We recently caught up with Rebecca Long, who is the Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Lane Community College. Rebecca shares her experience in Advancement, and why storytelling is crucial in creating alumni engagement that lasts.
Discover AI Summary
• Improve your messaging by getting specific: Rebecca Long advises moving beyond generic communications ("spray and pray") by creating persona-based marketing strategies with tailored messages and measurable outcomes. This helps ensure your communications genuinely connect with your audience.
• Boost alumni engagement through meaningful connections: Instead of just asking alumni to remember you, show them how you've remembered them. Rebecca's team used targeted outreach via Almabase to re-engage former nursing students for a new program, turning a simple ask into a relevant opportunity.
• Power up your fundraising with compelling stories: Rebecca highlights that storytelling is essential for making education resonate, whether you're soliciting scholarship applications or donations. This approach can create a stronger emotional bond and drive impact for your fundraising campaigns.
• Shift from mass communication to precision: Learn how Lane Community College transformed their marketing from broad blasts to highly targeted campaigns based on data. This strategic shift helped them measure real impact and build stronger connections with their development and alumni teams.
• Leverage your CRM for strategic re-engagement: Rebecca’s team successfully used alumni filters within Almabase to identify and reach specific groups, like former nursing students, for relevant opportunities. This demonstrates how effectively using your existing data can uncover new avenues for alumni participation and outreach.
"Storytelling is how we make education matter; whether you're applying for a scholarship or donating one."
—Rebecca Long, Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications, Lane Community College
If you’ve ever seen a Lane Community College campaign that made you stop, think, or feel something; that was probably Rebecca Long’s handiwork.
As Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications, Rebecca leads a small-but-mighty five-person team responsible for everything from advertising and media relations to capital campaign strategy and student outreach. But behind every post, pitch, and print piece lies Rebecca’s secret weapon: powerful storytelling.
When Rebecca first stepped into her role at Lane, marketing felt like shouting into a void—mass emails with little personalization, ads with no targeting, and campaigns designed for everyone and no one at once.
“We were a ‘spray and pray’ operation. We’d hope something would land, but we weren’t measuring what worked or why.”
Under Rebecca’s leadership, the team now creates persona-based marketing strategies with clearly defined audiences, tailored messages, and measurable outcomes. Whether it’s a scholarship campaign for first-gen students or a targeted ad series promoting Lane’s aviation program, everything starts with data and ends with impact. She’s also built intentional bridges with the alumni and development offices to ensure that every story and appeal is relevant—not just another touchpoint, but a meaningful one.
It was a snowy day in Eugene, Oregon, and the power was flickering. Rebecca was unsure about submitting an expensive entry to the prestigious PRSA Silver Anvil Awards. She made a deal with herself: if the power stayed on, she’d go for it.
It stayed on.
Months later, Lane became the first community college to ever win in the “Integrated Communications” category.
“I always said I’d win one someday. I just never dreamed I actually would.”
Lane is a community college, but for many alumni, it’s also a turning point. Rebecca taps into that emotional connection to re-engage former students—not with gimmicks, but with genuine storytelling and clear invitations to be part of Lane’s ongoing mission.
When the college launched a new RN-to-BSN completion program, her team used alumni filters on Almabase to identify and reach out to former nursing students—bringing them back not just for nostalgia, but for a new opportunity. She also partnered with the alumni team to collect and showcase stories for Lane’s 60th anniversary—transforming the celebration into a moment of collective pride and visibility for graduates who may have felt overlooked.
“We’re not asking alumni to remember us. We’re showing them how we’ve remembered them—and how they still fit into the story.”
Rebecca sees alumni not as a list to be mined, but as people with chapters still unfolding—and she’s building the bridge for them to return, contribute, and belong.
Rebecca’s goal is to build on Lane’s new era of data-driven communications using audience insights, story mining, and refined KPIs to craft messaging that actually lands.
Her north star? Making sure every message counts. No more shouting into the void.
And while AI plays a supporting role in helping her brainstorm interview questions or understand technical concepts, Rebecca is firm on one thing:
“AI enhances what we do, but it doesn’t replace it.”
Inspired by Rebecca’s story?
Connect with her on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next communications changemaker for the #TheOG50!
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"If's everything's a priority, nothing's a priority. Focus drives impact."
—William (Bill) Miller, President & CEO, Kean University Foundation
Bill Miller doesn’t just talk about transformation, he lives it. As President and CEO of the Kean University Foundation, Bill has helped grow his team nearly 4x in seven years, launched the university’s first comprehensive campaign in two decades, and contributed to over $1 billion raised in philanthropic support throughout his career.
Bill’s journey in advancement has been rooted in strategy, people, and purpose. But if you ask him what he’s most proud of, it’s not the dollars, but the team he’s built and the people he’s mentored.
Bill’s fundraising journey spans nearly two decades and crosses multiple sectors. But his heart has always been in education and health. He credits successful fundraising to a few key ingredients: a compelling story, a strong plan, institutional trust, and a passionate team.
“People want to invest in something that’s impactful. When you pair a powerful mission with great leadership, the money follows.”
At Kean University Foundation, he’s applying these principles to fuel the university’s R2 research ambitions, growing enrollment, and expanding donor reach, especially through their current quiet-phase comprehensive campaign.
One of Bill’s proudest milestones is watching his team thrive. He’s passionate about mentoring others and watching them grow into industry leaders.
“If you asked me 15 years ago, I might’ve said my biggest gift. Today, it’s seeing the people I’ve worked with go on to do great things.”
Bill’s leadership philosophy is simple: take care of yourself so you can take care of your team. With a strong culture and high retention at the Foundation, it’s clear that philosophy is paying off.
With Kean now classified as an R2-designated institution and enrollment on the rise, Bill is laser-focused on executing their comprehensive campaign, and setting the stage for the next one.
“We’re in a strong moment of growth, and this campaign is a way to fuel the university’s future.”
And while AI and digital tools are beginning to shape philanthropy, Bill remains grounded in one truth: people give to people.
A completed campaign. A growing team. A bold vision. But also - making space for joy. Bill jokes that he was voted “Most Likely to Be on a Talk Show” in high school, and if you’ve ever been in a room with him, you know why.
He brings passion, wit, and purpose to every interaction, making him not just a leader in fundraising, but a catalyst for lasting impact.
Connect with him on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next incredible leader in advancement for the #TheOG50!
#TheOG50: The one with Bill Miller
We recently caught up with William (Bill) Miller, who is the CEO at Kean University Foundation, as he shared some advice on what helped him raise over a billion dollars in his fundraising career.
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"We're not just building events. We're building belonging."
—Sarah Sooklal, Director of Community Engagement, Cannon School
At Cannon School, Sarah Sooklal does more than plan events. She builds bridges. As the Director of Community Engagement, Sarah’s work spans alumni relations, parent engagement, volunteer coordination, and community programming - all wrapped in a passion for creating spaces where everyone feels seen and valued.
With a relatively small but mighty advancement team and a young alumni base just crossing the 2,000 mark, Sarah brings energy and empathy to every part of her work, embodying what community-building truly means in a school setting.
One of Sarah’s proudest accomplishments is reconnecting with Cannon’s earliest alumni; the foundational classes who helped shape the school’s identity.
“I never want them to feel forgotten. Their support is what got us here.”
Through intentional outreach and genuine relationship-building, Sarah has made these alumni feel seen, valued, and most importantly, part of the current story. It’s not just stewardship; it’s restoration.
With shifts in family dynamics and time availability, parent engagement has evolved. Sarah is leading the charge in redefining what that looks like - coordinating volunteer opportunities, reimagining participation, and making sure all parents, regardless of how much time they can give, feel part of the school community.
“We’re asking how we can bring people back into the fold—not just for their time or their money, but for their heart.”
Sarah doesn’t view engagement in a silo. To her, stronger alumni and parent involvement directly enhances the student experience, and that ripple effect fuels her motivation daily.
“When our alumni or parents are more involved, our teachers are better supported. Our students are better supported. It’s all connected.”
From supporting teachers to creating confidence for incoming families, Sarah’s work is rooted in building a community ecosystem that nurtures everyone.
Looking forward, Sarah is focused on deepening parent engagement - especially as two-parent working households and post-COVID realities shift how families interact with schools. Her vision is to make involvement more accessible, flexible, and rewarding.
And while technology (including AI) plays a supporting role in her work, Sarah is clear on one thing: human connection is irreplaceable.
“AI is a great tool, but it can’t replace remembering something personal or writing a thank-you note.”
Inspired by Sarah’s story?
Connect with her on LinkedIn and don’t forget to nominate the next advancement trailblazer for the #TheOG50!
#TheOG50: The one with Sarah Sooklal
We recently sat down with Sarah, who is the Director of Community Engagement at Cannon School, as she took us through why relationship-building is key to long-term success in Advancement.
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