The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to welcome Courtney Conrad to the role of assistant director of regional engagement and Greg Lin to the role of assistant director of volunteer engagement. Courtney and Greg will begin their new positions Monday, Sept. 20.

Please take a moment to learn more about Courtney and Greg below and join me in warmly welcoming them to Drake.

Courtney Conrad
Courtney recently relocated to Des Moines from Colorado where she served as the Coordinator of Transition Programs at Colorado State University. Courtney brings with her a wealth of experience in program development and execution. While at CSU Courtney took a significant program idea that had been a concept for several years, refined it, and carried it through to execution.

Her references shared the following comments:

“Her ability to connect with others and serve as a mentor is unbeatable. She can engage with anyone, any age, any background. She asks the right questions (valued skill I admired in her) and seems to be the staff member that many of my teammates miss the most. She has an ability to leave that mark/impact on others through her first conversation.”

“Working with Courtney has been one of the greatest gifts of my professional career in Higher Ed.  She is hands down incredible.”

In her role, Courtney will be tasked with managing all aspects of our regional alumni outreach and engagement including volunteer management, event programming, and communication. Courtney will serve as the staff liaison to our eleven regional advisory boards (RABs) across the country. Additionally, she will also be responsible for developing and executing strategic virtual engagement programs including the Back to Class series.

Greg Lin
Greg has worked at Drake for the past five years serving as an Assessment Coordinator in Institutional Research. In his time at Drake Greg has built countless personal and professional relationships across campus. His experience working with data and assessment, coupled with his natural relationship building skills will serve the department well. 

Greg is currently the President of the Young Professionals Connection of Greater Des Moines and is also a 2021 Des Moines Business Record 40 under 40 recipient. 

His references shared the following comments: 

“Greg left for his position at Drake several years ago. He still frequently communicates with several of his former peers after all this time. We just finished preparing for our accreditation visit in March, and it was commented several times that we were very well prepared because of processes that Greg implemented during his time here. Greg Lin is someone that if you encounter him, you don’t forget him. You don’t forget his kindness, his selflessness, his dedication, his intellect, his contributions, or his work ethic. I know that he would be a valuable asset to any team that welcomed him.”

In his role, Greg will be tasked with establishing and growing a dynamic volunteer program through volunteer selection and management, communication, and event programming. Greg will also be responsible for supporting our LGBTQ+ and Black Alumni Association affinity groups, helping foster deep connections between alumni and with students.

—Andy Verlengia, Alumni Relations