ICAA Honors College Staff Member and Elects Another as Next President
Campus News

The Independent College Advancement Associates (ICAA) recognized Franklin College’s Jill Bode with the ICAA Newcomer Award at its annual conference awards dinner. The organization also elected Lee Ann Jourdan as its next president.

Bode, who served as the assistant director of alumni communications and events at the time of the conference, has since been promoted to director of annual giving and stewardship at Franklin College. She has been working at the college since September 2021, and has been commended by her colleagues for making a tremendous impact in a short time.

The ICAA Newcomer Award was established in 2002 in an effort to recognize and honor the work being done by the college advancement professionals of ICAA. The award recognizes a new advancement professional who has made a significant contribution within his/her specific functional area. Nominations are judged on new initiatives, successful events or improvements to existing programs.

Bode, an alumna of Purdue University, is a resident of Franklin.

 

Jourdan is the assistant vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving at Franklin College. She began working at the institution in 2018, after gaining 15 years of experience in nonprofit management and higher education fundraising, including stints at DePauw University and Indiana University.

Jourdan, an alumna of Indiana University, is a resident of Indianapolis.

As president of the ICAA, Jourdan and the executive committee have three strategic priorities: increasing membership growth, defining and implementing an annual sponsorship program and creating an intentional communications plan. A website redesign is also being considered to better serve the membership. Jourdan gained valuable experience for her current position by serving as president-elect during the 2021-22 academic year.

“I got involved with the Executive Committee as a Member At Large two years ago when a colleague from another institution recommended I keep an eye on professional development opportunities within ICAA,” explains Jourdan. “With the mission to enhance the professional development of its members and their understanding of issues facing private higher education and institutional advancement, I was immediately sold.”

“We are so fortunate to have both Jill and Lee Ann on our team at Franklin College,” said Dana Cummings, vice president of institutional advancement at Franklin College. “Jill has hit the ground running after only a short time working in higher education fundraising, and has made a tremendous impact on her colleagues, our campus, and ultimately, our students. She is most deserving of this special award. Additionally, Lee Ann is a natural pick for ICAA president, and we are so proud that she’s a Franklin College Grizzly. Her distinguished career in nonprofit management and higher education fundraising is impressive, and she has an excellent reputation for being a leader in our field. I am personally proud to work with both Jill and Lee Ann each day and consider myself lucky to call them colleagues.”

About ICAA

In the In the fall of 1958, staff officers of seven private colleges met to discuss a joint venture in alumni and fund raising, which resulted in successful fund drives in Akron and Toledo, Ohio. From this group two years later was born the Independent College Alumni Associates of Ohio. One of its first tasks was to launch a lobbying effort in the Ohio Legislature aiding significantly in the passage of the Ohio Instructional Grants legislation.

In recent years, the scope of the organization has broadened to include the varied college advancement professionals working on behalf of today’s private institutions. The name was officially changed in 1981 to Independent College Advancement Associates (ICAA). ICAA membership is now approaching 800 individual staff members from these colleges, universities, and related institutions.

The mission of ICAA is to enhance the professional development of its members and their understanding of issues facing private higher education and institutional advancement. Professional development opportunities include an annual summer conference, a three-day event for all college advancement professionals, and several Drive-In Workshops held periodically throughout the year, with each workshop pertaining to a specific specialty area.

ICAA is directed by an 11-member board, consisting of the president, immediate past president, president-elect, treasurer, secretary and six at-large members. For more information, visit: www.myicaa.org.

For more information, contact Franklin College’s Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.

POSTED Sep 22, 2022