BR!TON B!TS
New Names in Advancement Office Two Albion College alumni recently joined the Office of Institutional Advancement staff. Todd Morris, ’95, formerly a sales representative for BioMedix Vascular Solutions, joined the staff as director of development for the West Coast region in January. Morris handled the Virginia and Washington, D.C. territory out of the Leesburg, Va., office and consistently ranked among the top sales leaders for the company. Prior to his work with BioMedix, Morris served as the associate executive director of the YMCA in Fairfax County, Va., and as a territory sales representative for Life Fitness. A former varsity football and baseball player, Morris was inducted into Albion’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. John Thompson, ’02, was named associate vice president for marketing in March. He leads the development and
Albion’s Methodist Relationship Reaffirmed Morris
Thompson
implementation of a strategic marketing initiative that integrates admission, academics, athletics, student life, and institutional advancement. For more than seven years as principal associate at BluFish Consulting, LLC, in Marshall Thompson attracted and maintained corporate and non-profit clients, managed creative design, implemented marketing plans, and led market research projects. Thompson is no stranger to the College, having attended Albion for two years before earning a B.A. in advertising from Michigan State University.
D. LAWRENCE PHOTO
Sculpture Celebrates College’s Ties with President Ford
4 | Io Triumphe!
A replica of a bronze sculpture of President Gerald R. Ford that stands in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda was installed during a special ceremony in the Robinson Hall atrium in March. The sculpture, known as a maquette, stands near the office suite of the College’s Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, established in honor of the 38th president in 1977. In an earlier ceremony at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Susan Ford Bales presented the sculpture to President Donna Randall. The maquette was made possible by gifts from Herold “Mac” Deason, ’64, Brett Decker, ’93, George Heartwell, ’71, David Hogg, ’69, and Paul Huth, ’77, under the leadership of Albion trustee Joe Calvaruso, ’78, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation.
The University Senate of The United Methodist Church (UMC) recently reaffirmed Albion College’s UMC affiliation, after an in-depth review last fall. Albion was founded by Methodist clergy in what was then Michigan Territory in 1835, and has maintained its relationship with the church since that time. United Methodist representatives continue to sit on the College’s Board of Trustees. Albion is one of 120 United Methodist-related educational institutions in the United States. “We are proud of Albion’s 176-year heritage and the many current students and alumni who are active leaders in the United Methodist Church,” Albion President Donna Randall said. The College received notification of the reaffirmation this spring, following an independent review and visit conducted by members of The United Methodist Church’s University Senate. Albion received its visit from the University Senate delegation in September 2011, and the recommendations of the visiting team were reviewed by the full University Senate in late January 2012. Criteria for evaluation included institutional integrity, wellstructured programs, sound management, and clearly defined church relationships. In its official letter, the University Senate “approved Albion College for continued listing as a United Methodist-related institution of Higher Education.” As part of the report, the visiting team noted that “the College is committed to the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, and it’s extremely effective in its work with diversity and social justice issues.” “I’m happy that the University Senate celebrated our good work with diversity and understand it in theological terms,” said Daniel McQuown, College chaplain. “The students I work with are passionate in engaging diversity in many forms, and that matches the church’s Social Principles in furthering God’s kingdom.”