Stephanie Dickens Is New President of ODU Alumni Association
Stephanie Dickens '94, the new president of the Old Dominion University Alumni Association, has a message for her 120,000 fellow ODU alums: we need you.
The vice president for retail lending at Old Point National Bank in Hampton, Dickens has been a member of the ODU Alumni Association Board of Directors since 2007, and has been amazed at the transformation of the campus in just the past five years.
Dickens, who succeeds Mike Fowler '94 (MBA '04), will serve as the association president through June 30, 2013. She said the growth of Old Dominion as an institution can be helped greatly by its diverse and talented alumni making connections with each other.
"We have more than 120,000 ODU alums, and we need the energy and experience of every single one of them to help connect alumni with the university and with each other," Dickens said.
"It sounds so simple, but our being able to support our alumni starts with being able to connect with you and get in touch."
Dana Allen, assistant vice president for alumni relations, said Dickens will be a terrific advocate for the university.
"Stephanie has shown a real passion for ODU during her entire time on the board. I look forward to working with her in the coming year to help connect Monarchs everywhere," Allen said.
As a student, Dickens returned to Hampton Roads after a year at Virginia Tech, finding Old Dominion a better fit for her. During her time here, she joined Alpha Xi Delta sorority, which laid the foundation for her commitment to the ODU network and her interest in giving back.
Dickens worked at a local bank while going to school, and the business administration graduate has stayed in banking, working the past 13 years at Old Point National Bank. In addition, she has held leadership positions on the boards of the Urban League of Hampton Roads and the Junior League.
Dickens was a commuter student, but made an effort to connect to ODU while attending school and after graduation. She said she values the experiences other alumni who were commuter students can bring to the association.
"ODU is your home, even if you didn't live here 24-7 during your time. Come back. I guarantee you will find something that creates an amazing sense of pride once you come back and take a look around."
Among other things, the new association president is hopeful that the organization can contact all alumni to let them know about events that would interest them, give them university updates and point out how they can support ODU.
Dickens said all alumni are invited to get (or stay) in touch with the Alumni Association by visiting www.odualumni.org, or via the association's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/odualumni.
The Old Dominion University Alumni Association is a vibrant organization of more than 120,000 graduates. The organization does not require dues, and all graduates are members. A variety of social, professional networking, cultural and athletic support events are held throughout the year in locations across the country. Alumni can become involved in a variety of volunteer programs, such as chapter or affiliate group leadership, student mentoring, recruitment of new Monarchs and legislative advocacy.