Thank you again for DARing to Level Up in FY25, team! Impact is a core pillar of our culture because what we do matters. Our work can get a student into their dream school. It can fuel discoveries that save lives. It can empower communities. I look forward to seeing what we'll achieve together in FY26.
As we embark on a new fiscal year, I'd like to share a few thoughts: - Attentiveness, details, work ethic. We all represent UGA. We are ambassadors for UGA. Be thorough in your work, consider small details, respond to emails in a timely manner. And don't forget to pick up the phone and call people sometimes!
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Growing our culture and our people. Lets help each other and invest in ourselves and our colleagues' development.
- Pay attention. Stay informed about news, current events, and the lives of our colleagues. This allows us to connect authentically in the course of our work.
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Keep celebrating! Recognize successes and celebrate each other in ways that are tailored to our colleagues' preferences. Do they value a high five, a private kudos, or a shout in the "Ring the Bell" section of The Pulse?
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Accountability is key. We all have a job to do for UGA, for our students and our state. Set goals, share and seek feedback, and address issues with radical candor.
Our goal was not to hit $300 million and be done. Let's sustain our success and aim to reach $300 million as our new 3-year rolling average. We've proven we can do it; why do anything less now?
Students have returned and the energy they bring to campus is palpable! As the fall semester gets underway, if you have ideas to elevate our work, or if I can be of any assistance to your team, please let me know. Let's continue to Level Up and make it a great year! |
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Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the UGA Foundation |
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What You'll Find in This Month's Pulse |
- Fundraising Update 📈
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Upcoming DAR Meetings 📆
- Events for Target Audiences 🎉
- UGAF@Work Update 💼
- 40 Under 40 Revealed! 4️⃣0️⃣
- Years of Service Honorees 🏆
- UGA Bag Tag Solicitation Campaign🧳
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Updated Alumni Count 🧮
- Class of 2029 Freshman Welcome 🎉
- Your Personal Brand in the Workplace 👩💼👨💼
- Bulldog 100 Nominations 💯
- DAR Resources / Knowledge Base / GAIL Resources 💻
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New UGAF + Alumni Board Members 💼
- News You Can Use 📰
- DAR Headshot Schedule 📸
- Ring the Bell: DAR Success Stories 🔔
- DAR Staff Travel ✈️
- Open DAR Positions 🎉
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Staff Announcements 👨💼
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Here is where we stand as of August 26. Questions? Please email Danielle Free. |
*we are working with campus partners to identify needs and goals for scholarships. |
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Fall Development Meeting
September 8 | 8AM Tate Grand Hall |
UGAF Fall Trustee Meeting October 2-3 Athens, GA |
Alumni Board Exec. Committee Mtg.
October 16 | 6-7:30PM One Press Place |
DAR 101 October 16 | 8:30AM-5PM Stelling Family Study, Moore-Rooker Hall |
Fall Alumni Board Meeting
October 17 | 8:30AM-3PM Georgia Center |
| DAR Town Hall
November 3 | 8-10AM Tate Student Center, Grand Hall |
Alumni Directors Meeting November 6 Venue TBD |
Team Stewardship Meeting
November 18 | 11AM-2PM MLC Reading Room |
Winter Development Meeting February 9 | 2PM Tate Student Center, Grand Hall |
Spring Development Meeting
May 11 | 9AM Tate Student Center, Grand Hall |
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Events for Target Audiences |
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40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon September 5 Tate Grand Hall |
Fall PLC Weekend
September 5-6 Athens, GA |
Greenville Huddle Reception October 8 Greenville, SC |
2025 Beat Week vs. Ole Miss
October 13-18 |
Presidents Club Reception October 17 Tate Grand Hall |
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Georgia Women Give Fall Lunch & Learn October 17 The Georgia Club |
Heritage Society Tailgate October 18 Athens, GA |
Dawg Day of Gratitude October 22 Athens, GA |
RSM Classic
November 20-23 St. Simons Island, GA |
Dawg Day of Giving March 26, 2026 |
Class of 2026 Senior Signature Deadline
March 31, 2026 |
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The UGAF@Work project is making great progress! We’re wrapping up the Architect and Configure stage during which we finalize the Workday system setup and align our business processes with its capabilities. We enter the Test stage in September. During this phase, we’ll run testing using real-world business scenarios to ensure everything functions as intended before go-live.
We’re excited to announce the official launch of the UGAF@Work Change Network! This group includes trusted colleagues from across campus who will share updates and support their departments through the transition. Have questions or feedback? Feel free to reach out to any member of the Change Network.
Our team is committed to keeping you informed and engaged every step of the way. If you have questions or suggestions, please email UGAF.atwork@uga.edu. Visit the UGAF@Work project page to follow our progress and learn more.
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DAR Reveals 40 Under 40 Class of 2025 |
Thank you to everyone who helped to recognize this year's 40 Under 40 honorees. Please continue to elevate these outstanding young alumni through the 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon on September 5 and beyond. The promo toolkit contains assets to make it as easy as possible. If you have yet to view the list, check it out. This year's list includes NFL and NBA coaches, an Olympian, former scholarship recipients, and more! Questions? Email 40U40@uga.edu.
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DAR’s Years of Service Honorees |
Thanks to everyone who gathered at One Press Place in July to recognize this year's Years of Service honorees — and thank you to these individuals for their ongoing commitment to DAR and to UGA! -
Jeff Garmon (30 years)
- Tanya Crowe Boles (20 years)
- Olivia Engesser (20 years)
- Erica Owensby (20 years)
- Mike Cook (10 Years)
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Caitlin Lacey (10 Years)
- Daynes Parker (10 Years)
- Brittany Rider (10 Years)
- Buck Sharp (10 Years)
- Terrance Smith (10 Years)
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Karina Tumen (10 years)
- Gabe Wilkerson (10 Years)
- Alysse Capitanelli (5 Years)
- Jennifer Johnson (5 Years)
- Kathy Ortstadt (5 Years)
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Chris Reynolds (5 Years)
- Eric Schmidt (5 Years)
- Kaylin Wells (5 Years)
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UGA Bag Tag Preseason Football Solicitation
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Calling all Dawgs to board the hype plane! Donors of $5 or more to any fund on campus will secure a limited-edition UGA Bag Tag as a thank you during Annual Giving's preseason football solicitation campaign. Gifts can be directed to any school, college, department, cause, program or area of greatest need, so please use this giving incentive to encourage donors to support your area's needs. The campaign is live through Tuesday, Sept. 2 (just after UGA's first game of the season). A digital toolkit
is available for campus personnel and volunteers to use to promote the campaign. It contains social copy/graphics, an email schedule, and more. Questions? Email Clarissa Hobbs.
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Each summer, Olivia Engesser pulls fresh alumni counts after GAIL records have been updated after Commencement. We use that data to update our "living alumni count" that is shared on webpages, and in remarks, marketing collateral and more. We'd like to ask that you update any materials or webpages that use this information, too.
Until next summer, we will note that UGA has "more than 372,000 living alumni." Questions? Please email Elizabeth Elmore. |
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Class of 2029 Freshman Welcome
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On the eve of the first day of classes, 5,130 members of the Class of 2029 gathered in Sanford Stadium to form the Power G on Dooley Field. While inclement weather threatened the event, an abbreviated program allowed for the photo to be safely taken before storms rolled into Athens. Congrats to the Alumni Relations team, the Student Alumni Council, DARCOMM, alumni board members (pictured above), and other staff and student volunteers for executing another impressive event!
We invite you to view (and like/share!) content from this special night between the hedges: |
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Your Personal Brand in the Workplace
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Everyone has a personal brand — whether they realize it or not. How you show up at work, interact with others, and contribute to your organization all reflect your brand. This summer, DAR hosted a panel featuring colleagues at various stages of their careers to explore what it means to build and maintain a personal brand. Read more.
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Bulldog 100 Nominations Surpass 300
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Thank you to everyone who nominated UGA-led businesses for the 2026 Bulldog 100 (we received 300+!). At this stage, nominees will be contacted and encouraged to submit their application through ReviewR by the end of September. You can help by encouraging businesses you nominated to apply by the deadline. Questions? Email b100@uga.edu.
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DAR Resources // Knowledge Base // GAIL Resources |
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New UGAF + Alumni Board Members |
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Some updates from across campus and the division: |
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📸 DAR Headshot Schedule 📸 |
Have you scheduled a headshot with Edwin Hammond? Fill out a scheduling form below; headshots are taken in front of One Press Place. |
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Patrick Knowles, Katie Adams, and Kate O'Reilly partnered to engage donors in Tampa who showed an interested in scholarship support. Through thoughtful meetings, proposals, and listening to the donors' goals, the trio identified that expanding scholarships and supporting leadership development were the donors’ top priorities.
The three met regularly on Zoom to plan for and debrief on donor meetings, and maintained steady communications to foster team alignment. No matter who the donors called, the conversation always moved forward with clear purpose. When the latest match funding became available, the donors seized the chance, establishing a $50k scholarship and committing $50k to a Leadership Development Course.
The team’s success came from the strength of their communications and each member’s contributions: Katie’s leadership and strong relationships; Patrick’s technical knowledge; and Kate’s subject-matter expertise. Congratulations! |
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Elizabeth Carlson contacted Melissa Lee
this summer to discuss ways to engage the Georgia Beekeepers Association (GBA) after the group showed interest in UGA's Bee lab. Over the course of several Zoom/phone calls, it became clear that the GBA was interested in faculty, graduate student and programmatic support for the Bee lab. In the end, the group elected to leverage matching funds available at the time to fund a graduate fellowship for either an ecology or entomology major researching honey bees through the Bee Lab. The GBA is thrilled to be supporting UGA in this way, and Elizabeth and Melissa hope it will help keep the door open for an endowed professorship in the next year or two. This partnership was the Bee's Knees -- congrats to Elizabeth and Melissa!
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Chris Jefts Valdosta/Thomasville, GA (August 26-28) |
Rob Carrico Greenville, SC (August 27-29) |
Kyle Bryson
Houston, TX (August 26-28) |
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Weldon Kolker Charlotte, NC (August 26-27) |
Matt Brown Athens, GA (August 28) |
Chandler Boyle
Charlotte, NC (August 26-27) |
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Parent Giving Team Travel
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Courtney Ayers Various ATL and Gainesville, GA, trips |
Meredith Glenn Thomasville (August 25-27) ATL day trip in August |
| Eric Schmidt Charlotte (August 25-27) Various ATL trips |
Andrea Parris Various ATL trips |
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Mason Black Chicago, IL (September 4-7) Atlanta, GA (September 13) |
Kaylin Jones
No remaining August travel. |
| Mary Beth Mallard
Tifton, GA (August 27) Emerald Coast, FL (Sept. 5-7) |
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Open Position Postings in DAR
We encourage anyone interested in applying to do so. All UGA HR policies and procedures apply. If you know of a potential candidate who may be a good fit for an opportunity, contact Christy Dasher.
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Do you have information or a suggestion for an upcoming edition of the Pulse? |
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