As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, our current longest-serving staff member finds himself in high demand. With 37 years at CASE, Brett Chambers, Vice President, Volunteer Engagement and Leadership, has been sharing his institutional knowledge and memories quite a bit lately. “Let’s check with Brett” or “Brett might know” have been steady refrains. Invariably, the question comes up, “What kept you at CASE so long?” His response: the people.
As his title indicates, Brett is continually engaging with members, particularly those who volunteer. He told me, “I have never once been to a volunteer dinner where I was bored. Our members are the most interesting, smart, convivial, and passionate people you will ever meet.”
I second that. I am now in my 10th year as CASE President, and I feel confident speaking on behalf of my colleagues when I say that working with volunteers is one of the best parts of our jobs. Across our regions, we rely on our volunteers for providing resources for our membership, including as presenters and moderators; members of programme planning committees; authors, content developers, and reviewers; awards judges; and members of think tank groups that include the Commissions, District Cabinets and Regional Councils, advisory committees, and our Board of Trustees.
Each year, more than 250 volunteer leaders serve on CASE boards and advisory groups, working to guide the direction, strategy, and priorities for your professional association. Another 3,200 members volunteer their time in roles large and small, at all stages of their careers, across the globe in service to the profession.
It’s been my honour to work with our outgoing Board Chair Sergio M. Gonzalez, Senior Vice President for Advancement at Brown University, U.S. In this significant volunteer role, he has been thoughtful, strategic, and supportive. He has travelled to almost every CASE region, meeting members around the world. We thank him for his service, wisdom, curiosity, humility, and friendship.
I personally know the rewards of CASE volunteer service. I was drawn into volunteering with CASE early in my advancement career. I had the pleasure of working with colleagues in many ways, including creating the first European Institute for Educational Fundraising in 2022 and establishing our Graduate Trainee Programme in 2008. In fact, I was teaching at the 2010 CASE Asia-Pacific Institute for Educational Fundraising when the first seed was sewn for my transition from leading development at the University of Oxford, U.K., to becoming Vice President for Advancement at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It’s an oft-mentioned but true adage: I always gained far more from my volunteer experiences than I gave.
I hear this all the time. You tell us you volunteer to give back to and advance your profession; to grow your networks and to learn new ideas and hear perspectives from outside your campuses, regions, and countries; to enhance your careers and résumés; and to mentor the next generations of advancement professionals.
We value every hour you give to CASE, and we know how fortunate we are to have your volunteer engagement. Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for being the heart and soul of CASE in our 50th anniversary year. Cheers to all who have volunteered for CASE in our first half century!
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July - August 2024
Creating a Global Network: Dutch alumni teams extend their international reach. Also, meaningful donor and fundraiser relationships, meeting the mission at public regional universities, and connecting the pieces on a community college brand refresh.
