Greg Saks: Strengthening Alumni Ties – Without Always Wearing One
Greg Saks has a great collection of neckties. Conservative but playful, they are patterned with motifs of fish, giraffes, or beach chairs. More often than not, however, this unusual haberdashery can be seen on his desk rather than around his neck, where the new associate vice president of development, University Advancement, keeps them, ready to be put on at a moment’s notice.
“I worked in a very liberal environment at Pitzer College,” he says. “I also worked at Baylor University, which is very close to George Bush’s ranch in Texas. Also, at Pitzer I worked with a lot of people in the entertainment business. They don’t wear ties.”
Saks’ lack of formality belies a hands-on approach that he plans to apply in reaching out to CSU Dominguez Hills alumni for support, both volunteer and financial. According to him, the way to strengthen the alumni connection to their University is to capitalize on the graduates’ role as ambassadors for their alma mater.
“We can provide services that make it more exciting for them to be involved on campus,” he says. “That involvement can be not only through financial support, but also through advocacy to their local legislators, or simply making sure that whenever Dominguez Hills is mentioned, it’s mentioned in a positive way.”
Of the 60,000 CSUDH alumni all over the country, approximately 25,000-30,000 live within 25 miles of the campus. Saks sees the University’s responsibility to its alumni as facilitating “the ability to remain connected to their alma mater. This is a two-way street. Alumni need to be able to do their part to remain involved and support their institution, but it’s our obligation to make sure that we provide those avenues. We need to make sure we’re asking for support and make sure we’re providing opportunities for engagement.”
The connection of alumni to local businesses – and potential donors – is one that Saks hopes to capitalize on, given the University’s placement in regional industry.
“It’s remarkable to have such a powerful group of people associated with Dominguez Hills,” Saks says. “For local businesses, these are their customers, their employees, and their clients. Figuring out a way to leverage that and put it into a philanthropic frame of reference is important.”
Programs such as a planned giving society with donor levels and donor stewardship are among Saks’ plans for capitalizing on the University’s relationships with individuals. He is also planning a corporate engagement strategy that breaks prospective donors down into groups by industry and the types and sizes of their companies.
“We need to broaden the base of giving opportunities,” he says, “by thinking about the donors who are just starting their philanthropic journey with the University, as well as those who are more advanced. We need to develop plans and giving plans for everyone, depending on where they are in the giving spectrum.”
Saks also recognizes the importance of CSUDH alumni and their contribution to a key dividend: enrollment.
“If our alumni are speaking positively about our institution, it makes a great difference in our ability to attract more students,” he says. “This can also be done by our current students, many of whom are working adults, with an impact on lots of different people, through their work, their communities, their neighbors, and their churches.”
Prior to arriving at Dominguez Hills, Saks served as director of development at Pitzer College, spearheading a $40 million campaign that benefited the college’s endowment, building and special projects, and the annual fund. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history at CSU San Bernardino and his master’s of science degree in higher education administration at Miami University of Ohio, where he also served as coordinator of the graduate school program while a student.
Having worked in his former positions at Pitzer, Cal Poly Pomona, and Baylor University with various alumni populations and demographics, Saks is confident that he will help to establish a “competitive fundraising operation for the CSU system. We have many of the elements to make that happen. There is a sense of optimism in that we have been cultivating lots of different people for a very long time. What we need to do is take that to the next level as far as giving and solidify their support by making sure that they feel valued, and have a good relationship with the University.”
He underscores the ability to help CSUDH, whether as a donor or a contributing alum, as “an opportunity to have tremendous impact on society. Education is the great equalizer, it’s the difference between some people being successful and others not having the chance. Every day, we help students who, without the University’s support, would not have the opportunity to earn a four-year degree.”
In view of this mission, Saks exhorts alumni to invest in what they have already benefited from.
“If you were a first-generation college student and as a result of your education at CSU Dominguez Hills you had the chance to do things that perhaps you never dreamed would be possible, then, in my opinion, you have a responsibility to pass it on to the next generation,” he says. “You should be passing it along and helping the next group of people who are going to be able to change the world. Places like CSUDH are where that really hits home.
“When you talk to the faculty here, especially the emeriti, they are so proud of the fact that they have had the opportunity to work closely with students who are dealing with some untraditional challenges. Lois Chi (emeriti professor of biology) was telling me that she had been invited to a ceremony for one of her former students, a first-generation college student who went on to medical school, and then joined the Air Force. When he retired from the Air Force, he was honored with several medals, and she flew to San Antonio to be a part of it. In his speech, he specifically mentioned that it was Lois’ work that made him what he is today. And that’s what it’s all about.”
- Joanie Harmon
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