Morgan Hunt named UNCP's alumni director

/
News

Morgan Hunt, a 2006 graduate, has been named director UNC Pembroke's Office of Alumni Relations in the Office of Advancement. She will be responsible for programming for UNCP's 22,000 alumni.

Hunt, who will receive her Master of Public Administration degree from UNCP in December. previously served as assistant director of Admissions and assistant director of the Annual Fund and Donor Relations. Before that, she worked for the Lumbee Tribe as a health educator.

The announcement was made by Wendy Lowery, vice chancellor of Advancement.

"Morgan's charisma and excitement about UNCP are exceptional; it's obvious in both her personal and professional life," Lowery said. "Her experiences in previous positions while at UNCP have prepared her greatly for her new role.

"Promoting our institution, garnering support from our constituents and instilling a strong sense of camaraderie among our alumni is something that Morgan has done all along," she said. "It truly takes a strong effort by all of our alumni, faculty and staff of UNCP to grow alumni programing and support and I look forward to building from the momentum we currently have and the enhancements we'll see in the future."

As an alumnae who is already actively involved in the university and community, Hunt will fit seamlessly into her new role.

"As alumni, we must stand up for the continuing success of our university," Hunt said. "We need all of our alumni giving every year, regardless of the size of the gift. Alumni giving helps our students, helps athletics, helps academics and much more."

"I look forward to working with all of our alumni to continue to build a strong alumni association which will become the backbone of making UNC Pembroke and institution of choice," she said.



As assistant director of annual fund and donor relations, Hunt worked in strategic areas of donor relations and fundraising, including the Chancellor's Club, Annual Fund and Phon-a-thon. She also led annual campaigns for faculty and staff and the State Employees Combined Campaign, and both set giving records.

As alumni director, Hunt will strengthen existing relationships and cultivate new friends. "In particular, I want to increase the participation of students and young alumni with their university," she said.

"I want existing donors and prospective donors to remember two things: the gift they make will enhance the quality of education our students receive, and provide opportunities for students who might not have the resources to achieve a college education," Hunt said. "To alumni, I want to stress the importance of giving to their university. When you invest in the University of North Carolina Pembroke, it increases the value of your own degree."

As she transitions into her new role, Hunt will launch and implement UNCP's Senior Campaign for the class of 2014.

"Alumni involvement begins even before graduation day," Hunt maintains. "Regardless of how it is first introduced, the goal for a college is to quickly get graduates into the habit of being engaged with their school.

"A true indicator of the love for and loyalty to one's alma mater is the extent to which one is willing to support it financially over a lifetime," Hunt said "Graduate giving is a very good barometer of how alumni view their colleges. Those schools with high levels of alumni giving also tend to do quite well on most important measurements."

A Pembroke native, Hunt is involved in the community and her involvement has been noticed. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Robeson County and the Rape Crisis Center and is a former council member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Lumbee Tribe.

As a health educator and volunteer, Hunt has battled some of Robeson County's most persistent and lethal health issues, including smoking and diabetes. As winner of the Miss UNCP Scholarship Pageant in 2005 and the Miss Lumbee Pageant in 2004, she promoted diabetes awareness through the Delora Locklear Diabetes Foundation.

In 2012, she was named to the "40 Under 40 in Indian Country." In 2012, she and her dance partner led all fundraisers in the local United Way's Dancing with the Stars, which raised funds for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a children's literacy project.

As an undergraduate, Hunt received an Alumni Scholarship and worked the phone bank for the university's Annual Fund. She is no stranger to promoting UNCP.

"The excitement on UNCP's campus is real, and I am a dedicated member of the BraveNation," Hunt said. "My college career was marked with lasting relationships with professors and life-long friends, all the while receiving a great education.

"I am coming to this office with the point of view of an involved alumnae," she said. "From experience, I have no doubt, it's a good time to be a Brave!"

To learn more about the Office of Alumni relations, please contact them at 910.521.6333, email alumni@uncp.edu or visit their website at www.uncp.edu/alumni/.