On a beautiful fall weekend in October, thousands of alumni and family members gathered on the campus of Wofford College to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the college and the friendships that have been forged along the way. Every one of those graduates, whether they know it or not, is a member of the Wofford College National Alumni Association.

Unlike other institutions, Wofford does not charge membership fees or require minimal donation amounts for membership in the alumni association. As a result, Wofford’s alumni association is more than 16,000 strong with members reaching across the globe. Despite our size and the passion we all share for Wofford, however, we have not maximized our network and support opportunities, both for alumni and for the college. We want that to change, and the Alumni Executive Council (AEC), the leadership group for the Wofford National Alumni Association, is committed to developing new and creative ways to connect alumni to each other and the college.

The AEC consists of 24 alumni members and serves as the voice of the alumni association. This year during the AEC fall meeting, the AEC challenged itself to assess the current structure and function of the AEC and to ask critical questions. The purpose of this process was to determine ways that the college can better connect with alumni and encourage more opportunities to network with each other and with future Wofford graduates.

Questions posed during the meeting:

  • How can Wofford alumni better connect with each other?
  • How can Wofford alumni connect with the college outside of being on campus?
  • What do alumni need/want from the college?
  • How can the AEC better serve the members of the alumni association?


General outcomes:

  • Assess structure and membership of the AEC to ensure appropriate representation of alumni.
  • Work with graduates to organize local alumni association chapters.
  • Ensure ongoing and appropriate participation of alumni for implementation of the college strategic vision.
  • Identify clear opportunities for alumni to support the college as student mentors, guest speakers, internship sponsors, etc.


President Nayef Samhat and Dr. David Wood, senior vice president for development, also participated in the discussion, and action items will be shared with the president’s cabinet in the next few weeks to identify action item assignments and timelines for implementation.

We welcome your feedback and input, too, as we move forward in this strategic discussion. What would you like to see the alumni association offer alumni? How do you see alumni supporting each other and the college? Please send your comments to alumni@wofford.edu or contact one of the AEC members listed below.

Together, we can make the Wofford College Alumni Association even stronger and more valuable for all, and we can work together to ensure that Wofford continues to shine with untarnished honor.

Yours in Terrier spirit,
Lyn Walsh ’90
President, Wofford College National Alumni Association

Alumni Executive Council
President: Lyn Walsh ’90
President Elect: Andy Beeson ’90
Past President: Monique McDowell ’92 Alumni Executive Council members:

Bailey Bartee ’96
John Burbage ’70
Andy Casto-Waters ’95
Everett Keith Chandler ’94
Geoff DeLong ’91
Chad Johnston ’03
Jason Lynch ’03
Mary Ann McCrackin ’85
Harold McLeod III ’88
Robert Mickle Jr. ’85
Jim Moody Jr. ’74
Vickie Muller ’83
Maurice Nassar ’01
Tony Prestipino Jr. ’02
Neil Robinette ’10
Jim Shealy Jr. ’89
Teresa Roof Sims ’86
Tom Vinegar Jr. ’76
Mayleng Streett Watson ’98
Brian Weatherby ’98
Carl Young ’96