FY2022 – FY23 ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Fellow Alumni,
As Chair of the Georgia State University Alumni Association, I am privileged to tell you that you are now among a family of more than 285,000 graduates of one of the most enterprising urban public institutions in the country – Georgia State University!
Georgia State’s mission is to ready graduates from diverse backgrounds for professional pursuits, educate future leaders and prepare citizens for lifelong learning. The Georgia State University Alumni Association supports this mission by providing more than 100 annual programs and services to connect students and alumni, to connect alumni and the business community and, representing all alumni. We ensure that the Georgia State University Alumni Association is an active resource in unifying the global university community.
The Alumni Association invites graduates back to our growing Atlanta campus, where you will see new open green space, new buildings, and new uses for historic structures. We sponsor many events and programs throughout the year including social, networking and regional events as well as a variety of seminars and workshops. All events are designed to foster lifelong learning and interactive engagement. Additionally, the Alumni Association sponsors educational programs for current students, career readiness, resume preparation and actively engages with the Student Alumni Association (SAA). In preparation for life after graduation, this student run organization teaches leadership by supporting alumni events, creating new campus traditions and keeping old traditions alive. SAA members begin building a lifelong connection to their Alma mater.
The Alumni Association members from across the country and around the world generously contribute to the Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment Program. Each year more than $70,000 is given back to the university in the form of scholarships and gifts. These scholarships ensure that Georgia State can continue to attract bright students in a competitive higher education market.
I invite you to engage or re-engage in the exciting things that are happening at Georgia State University through the Alumni Association. Attend an event, volunteer to speak at a student program, offer fellow alumni career advice, network with your fellow Panthers. See what connecting to the Panther nation can do for you.
Sincerely,
Cathy Scarver, J.D. ‘00
ATLANTA – The Georgia State University Alumni Association Board of Directors has selected a new slate of officers and six new members to help support and advance the association’s mission of engaging and enriching the lives of the university’s alumni and students.
“Our new officers bring a real passion for Georgia State and the Alumni Association to their roles, and it will be great to have their expertise and dedication leading the board and collaborating with their fellow board members,” said Christina Million (MBA ’10), executive director of the Georgia State Alumni Association. “We’re so impressed by and pleased to have on board our six new directors and all our new Young Alumni Council members. We look forward to the meaningful contributions and connections they make to boost Georgia State and Panther professionals.”
With two-year terms that started on July 1, the new officers of the Alumni Association Board of Directors are:
- Randall Kent (B.S. ’08), chair – Co-founder & chief operating officer of Cypress.io, a leading software testing company, Randall Kent has 15 years of experience across various technologies and in translating business needs into usable and valuable technology. In addition to his commitment to Georgia State’s Alumni Association, Kent’s involved in the community with the High Museum of Art and Park Pride.
- Marcia Oglesby (B.A. ’93), vice chair – Dr. Marcia Oglesby is a veteran educator with more than 20 years of experience, including serving the DeKalb County (Ga.) School District in the Office of Accountability as a research, assessment and grants coordinator and grants and partnership development coordinator. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Oglesby has previously served as an educator and administrator for Palm Springs (Calif.) Unified School District, Alexandria (Va.) City Public Schools, Fulton County (Ga.) Schools, and Atlanta Public Schools.
- Jim Dykhouse (MBA ’75), treasurer – Retired in 1999 from a 30-year career, including as an audit partner, with KPMG, Jim Dykhouse brings a wealth of expertise gained during his distinguished accounting career to the non-profit organizations he works with in his consulting practice. A recipient of the School of Accountancy at Georgia State’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Dykhouse also served as a member and past chair of the school’s advisory board. Additionally, he’s volunteered as the treasurer and past president of United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia and as a board member of the Georgia Independent College Association.
The new members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, whose three-year terms began July 1, are:
- Imara Canady (B.A. ’08), national director for communications & community engagement for AIDS Healthcare Foundation and chair, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition
- Alisha Hill (B.A. ’00, M.Ed. ’02), staff development coordinator, Gwinnett County (Ga.) Public Schools
- Andy Kearney (B.S. ’94), senior vice-president customer success, Veriforce
- Carrie O’Brien (B.B.A. ’07, J.D. ’14), partner and chief compliance officer, Arcan Capital
- George Perez, (B.S. ’13), global analyst, Google
- Bryant Springer (B.B.A.’ 96), principal program manager supporting Air Force Special Programs in the Defense Business Unit of Microsoft Federal
For more information on the Georgia State University Alumni Association, visit alumni.gsu.edu.
27 Events | 550 total attendees | 11 Networks
Interest Network Events
- Young Alumni Council: 18 events | 324 attendees
- 25 council members
- Best of Blue series
- 10 events
- 120 attendees
- Panthers winner circle
- with Kirk Brown
- with Christopher Bruce
- Earth Day Panel
- Lunch with the board
- 4 events
- YAC Cares Toy Drive
- Increased Instagram followers by 300
- Hospitality: 3 events | 140 attendees
- Wine down Wednesday
- Food event with Sean Chang
- Cocktails on the town
- Physical Therapy: 3 events
- Telehealth
- Launching Your Running Program
- Trivia
Corporate Network Events
- Home Depot: 2 events | 23 attendees
- 2 Student Alumni Association Networking Events – 23 attendees
118 Events
6,077 Attendees
250 Volunteer Opportunities
4 Inaugural Events:
SAA Thrift Shop
SAA Philanthropy Fair
Paws on the Field
Young Alumni Summit
- Largest 40 Under 40 to date (35% inc.)
- Distinguished Alumni Awards (46% inc.)
- Enhanced Third Thursdays (Avg attendance-80, 57% inc.)
FY23 ANNUAL REPORT STATS - PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Total # of events: 118
FY 22 – 112
FY 21 – 113
FY 20 - 51
Total # of attendees: 6077
FY 22 – 5087
FY 21 – 4401
FY 20 – 2961
HIGHLIGHTS
*Showcases our biggest cumulative wins as well as major highlights from individual programming areas.
• Provided over 250 volunteer engagement opportunities across all events (BOD, YAC, SAA, and
alumni speakers) (FY22= 227)
• Total event attendance went up by 990.
• Introduced three inaugural, large-scale events:
SAA Thrift Shop – 203 attendees
SAA Philanthropy Fair – 203 attendees
Young Alumni Summit – 135 attendees
• Largest 40 Under 40 engagement in AA history, with record nominations, applications, ticket
sales, sponsorships, and web/social media traffic.
• Developed and launched a new SAA model driven by student philanthropy and ambassadorship.
• Enhanced TT events to include partnerships and programming. Two examples include Norfolk
Southern at corporate headquarters and School of Music with live choral performance.
ANNUAL REPORT: PROGRAMS & EVENTS
SIGNATURE ALUMNI EVENTS
Distinguished Alumni Awards
• 60th Annual Celebration hosted at The Stave Room/ASW Distillery
Honorees:
Neda Barqawi (EMBA ’10, DBA ’14)
W. Franklin Evans (B.S./B.A. ’84, M.Ed. ’87, Ed. S. ’88, Ph.D. ’94)
Deepak Raghavan (EMBA ’98, M.S. 06, Ph.D. ’09)
Ray Uttenhove (M.A. ’72, M.Ed. ’75)
Christopher Volk (MBA ’87)
• Attendees: 177, up 46% from FY22 (121)
• Class of 2023, 5th annual event, hosted at The Foundry at Puritan Mill
• Applicants: 174 (compared to 124 in FY22)
• Event Attendees: 417 (largest in program history), up 35% from FY22
• Ticket Revenue: $12,000, up 69% from FY22 ($7,080)
• Sponsorships
o 18 sponsors, up by 3 from previous year
o $20,000, up by $1,500 from previous year
ANNUAL REPORT: PROGRAMS & EVENTS
• April 40 U 40 page – 1,932
• April Meet the Class page – 1,911
• Revenue $11,015 up 22% from $9000
• Event highlights
GSU Cares:
• Total participants – 514 registered, 203 attended
Friday 178 volunteer hours
Saturday 303 volunteer hours
• Sponsorships
ANNUAL REPORT: ATLANTA SPORTS EVENTS
Atlanta Hawks (2 events) 153 + 63
Atlanta Braves 131
Atlanta Falcons 69 (Falcons donated $610 back to A.A.)
Atlanta United 153
Atlanta Gladiators 44
Resume Reviews 112
6 career webinars (2 programs featured alumni speakers)
Regions Bank Webinars – 6 total webinars, 88 total attendees
Year end 2022-23
Alumni Scholarship totals:
For fall semester 2022 we awarded 92 students a total of $89,000.
Alumni Legacy - $20,000
License to Learn - $17,000
U.S. Military Veterans - $6,000
Children of Fac/Staff - $1,000
Graduate Students - $15,000
Transfer Students - $9,000
SAA Outstanding Leader - $5,000
SAA General Students - $2,000 ($500 to 4 students)
Max M. Cuba - $10,500
Willie Mae Cathcart - $3,500
Website totals:
From July 1, 2022 thru June 30, 2023, the alumni website had a total of 64,078 users/visitors participating in 47,999 sessions. Their average time on the site was 1:54 (one minute, fifty-four seconds)
Social Media totals:
Facebook – 14,015 people follow this group page
LinkedIn Group 1 – 3,650 members
LinkedIn Group 2 - 736 followers
Instagram – 2,966?
SAA Annual Report for FY 23
Executive Leadership
President
James Wilson
Vice President of Marketing
Nevaeh Carter
Vice President of Ambassador Engagement
Jacob Morgan
Vice President of Administration
Omotola Oladapo
In 2023, introduction of SAA philanthropy model
Philanthropy Fair, D12, Black History Trivia Night,
YAC workshops, Thrift Shop, Deloitte Lunch and Learn,
JCP Suit Up, Aspire to Boss Up!, Lavender & Lasso graduation
Total Event Numbers:
- # Events: 23
- Attended: 1833
- Life members at the end of June – 940 (3% increase)
- Donors at end of June – 229, $87,498 (18% increase)
- Average gift – $382 (37% increase)
- Fundraising total – $ (% increase)
- Scholarship Endowment – $1,326,261
- Investment Account – $2,002,626