Dear Friends,

I am excited to announce that, effective August 9, Ashley Bennett will assume the role of Sr. Director of Special Events. Reporting to me and Heather Christophersen (Associate Vice President, Advancement Services) and serving on the University Events leadership team, Ashley will strategically lead our very talented Special Events team and oversee event planning and execution efforts with our key partners in University Relations as well as our Executive Officers, PLC, Deans, Board of Trustees and Advisory Council members.

Ashley has served as the Associate Director of Events and Guest Services at DeBartolo Performing Arts Center for 10 years. In this role, she coordinated all aspects of DPAC’s special events, creating a unique and personalized experience for over 500 events annually. During this past year’s COVID period, her leadership was on full display as she designed, facilitated, and executed all aspects of the TutorND program alongside partners from the Institute for Educational Initiatives, Robinson Community Learning Center and Alliance for Catholic Education.

Ashley is a proud graduate of Indiana University. She and her husband Dave, a Mishawaka fireman and paramedic of 25 years, reside in Mishawaka. They have two amazing children Maria and Phillip. Maria will be a freshman at Indiana University this fall pursuing a degree in nursing, and Phillip will be a freshman at Marian High School.

Please join me in congratulating Ashley and welcoming her to our University Events family!

Lee Sicinski
Associate Vice President
University Events

Please join me in congratulating Colleen Cross and fellow Double Domer and ND employee Joe Quinn, who were married in a ceremony at the Basilica on July 30. Colleen and Joe were the model of patience and persistence during a long year of pandemic-related reschedules, and the Foundation Relations team couldn’t be happier that the two finally got to celebrate their big day with family and friends.

Best wishes to the newlyweds on starting their next adventure together!

-Amanda Retartha

It is my pleasure to welcome Caitlyn Clinton and Leslie Curry to the Giving Programs team!

Caitlyn is a 2020 graduate of the University of Notre Dame with a BA in American Studies and a Minor in Business and Economics. Prior to starting her role with University Relations, Caitlyn was a Marketing and Social Media Specialist for Operation BBQ Relief. While at the University, Caitlyn was involved in Student Government, Ryan Hall leadership, Fighting Irish Media, and most importantly, the University Relations Internship! Caitlyn will oversee ND Listens, the Class of 2022 Notre Dame Pledge, and other student focused initiatives. I’m so excited for the good work Caitlyn will do with our students.

Leslie graduated from Valparaiso University with a BS in Business Administration, and additionally, she has a Project Management Professional certification. Prior to coming to University Relations, Leslie was the Director of Annual Giving at Valparaiso University. She is well-versed in the world of Development, and more specifically, Annual Giving. Leslie will manage our Annual Giving renewal process, drive revenue for the Notre Dame Fund, and increase the total number of recurring Annual Giving donors. I have full confidence that Leslie’s experience and skill set will elevate the work we do on the Giving Programs Team.

Please join me in welcoming both Caitlyn and Leslie!

-Katie Kerby

Happy Birthday to all our colleagues celebrating their special days in August! We hope you have a great day and a wonderful year!

8/2 – Colleen Cross
8/4 – Jim Small
8/10 – Tara Gilchrist
8/12 – Katie Edel
8/12 – Melissa Medina
8/13 – Sean Carroll
8/14 – Lauren Dolzan
8/16 – Brian Benedict
8/17 – Jennifer Pratt
8/18 – Tim Kelly
8/19 – Brent Henningfeld
8/19 – Julia Sama
8/23 – Amanda Retartha
8/23 – Shaheen Goldrick
8/27 – George West
8/30 – Abbey Johnson
8/30 – Michelle Varda

In conjunction with the University Archives, Shred-it is offering a free, secure, and confidential document shredding event for Notre Dame faculty and staff.

When: Wednesday, August 18th 11:00 am to 1:00 pm (rain or shine)

Where: Mason Support Center Parking lot (located off of St. Joseph Drive behind the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union)

What: Only paper can be shredded, so please remove any binders, binder clips, or non-paper items before the event (staples and paper clips are acceptable). You are welcome to bring up to five (5) file-size boxes. Notre Dame cannot be responsible for papers left unattended, so we ask that you remain with your material until it is on the shred truck.

ND Shred Event Promotional Flyer_2021 (1)

OIT recently deployed a Wi-Fi upgrade in our Eddy Street Office space. A crucial step is to “test” what was designed and either accept or tweak the system for better efficiency. On Wednesday afternoon 7/21, two male student interns will be walking around the entire office testing the Wi-Fi signal. They do enter offices, walk the corridors around cubes and modular offices-it’s definitely a “presence” but only for a few seconds to tap a test button and record results. Please be aware. Thank you.

-Development Help Desk

Our UR a Force for Good partner for the month of July is Cultivate Culinary! For those who don’t know, Cultivate Culinary is doing some amazing work in our South Bend community! They are committed to ending the cycle of hunger in the local communities of northern Indiana by providing a food rescue service. UR has committed to providing a small group to volunteer in their kitchen on Wednesday, July 21st from 9AM-noon. We really need about 10 more volunteers, so if you or your team are available to help, please sign up here by Friday. Thanks for all you do for our community!

UR Colleagues,

I am thrilled to announce that Lori Ehrman Tinkey has been hired as the new Director, Development Administration effective next Monday, July 19, 2021.

Since 2012, Lori has been a valuable member of the Notre Dame community, including the past four years serving as a key contributor to both the Corporate and Foundation Relations teams as the Assistant Director of Prospect Research and Analysis reporting to Drew Buscareno. Most recently, she served as an integral member of the Coronavirus Response Unit (CRU) Surveillance Testing Task Force, concurrently leading a cross-functional supply chain management team to ensure smooth lab operations. Prior to her time in UR, Lori built the Mendoza Behavioral Laboratory (MBL), created HR programming for Mendoza, and served as para-faculty in Organizational Behavior (OB) teaching, researching, and writing.

Lori’s non-Notre Dame career has included leadership in corporate management, entrepreneurial ventures, and nonprofit organizations. Lori is a grateful ‘18 Masters of Nonprofit Administration (MNA) graduate from Notre Dame, receiving the Dean’s Award and Malone Award and graduating magna cum laude. Her B.S. Management hails from the Kelley School of Indiana University-Bloomington.
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Lori and her husband, Brett, have resided in the Notre Dame region for 15 years. Before they permanently settled nearby Brett’s family, they moved around the country; each of their four children was born in a different state. As a former Jersey Girl, Lori feels completely at home on a boat off the coast of St. Joseph, MI, and enjoys island life at the family’s residence on Marina Island in the St. Joseph River.

Please join me in congratulating Lori on this new role within the Regional Development team!

-Sara

Katy and Chris Orenchuk welcomed Thomas to the world on July 10th at 11:12 pm. Thomas weighed 7lbs even and is 20 3/4 inches long. Mom, Dad, and Thomas are all doing well . . . and Elizabeth Ann is a great big sister!