Tracey Ivey to join Alumni Association as president-elect

By Taylor Engelson

Collegian Reporter

Richmond's Alumni Association's executive committee has selected Tracey Holgren Ivey of Bryn Mawr, Penn., as the association's new president-elect.

Ivey has served on the association's executive committee since 2006. She was treasurer for two years and is currently a member of the finance council.

"I was thrilled to be asked and glad to continue serving the university," said Ivey, a 1982 graduate of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business.

She was unanimously elected because she was such a strong choice, said Tripp Perrin,'95, the University of Richmond Alumni Association (URAA) president.

Ivey will become president on July 1, 2009 and will succeed Jasmonn Coleman, '98, who stepped down as president-elect after accepting the position of major gift officer for athletics.

Ivey has a lot of experience in the corporate world, Perrin said.

"Her ability to think strategically is important for the board at this time," he said.

Ivey is the director of consultant relations for Richmond-based Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC. She has been a managing director of consultant relations with Morgan Stanley Investment Management and was head of consultant relations with Miller, Anderson & Sherrerd, a Philadelphia money management firm. She earned her M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Ivey learned how to create and execute strategic plans while working for a Wall Street firm, she said. Although she has a background in finance, she said she was really a salesperson and knew a lot about connecting people.

"I spent a lot of time in a relationship-building role," she said.

Ivey has a blend of respect for the university's past, as well as respect for the future vision of the university that President Edward Ayers has laid out, said Trustee Steve Kneeley, '85.

"Her knowledge of both the future vision and history make her a fabulous fit," he said.

In her career, she has had to deal with the highest level of endowment management, said Kneeley, who has been in the same professional industry as Ivey for many years.

"She is extremely respected in our industry as a strong leader," he said.

Right now, a large part of Ivey's job is learning what being the president requires of her, Perrin said. The biggest priority for the URAA is accomplishing the four goals set in its strategic plan, he said.

"Tracey's input has been invaluable as the university continues to improve its strategic plan."

The biggest challenge for Ivey is finding enough time in the day to accomplish everything, she said.

"Now, the URAA wants to stop talking and start doing," Ivey said. "It's going to be an awful lot of fun."

The Alumni Association's strategic plan is composed of four goals that are somewhat interrelated and in conjunction with the plan that President Ayers has, Ivey said.

The first goal is strengthening relationships with the 40,000 alumni globally as well as locally, she said.

"Everybody has wonderful feelings about the university but nobody has reached out to alumni to bring them back," Ivey said. "It's the perfect time to capitalize on those great feelings."

The second is building connections among alumni and between alumni and current students, she said. This ties into the third, which is having alumni give their time, talent or treasure, she said.

"There are people who want to write big checks, but there are other ways to give back too, such as job placement, helping students network and recruiting students," she said. "We want them to feel like a part of the university and give back."

The fourth goal is to motivate students to become active alumni community members before graduation, she said. "We want to start early and have them appreciate what it's like to be a student."

Ivey is a natural leader, Kneeley said. "She will be a great leader at driving the strategic plan into the alumni," he said.

Contact writer Taylor Engelson at taylor.engelson@richmond.edu