Alumni association members approve governance change

Members of the Iowa State University Alumni Association have approved a change in articles of incorporation, making the association a supporting organization to the Iowa State University Foundation.

The change in governance was a key final step in the combination of the two organizations, which began in April and largely was completed at the end of September. The combination was a recommendation in a consultant's report released in March.

The vote to amend the alumni association's governance structure took place Nov. 10 during a special meeting for members at the Alumni Center. Proxy voting was previously completed on Nov. 6. Ninety-seven percent of the votes received were in favor of accepting the changes. The results were announced in an email message to members from Chad Harris, chair of the alumni association board of directors. 

"I want to thank our members for this vote of confidence," Harris said. "It represents a significant step forward in President Wintersteen's stated 'One University' goal -- to become more unified and strategic in how we engage and communicate with our constituents."

The combination was a significant undertaking for the university, said President Wendy Wintersteen.

"When I was named president in 2017, one of my goals was to build greater awareness of Iowa State's hard-earned, well-deserved reputation," she said. "I emphasized that our communications and constituent engagement efforts needed to be viewed externally as 'one university.' That's one of the reasons I initiated the campuswide assessment last year that resulted in recommendations that included combining the foundation and alumni association.

"The completed combination builds on both organizations' strengths and proud histories, leading us to a more integrated engagement model that fosters meaningful connections with alumni and many other constituents," she said.

Effective by late December

The amended articles of incorporation will be filed with the Iowa Secretary of State's office. With that step, it is expected the new governance structure will become effective by the end of December.

The combination broadens the ISU Foundation's scope of work, deepening its efforts in alumni engagement alongside its traditional roles of fundraising, stewardship, endowment management and information management on behalf of the university.

"We should all be excited by the opportunities ahead," said Larissa Holtmyer Jones, president of the foundation. "We are collaborating with the university to build toward an integrated engagement model that will result in greater advocacy, service and philanthropy in support of Iowa State's mission. Together, we're not just advancing the university's mission today, we're laying the foundation for continued impact for generations to come."