New Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Adrienne Teague, who recently started her position in mid-November, is enthusiastically soaking up Mary Baldwin’s vibrant culture and history. She has already hit the ground running, charting an exciting path forward for alumni engagement efforts at the university.
“The love and affinity that our alumni have for this institution speaks volumes about their experiences and the quality of the education they received while they were students,” she said. “The opportunity to come in and build on that history, while preparing for our future alumni needs that support the diversity of Mary Baldwin alumni is both challenging and thrilling at the same time. It is rare to find an institution like Mary Baldwin, and I am so excited to be here.”
Most recently serving as the director of alumni relations at George Mason University (GMU), Teague brings to campus more than 13 years of expertise in higher education and a passion for working with alumni. Her experience spans board and volunteer management, strategic planning, data-driven decision-making, event planning, and communications engagement.
While at GMU, Teague was responsible for creating and managing a comprehensive outreach program that resulted in more alumni responding to the alumni association’s efforts and participating in major programs and events. For example, her team achieved exponential increases in first-time attendees at GMU’s annual Alumni Weekend and Homecoming programs for three consecutive years.
Earlier in her career, Teague served in both Alumni Affairs and the Chancellor’s Office at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she earned a master of public administration in nonprofit management and a bachelor’s degree in English.
Teague will lead Mary Baldwin’s Alumni Engagement team and help oversee alumni programming and communications, regional alumni chapters, alumni volunteer leadership, and opportunities for continuing education, mentorship of current students, and giving to support the university.
“At this time of momentum and growth for MBU, we are thrilled to have Adrienne join us as our chief strategist in developing creative, meaningful programming and resources to support and engage our alumni,” said Charles E. “Chuck” Davis III, vice president for university advancement. “Our alumni have provided us a wonderful platform from which to work from our all-alumni survey this spring; I am confident that Adrienne is the right professional to ensure that we build programming based on what we learned from the survey.”
More from Adrienne Teague, executive director of alumni engagement, on her vision and values
On building her expertise in alumni relations
Alumni engagement is my passion and my calling. From being a student leader in the Student Alumni Council at my alma mater, to working in higher education for more than 13 years, this work has meaning and purpose. I have always said that the relationship that a graduate has with their alma mater is one of the longest in their lifetime, outside of family, life-long friends, and their faith community, and it should be treated with care.
I have been fortunate to be at some great universities where I have learned to cherish the history of the institution and the people behind that history. I look forward to bringing my experiences here to Mary Baldwin to continue to build upon the great work that is already being done in order to position us for the future.
On starting her new position at MBU
I am very fortunate to arrive at Mary Baldwin during a great moment in time. The university conducted a survey in the late spring to provide us with key insights and feedback from our alumni about areas of greatest need and improvement. Our alumni have spoken, and we are listening with intent to act soon!
A lot of my goals surround supporting the varying identified needs of our ever-growing and diverse alumni and providing more opportunities for engagement and connectivity through a variety of mediums, including expanded communications efforts and a new online community platform, as well as more career development initiatives and lifelong learning programs. I also hope to work with our team and alumni volunteer leaders to build out a robust volunteer organization that provides many opportunities for alumni to serve in ways that are meaningful and personally significant to them.
On learning about Mary Baldwin alumni
One of the things that is most impressive about our alumni can be found in the passion that they have for Mary Baldwin. Our alumni are eager to give back, through time and treasure, and I consider myself very fortunate to be at a place where so many individuals have come together to lead Mary Baldwin to where she is today.
On joining the Staunton community
Staunton has always been one of my favorite places to stop along Interstate-81 on my way home to Tennessee. Coming from the Fairfax, Virginia-area, I am looking forward to being immersed in the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and the unique history here in Staunton and Augusta County.
On finding ways to connect
There will be lots of new and diverse ways that alumni can connect with their alma mater in the near future. Whether it’s creating a young alumni chapter, hosting a happy hour in their neighborhood, or finding ways to engage with fellow alumni virtually, I invite Mary Baldwin alumni to meet us where they are and provide us with feedback on how we can best support their needs.