Thacher School is one of the most selective and highly regarded boarding schools in the nation. Founded in 1889 by Sherman Day Thacher, the School serves academically talented students from 24 states and 9 countries in a rigorous college preparatory experience. Fifty-one percent of students identify as people of color. The faculty and students live and work closely together on a 427-acre campus nestled in the foothills of the Los Padres National Forest in Ojai, California (85 miles north of Los Angeles). Honor, fairness, kindness, and truth are the cornerstones of School life. Together, the school community commits to the belief that demands in the academic classroom, when combined with those of mountains and horses, of sports and the arts, produce independent minds, strong bodies, and powerful character. The School enrolls 260 students, has an operating budget of $25 million, and an endowment of $170 million.

Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations:

The Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations works closely with the Alumni and Development team to create and implement alumni and parent engagement and activity at Thacher. They are responsible for developing, implementing, and managing a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy to strengthen relationships between Thacher and more than 3,800 alumni. Appropriate cultivation of alumni/ae will be of great importance with a special emphasis placed on the support of our Alumni Council, alumni affinity groups, reunion programming, local and regional alumni gatherings, electronic and print communication, and select advancement related events. In addition to the focus on alumni relations, this position will also strategize and manage parent relations activity including parent events, outreach strategy, and serve as a liaison to the Thacher Parent Association. This position also works closely with the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations.

Major Functions and Responsibilities:

• Implement regular communication with Thacher alumni and parents that includes direct contact, e-mails, alumni Web pages, social media, and print publications.
• Collaborate closely with others on the development management team to identify alumni major donor prospects
• Gather cross-organizational input to design and deliver a marketing strategy to parents and alumni, including email and digital campaigns
• Manage reunion planning together with staff
• Develop and maintain networking and gathering program for Alumni and Parents
• Develop mentoring program for senior classes and interested alumni
• Assist with implementation of Thacher’s Reunion Giving and Class Agents programs
• Oversee strategic planning and annual goals with the Alumni Council
• Work closely with the Director of Alumni Giving on engagement strategies for alumni and the Director of the Annual Fund for parents
• Work closely with the Director of Stewardship on relationship building including carrying a stewardship portfolio
• Be in regular contact with alumni both reactively and proactively
• Cultivate philanthropic culture among all alumni
• Support programming for diversity, equity, and inclusion work as it pertains to alumni and constituent relationships including overseeing and supporting the creation of affinity groups

For a complete position description, visit https://www.carneysandoe.com/assets/Thacher-DoAlum-Description.pdf

Interested candidates contact: Jonathan Ball, Managing Associate, Carney Sandoe & Associates at jball@carneysandoe.com. All inquiries and nominations are kept confidential.