Williston Hires Deleney Magoffin As Newest Director of Alumni Engagement

Deleney Magoffin

 

The Williston Northampton School is thrilled to announce the hiring of Deleney Magoffin to the Director of Alumni Engagement position within the school’s Advancement office. Magoffin will work directly with our broad alumni network to foster deeper and more meaningful connections between alums and with the school itself.

Magoffin joins Williston after an 11-year stint at Springfield College, most recently as the Director of Alumni Relations. She also has experience with the YMCA of Greater Springfield, where she served as Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President, and worked for the city of Manassas, Virginia.

To help introduce Magoffin to the wider Williston community, we sat down with her to ask a few introductory questions. Alumni, don’t be shy in reaching out to Magoffin (who goes by Del!) via email at dmagoffin@williston.com.


Q: Tell us a little bit about your background—where you’re from, where you grew up, etc.

A: I was born in Colorado and moved frequently as a kid, living in various parts of Pennsylvania and New York before leaving for college. I was a cross-country and track athlete in high school and college, and continue to feed this passion by running various road races all around the Pioneer Valley. I was also a Girls on the Run coach in South Hadley the past two years, which is where I reside with my family. I have two daughters, Kens (10) and Jules (6), and have been married to my husband, Brian, for 12 years. Brian and I met at Springfield College, graduated the same year, and he is currently the Director of Strategic Athletic Communications/Coordinator of College Media Relations. Our family loves hiking together, baking, and traveling to see new sights and visit friends and family.

Q: What is your history in Advancement work?

A: I started at Springfield College as an Associate Director of Alumni Relations for four years, where I spearheaded the first-ever 40 Under Forty program and was involved in the College’s first Giving Day. I also managed over 200 alumni volunteers around the country and helped plan and facilitate 50+ events annually. My time in Alumni Relations prepared me to serve Springfield College in another capacity as the Campus Visit Coordinator for Undergraduate Admissions, and I was in that role for six years before moving back into Advancement most recently as the Director of Alumni Relations. In this role I lead strategic initiatives fostering alumni engagement and philanthropy, managing a team to achieve institutional advancement goals. I collaborated closely with senior leadership, including the President, to strategize alumni engagement, donor stewardship, and fundraising efforts. With a robust background in alumni relations and enrollment management, I enjoy creating impactful programs that strengthen the communities I work in and drive organizational growth.

Q: How has your time at Springfield College informed your point of view going into this job? What are some things you want to carry over from what you’ve done there?

A: Working in Alumni Relations has taught me that the heartbeat of a school is the students, and their passion and commitment is built off a strong foundation from the alumni who came before them. History and tradition that is kept alive, which I can clearly see is valued with intention and thoughtfulness at Williston Northampton School, helps create the necessary bridge between the students of today and our incredible alumni community. At Springfield, we had a robust reunion program, which I Know is also really valued here. I also want to continue doing networking events with alumni, because I do think our seasoned alums have a lot of advice and wisdom to share with our younger alumni base—having that mentorship be available is a really critical component of alumni relations. And then, I think just continually meeting alumni where they’re at. Technology has really changed over the years and utilizing digital platforms allows an opportunity to connect with alumni no matter how far away they are from campus. (Connect with Magoffin on LinkedIn! Click here to view her profile).

Q: What attracted you to this position, and to Williston itself?

A: I have long been familiar with the incredible reputation Williston Northampton school has in terms of offering an exemplary education for students and being a welcoming and inclusive environment where young people thrive. Because I have lived in Western Massachusetts for half my life, I have relationships with current and past employees and parents, as well as alums who have unanimously described their Williston experience as enriching and positive. So, when the position got posted and was sent to me by multiple people, I was excited to explore this opportunity and expand my network professionally by seeing how another Advancement team operates. From the moment I started the search process, I felt that the Advancement office worked as a cohesive team with shared goals and a clear vision. This gut feeling has been affirmed since joining the team and it’s exciting to engage daily with colleagues who take pride in their work individually and collectively.

Q: One way we connect with our alumni base is through the Alumni Connections newsletter—what should people expect from you as you start crafting these emails?

A: I would love for the newsletter to be a conduit for connection, engagement, and impactful communication between the alumni engagement office and our alumni. We want you to have a one-stop shop for relevant monthly updates from campus, call to action initiatives to express how you can get involved with your alma mater, and to serve as a feel-good platform that after reading make you even more proud to call yourself a Wildcat.

Q: And lastly, tell us a fun fact about yourself!

A: I ran the Boston Marathon at the age of 18 with the Griffin’s Friends team to raise money for pediatric cancer. I raised over $300 for Baystate Children’s Hospital that year, going door to door in each residence hall asking for student’s leftover change.