Hi team,
Happy September! This is always such a fun and exciting time of year, as students return to campus, football season gets underway, more events are happening each week for donors and students, and all of our teams are working harder than ever to ensure every Bulldog is committed to Georgia. Several of our annual events occur over the next few weeks, including 40 Under 40, Parents Leadership Council Weekend, Beat Week and all of the fun events associated with Homecoming Week. Each of these initiatives has a meaningful impact for students, donors, parents and friends of UGA, and I'm grateful to all of our teams for working so hard on planning and execution.
I'm also pleased to share with you our division-wide FY27 goals: -
Raising $300 million (we have set a new standard of excellence with the $300 million mark, and I'm excited to work towards this goal again this year)
- Reaching a donor count of 72,500
- Establishing 435 endowed positions
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Raising $75 million as part of Phase 1 of the For Georgia. For Generations. scholarship campaign
You'll see regular updates on progress towards these goals in each edition of The Pulse, and we'll share more at Development Meetings and Town Hall meetings, as well. The first quarter of FY27 is nearly in the books, and I'm really proud of the strong start we are having together. Keep it up! In addition to our DAR FY27 goals, we'll also be talking more over the coming months about UGA's Strategic Plan and our division's follow up actions from the Internal Communications Committee work last spring. A big thank you to everyone who is involved in these important initiatives.
Fall is right around the corner (and hopefully cooler temperatures too!). I'm looking forward to entering this new season with all of you and continuing the great momentum that we have in our division right now. It's truly great to be a Georgia Bulldog, and it's great to work alongside you and your teams every day. Thank you for your leadership, your collaborative spirit, and the impact you make on the UGA community. |
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Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the UGA Foundation |
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Here are FY27 numbers as of August 31. Questions? Please email Danielle Free. |
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UGA Trivia Night
Hosted by the Young Alumni Leadership Council September 10 | 6 - 9 p.m. ASW Distillery | Atlanta, GA 40 Under 40 Luncheon
September 11 Tate Grand Hall
40 Under 40 Past Honoree Tailgate September 12 | 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Athens, GA Fall Development Meeting September 14 | 8 - 10 a.m.
Tate Grand Hall Level Up and Learn: Faculty + Philanthropy September 14 | 10:15 - 11 a.m. Tate Grand Hall UGA in Charlotte September 15 | 5:30 - 7 p.m. Truist | Charlotte, NC Fall PLC Weekend September 25-26 Athens, GA Black Alumni Homecoming Tailgate October 3 Myers Quad | Athens, GA |
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DAR 101 October 13 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Moore-Rooker Hall Stelling Family Study
Alumni Board Past Presidents Dinner October 15 Athens, GA Alumni Board Meeting October 16 | 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Wright Hall | Health Sciences Campus
Georgia Women Give Fall Event October 16 | 11:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. Moore-Rooker Hall Stelling Family Study Presidents Club Reception October 16 | 5 - 7 p.m. Tate Grand Hall Bulldog 100 Past Honorees Reception October 29
ASW Distillery | Atlanta, GA Gator Hater Breakfast October 30 | 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. DAR Town Hall November 2 | 8 - 10 a.m. Beat Week November 2-7 |
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What You'll Find in the Pulse Blog |
Read the monthly Pulse blog To learn more about each of these topics head over to the Pulse blog post! |
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- Upcoming Alumni Chapter Events
- What Makes a Good Story
- Donor Story Nominations
- Philanthropy at Work Society (PAWS) Reception
- Tasty Tailgate Recipe Submissions
- DUO is Changing
- GAIL is Moving
- Workday Wednesdays Updates
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| Charlotte, NC September 14-16 |
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If you would like to schedule a visit with Jill, please contact Carol Barach to avoid double-booking. Thank you! |
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Katie Adams Chattanooga, TN (Sept. 14-16) Birmingham, AL (Sept. 23-25) Nashville, TN (Oct. 5-7) |
Ali Elyaman
Chicago, IL (Sept. 28-Oct. 1) San Francisco, CA (Oct. 12-16) |
Courtney Hart Athens, GA (Sept. 8 & 14) |
Chris Jefts Cartersville/Rome, GA (Sept. 17-18) Macon, GA (Sept. 28-29) |
Weldon Kolker Athens, GA (Sept. 14) |
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| Elizabeth Kozak Chattanooga, TN (Sept. 22) Athens, GA (Sept. 24-25) Athens, GA (Sept. 29-Oct. 2) |
Joey Lynn Boston, MA (Sept. 8-11) Boston, MA (Sept. 28-Oct. 1) |
Vince Thomas Northeast GA (Sept. 10) Columbus, GA (Sept. 16-17) Orlando, FL (Sept. 28-30) |
Kate O'Reilly Richmond, VA (Oct. 7-8) |
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Leadership Giving Team Travel
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Zack Robbins Atlanta (Gwinnett County) (Sept. 8-10) Tallahassee, FL (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) |
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| Julia Straka North Atlanta (Cherokee and Forsyth Counties) (Sept. 8-10) Northwest GA (Sept. 22-24) |
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Parent Giving Team Travel
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Courtney Ayers Atlanta, GA (Sept. 9) Charlotte, NC (Sept. 14)
Fall PLC Weekend (Sept. 25-26) |
Jamison Wood New York City, NY (Sept. 8-10) |
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Meredith Glenn Atlanta, GA (Sept. 9-10) Fall PLC Weekend (Sept. 25-26) |
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Alumni Relations Chapter Team Travel |
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Lee Zell
Charlotte, NC (Sept. 14-16) |
Mary Beth Mallard Washington D.C. (Sept. 10-12)
Taccoa, GA (Oct. 10) |
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Kaylin Jones Charlotte, NC (Sept. 14-16) New York City, NY (Oct. 12-14) |
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Check out upcoming Fall Career Fairs and Arch Ready Programs. |
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Teamwork. Collaboration. Leadership. Impact.
A big win for the Student Affairs team: a Georgia Funder campaign, along with significant collaboration and cultivation, turned an unexpected connection through a social media post into a transformational planned gift.
Two donors first learned about UGA’s meal plan scholarship initiative, Let All the Big Dawgs Eat, through an Emerald Coast Alumni Chapter Facebook post. Their interest turned into action after reading about the program in Annual Giving’s winter 2025 Holiday Gift Guide. Instead of exchanging traditional Christmas gifts, the couple asked their daughter to make a gift to Let All the Big Dawgs Eat in their honor, then matched her contribution.
That initial gift led to a conversation with William Draper and Student Affairs, and through this engagement, the donors directed a Qualified Charitable Distribution to Let All the Big Dawgs Eat. Continued stewardship and conversations about the program’s impact deepened their commitment, ultimately inspiring the couple to make an even greater impact through their estate plans.
During a campus visit in May, the donors were able to see firsthand the needs facing students and how Student Affairs contributes to student success at UGA. The visit helped connect their growing interest in the program with a meaningful opportunity for long-term impact. In collaboration with Mike Cook and the Gift and Estate Planning team, the donors committed more than $3.4 million through their estate to support three areas within Student Affairs, including Let All the Big Dawgs Eat and Embark@UGA.
A hearty kudos to Mason Black, Mary Beth Mallard, William Draper and Mike Cook, and the rest of the Student Affairs and GEP teams!
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📸 DAR Headshot Schedule 📸
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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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Welcome Emaleigh Cone, Development Analyst, DAR Prospect Research - Welcome Molly Smith, Administrative Specialist, DAR Office of the Vice President
Welcome Jeb Johnson, Assistant Director of Development, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences
Welcome Heather Barr, Prospect Management Specialist, DAR Product Management Welcome Megan Rodriquez-Bustamante, Financial Analyst, UGAF Financial Accounting Welcome Carson Beasley, Development Officer, Leadership Giving Welcome Meredith Sheahan, Development Officer, Leadership Giving Welcome Logan Wiley, Assistant Director of Foundation Relations, Foundation Relations Welcome Hannah Davila, Communications Coordinator, DAR Communications -
Congrats to Shivanee C. Patel, named Associate Director of Career Accelerators, Career Center
- Congrats to Jessica McLeod-Waddel, named Associate Director of Academic Integration, Career Center
- Congrats to Kasey Bilik, named Senior Budget Analyst, Finance & HR
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Congrats to Natalie Glenn, named Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Terry College
- Best wishes to Brian Strickland, leaving Finance & HR
- Best wishes to Tanner Poltzer, leaving UGAF Expenditure Control
- Best wishes to Pansy Bond, retiring from Finance & HR
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Do you have information or a suggestion for an upcoming edition of the Pulse? |
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