Oswego Matters

Greetings, Laker family!

For those of you whom I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting over my nearly 10 professional years (and two student-intern years!) with the Alumni Office, please allow me to introduce myself: My name is Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09, and I am the new executive director of your Oswego Alumni Association.

While I officially joined the Oswego alumni family in 2009, I had green and gold in my veins well before that—with both my parents, Don ’74 and Carol Metzger Pavlus ’74, and my sister, Erica Pavlus Schneider ’99, graduating from this “friendly college by the lake” before me…not to mention an uncle, Bruce Needle ’74, and countless friends! I am certainly a legacy Laker, and enormously proud to be one.

My first part-time professional role with the office was serving as the Reunion reservationist for our 2009 Reunion Weekend—which happened to be the largest Reunion program we’ve had to date, drawing 1,400 alumni and friends back to campus. What a great way to meet so many amazing alumni right out of the gate! Since then, in my subsequent roles of associate alumni director and alumni director, I have loved connecting with so many more of you, and witnessing the continued growth of our programs and services. I’m thrilled to be in this new position as we look forward to the changing landscape ahead.

I am a firm believer that change brings opportunity—opportunity for new ideas, for redirection, for enhancement. As I embrace these opportunities to build upon our strong foundation in the months and years to come, I, alongside our Board of Directors, will look to all of you, our valued alumni, for your feedback and input. What makes you want to stay engaged? Why do you support the institution? How can we provide more value? We plan to send our triennial all-alumni comprehensive survey in 2020, to determine how we can better serve our alumni community. I hope you’ll take a few moments to share your thoughts and opinions with us!

Of course, you shouldn’t wait until then to touch base! I encourage you to attend a Reunion or regional event, volunteer to connect with students and fellow alumni, support the institution and update us regularly on your news and accomplishments. Continue to watch your mailbox for this bi-annual magazine, and your inbox for regular emails and newsletters, to find details on the ways you can stay connected, as well as news from campus and the impacts our alumni are making around the world!

I look forward to meeting, and re-connecting, with so many of you in the near future—and to continuing to build meaningful, lifelong relationships that bring SUNY Oswego to its “highest degree of usefulness.” It was the true vision of our alumni family’s founding father, after all.

With Laker pride,

Laura Pavlus Kelly ’09
Executive Director
Oswego Alumni Association