By BRENLEY LEWIS
Advancement Vice President K. Fred Skousen has announced the consolidation of alumni and external relations functions within BYU’s Office of Advancement, appointing Associate Advancement Vice President John C. Lewis to lead the effort.
Lewis said that with the growth of the university worldwide, it is important to march ahead single-mindedly.
Both alumni relations and external relations of the university are geared toward reaching out to the public to share the message of BYU, Lewis said.
“Without a coordinated, focused strategy,it’s hard to share the message we are trying to get across,” he said.
The responsibility of this new, consolidated body is to tell the story of BYU in effective ways to government bodies, alumni chapters across the nation and to the world.
“BYU is attracting the attention of worldwide audiences in ever-increasing numbers,” Skousen said. “There is a host of benefits to aligning our core external relations efforts within one organization, the most important of which center on our ability to work smoothly with these important, diverse audiences.”
In leading the university’s focus on alumni and external relations, Lewis will retain responsibility for BYU Publications and Graphics, Special Events and other marketing efforts, while also assuming duties previously held by George W. Bowie, assistant advancement vice president for university relations, who is leaving the university June 30 to pursue other interests.
Lewis’ additional duties will include Public Affairs and Guest Relations, the BYU Alumni Association, the Aspen Grove Family Camp and Performing Arts Management.
Skousen said while Bowie will be missed, he is wished the best of luck in his new pursuits. And he also expressed his confidence in John Lewis.
“We are grateful to have the talents of John Lewis available to us as we enact this significant reorganization. His expertise and management background will enhance our efforts to be as market-driven and service-oriented as we can, within the context of a worldwide university,” Skousen said.
“My commitment to Brigham Young University and its mission runs very deep, and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute through this expanded assignment,” Lewis said.
The challenges of this new assignment lie in the rapid change that is occurring within the domain of these responsibilities, Lewis said. He questioned how to best communicate with 3,000 alumni around the world, answering that it is a matter of leveraging technology and other resources.
“We must move onward and upward,” Lewis said.
Lewis has been serving as associate advancement vice president of marketing since July 1998. Previously, Lewis was director of alumni and public relations for BYU’s Marriott School.
Before coming to BYU in 1996, he held executive management positions at Novell Inc., WordPerfect Corporation and Nu Skin Enterprises.
