Jeff Ainslie ’83 is amazed at how far Old Dominion has come since the time he was a student commuting from Sandbridge every day. As the new president of the Alumni Association board of directors, he wants to step up the communication to fellow alumni about the ongoing transformation of their alma mater. “We think our role is getting alums engaged – to understand what ODU is today, and where it is going tomorrow,” he said.

Ainslie met with Alonzo Brandon ’85, vice president for development and alumni relations, to discuss the creation of a new Web portal that would allow graduates to access current information about the university customized to their preferences. It’s not something that’s likely to debut during his watch, Ainslie acknowledged, but he believes it’s important to start laying the groundwork.

“The interface needs to be engaging and consistent, and the content relevant. We will be developing a poll to determine exactly what gets alumni excited and back on campus – and to discover what we could provide that would benefit them directly, both in their personal lives and professional careers,” Ainslie said.

“For example, with an alumni portal, if I’m an engineering graduate and I want to know what new and exciting things the engineering students are doing, or what new programs the Batten College is offering or what new classes are available for continuing education, I can go in and select a few criteria and have my experience personalized to my needs,” he said, adding, “Many of the high-growth jobs we’ll see in five years don’t even exist today, and lifelong learning is the key to staying on the edge – ensuring success. I think continuing education is an area on which we truly need to focus in the future.”

Ainslie, a major university donor for whom the new football game-day building was named and who created a scholarship endowment, also has met with President John Broderick to determine what the Alumni Association can do to serve the university as a partner. Broderick shares Ainslie’s belief that communication and engagement are priority areas of focus for the Alumni Association.

A member of the Alumni Association board for the past eight years, Ainslie said he sees a great synergy developing at the university, with its exemplary academic programs, new residence halls and recreation center for the students, and the recent addition of football. He believes ODU is on a springboard ready to leap into the new century. The next step, he said, is to tout the university’s accomplishments among its 100,000-plus alumni and enlist their passion in spreading the university story.

“If I have to pick one goal, it would be that, when prospective students and their parents are deciding on a college or university, Old Dominion is first on their list,” he said.