On April 1, a new director of alumni affairs will step into Alumni Hall.
Calvin Brown of Decatur, Ala., will replace Pat Whetstone, who has been in the position for 20 years.
Brown is currently a partner and portfolio manager with BlueCreek Investment Partners in Huntsville, Ala. He graduated from the University in 1983 and has been active in his alumni chapter since graduation.
Whetstone has known Brown since 1997 when Brown became president of the National Alumni Association. According to Whetstone, Brown has the qualities to step in and be an effective leader.
“For someone to do well [in this job], they can’t take themselves too seriously, but they have to take this job seriously,” Whetstone said. “You must be empathetic, and I think Calvin possesses that empathy.”
Brown said his past experience has prepared him. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the College of Commerce and Business Administration and has worked as an investment analyst, portfolio manager, and president and partner of an investment company.
Among his involvement with The University, he is a member of the UA President’s Cabinet, chair of the Library Leadership Board and a board member for Capstone Village. He was on the steering committee of the “Our Students Our Future” capital campaign.
Brown will move to Tuscaloosa soon, joining his two children Julia and Pete, who are both UA students.
Brown said he thought the position was appealing, and called getting it a dream come true. He said it is a great time to be coming to campus, as it is a golden era at UA.
“I think UA is a special place,” Brown said. “When you leave and go out into the world is when you realize how special it is. It’s imperative that our alumni stay connected to their university.”
Vice President of Advancement Pam Parker said that as director, Brown will be like the head of a family. He will oversee the alumni magazine, manage chapter development, raise money for scholarship endowments, engage in student recruitment and provide leadership for all of the 21 staff members at Alumni Hall.
“I’m looking forward to working with him,” Parker said. “He will really keep things moving forward and have good ideas as well.”
Brown said his plan for his first year is to get familiar with what is going on. He said he has a clear vision of the mission of Alumni Hall.
“Students and alumni are the life blood of our University and we can’t ever lose sight of that fact,” Brown said. “Every alumnus is an ambassador and they are an effective way of telling [the] story of UA throughout the state and country and really the world.”
Whetstone said he looks forward to Brown coming on board. There will be a one-month transition period where Brown will become more familiar with the staff and get up to date on the budget.
Both Whetstone and Brown said that the transition should be smooth.
“They are big shoes to fill,” Brown said. “There is a continuity of tight leadership, so we can hit the ground running and continue the strong legacy that Pat is leading.”
While Whetstone said he won’t miss traveling three nights in a row to go to meetings, he will miss other aspects of the job he held for 20 years.
“This is a wonderful position,” Whetstone said. “I’m going to miss interacting with the students.”
