recommended to enable WiFi Calling on your mobile phone. This will allow your phone to utilize the eduroam wireless (and even your home wifi if you have bad cell coverage there) and should help with all calls from your phone. Please use these instructions from the OIT on how to turn on WiFi calling for both iPhone and Android phones.

WiFi Calling Instructions

If you received an email from Development devhelp to upgrade to Windows 11, your action is required!  The upgrade can take up to 2 hours so please install the Windows upgrade on your computer at your convenience and a time that will not interfere with your work schedule prior to Friday, March 1, 2024.  

If you do not perform this upgrade by Friday, March 1, 2024 the Windows 11 upgrade will automatically be installed when you login to your computer on or after Monday, March, 4, 2024, preventing you from working until it is complete.

If performing the upgrade from home, please be sure you are connected to the VPN!

Dear UR Team,

I wanted to let you know that Sean Sharpe informed Lou, Sara, and the Executive Directors that he will step away from leading the Northwest Team and become a fundraiser in regional development.

In his own words, Sean said, “This decision comes not only with mixed emotions, but with gratitude and excitement; I have truly enjoyed being a part of and leading the Northwest region, and am thankful for the opportunity. I am eternally grateful for the dedication, hard work, and collaboration among our team and the broader UR family. Our ERD/SRD team is the best in higher education, and I am grateful to be a part of it. I am also excited to contribute in a different capacity, as I feel at this time in my journey it is the best use of my skills and experience, and the most effective way for me to serve Our Lady and drive philanthropy for Notre Dame.”

I want to acknowledge Sean for giving everything he had to lead the Northwest Team. I am inspired by his commitment to serve Notre Dame and by the courage it takes to make this call. I have great admiration for both. Sean will remain the leader of the Northwest Team until the next Senior Regional Director is selected.

Though he will be in a new role, we will count on Sean to continue to be a leader in our department. With his energy, excitement and dedication to Notre Dame, I know success will follow for him in this next role.

For the Northwest team, we will begin discussions for that next leader shortly. More details to follow.

In Notre Dame,

Jerry

Please join us in welcoming Amy Dame to Regional Development as a Development Coordinator (DC).

A graduate of Illinois State University, Amy obtained her Master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago. She has spent the past four years at Mendoza working with Graduate Students in the MBA program. Amy lives in Granger with her husband and three boys and enjoys being her childrens’ “Uber” driver and watching their various activities, from soccer to hockey to lacrosse and Vex robotics.

Fun fact: Amy lived and worked in Las Vegas for 7 years.

Amy’s first day will be Monday, February 26th.

Angie Dennig and Lori Tinkey

Colleagues,

Please be aware of a recent change to the Storytelling team. As of today, Amber Cerveny is no longer with the University. If you were working with Amber on any projects, please get in touch with me for a project transition plan.

Thank you,
Brandon Tabor

Please note that the Women Owned Business Market mentioned in today’s souNDoff is being held on Monday, March 4th, not the 14th. The corrected blurb will run again next week and read:

Women Owned Business Market
In celebration of Women’s History Month, join South Bend vendors to shop and learn more about local women-owned businesses. The event will take place Monday, March 4, from 3-7PM in the Dahnke Ballroom. 

We apologize for any confusion.