Laney Funderburk, associate vice president for alumni affairs and development and director of the office of alumni affairs, will step down from his post--which he held for 22 years--at the end of 2004.
His career in alumni affairs, interrupted only by a decade spent working in politics and for the Duke Endowment, began as a part-time job during his undergraduate years in the 1950s. His dedication to the University has gone far beyond that of the average alumnus--he's the one who plans the reunion weekends.
"I have worked for six of Duke's eight presidents," Funderburk said. He noted that there are now four times as many alumni as there were when he was a student. They live all over the country and the world, and some have connections to the University that span multiple generations.
In addition to organizing alumni events, keeping in touch with all these alumni is an important aspect of Funderburk's job, and his creative initiatives have helped him to build a strong network. The award-winning alumni magazine he established continues to reach out to graduates, and the new technologies he has embraced foster better communication with alumni.
An electronic newsletter, which took on a new format about a year ago, e-mails and an online directory have all made contact with alumni faster. The Office of Alumni Affairs has taken great lengths to ensure that the University has up-to-date contact information for most alumni who have said they want to receive such electronic communications.
The University has e-mail addresses for about 70,000 alumni and has lost touch with less than 3 percent of them, a relatively small percentage compared to the "loss rate" of other institutions, said Brian Eder, chief technology officer and director for alumni and development systems.
"We make a lot of efforts to stay in contact with alumni," Eder said. "Laney really believes in this stuff."
Alumni certainly seem happy with Funderburk's work. Michele Sales, president of the Duke Alumni Association, recalled that he received a standing ovation before a recent speech given by President Nan Keohane. Sales called him "one of the strongest ambassadors for Duke" ever to work for the University.
Furthermore, Funderburk's accomplishments helped to foster the University's development initiatives. The Annual Fund now raises about eight times as much money each year as it did in 1982, when Funderburk became director of alumni affairs, noted Sterly Wilder, director of the Annual Fund. Since the majority of contributions come from alumni, the achievements of the Office of Alumni Affairs contribute to fund-raising success.
"Everything they do impacts what we do," she said. "It makes a big difference when they do such a great job."
Funderburk is pleased with, but not complacent about, his success in helping alumni feel more invested in the University. Although changes to the reunion program have been so successful that attendance this year beat the previous record by 20 percent, he sees room for improvement.
"I have never been satisfied with any alumni meeting," he said. "I'll only be happy if everyone shows up."
Funderburk's efforts on behalf of the University are not over yet. He explained that he is still trying to put together "a Homecoming worth its name" this fall because he said the event has been one of the weaker alumni events. Even after he has finished guiding the alumni affairs office during the University's transition to the leadership of President-elect Richard Brodhead, he said wants to keep his parking pass, e-mail address and basketball tickets.
"Durham is home, and Duke is my hobby," he said.
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