"Dean of Fun" Alisa Lively Enjoys Coming to Work

She is known as the “Dean of Fun” on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan and is widely known for keeping things lively around the College.  If something is happening on the Wesleyan campus, there is a good chance that Alisa Lively will be organizing it, working behind the scenes, or sitting on a committee.

Lively’s title at Wesleyan is the director of campus activities and summer conferences, but that is only a small hint of her many contributions to the College. From being the chair of such committees as the Book Store, Food, and Travel, she is also director of the campus center, functions as the master calendar person, is a member of the wellness committee, and serves as the acting chair of the staff council representing staff on many committees and the Board of Trustees. Amazingly, that list is just scratching the top of her list of duties.

As a staff member with over 20 years of service to Wesleyan, her primary duties as the director of campus activities during the academic year are working with volunteer students known as the campus activities board (CAB). This group plans, promotes, and implements all the campus programming. “Most of our activities are planned for Friday or Saturday nights,” she remarked. “We like to give our students a variety of entertainment options.” Activities can range from watching movies to playing bingo to bringing in bands and comedians for entertainment. She also works closely with the theatre and music departments to bring cultural events to campus as part of Wesleyan’s Arts Alive! Series.

During the ‘lazy’ days of summer, Lively continues to stay busy recruiting off-campus groups to utilize the College’s facilities while the students are away. “The summer months can actually be quite hectic,” remarked Lively. “Because every week there is a new group coming to campus.” Wesleyan hosts the Strawberry Festival, the Annual United Methodist Conference, the West Virginia Square and Round Dancing Convention, Energy Express, and Student Council Workshops, along with several other organizations and a number of athletic and band camps.

“Alisa wears so many hats on this campus and she wears them well,” remarked President Dr. Pamela Balch. “She is a strong student advocate and she is one who never looks at the clock when planning and overseeing activities for our students. She is also a leader for our staff members and represents them well in meetings with administration and the Board of Trustees. Her dedication and loyalty to Wesleyan are incredible and we are fortunate to have her on our team!”

A favorite individual among the students, she has a daily interaction with them through such roles as the sophomore class advisor, planning director for homecoming and Spring Sing, and the awards and elections committee. “The interaction with our students is something that I cherish the most about my job,” stated Lively. Every year, students’ interests change whether it is music or a comedian, so that keeps me on my feet and close to the students and their thoughts and opinions.”

Her love for the students expands past her office walls as she is routinely eating lunch with them in the dining hall or inviting them to her house for dinner. “Working with the students is what makes my job enjoyable and engaging,” she commented.” The love she shows the students is mutual as they voted her “Staff Member of the Year” last year.

“She is truly an amazing person, and no matter the situation she always has a smile on her face,” remarked senior Meghan Frum. “Even though she is incredibly busy scheduling, planning, and overseeing events at the College, she still manages to find the time to develop personal relationships with students, faculty, and staff alike.  I became acquainted with Alisa through my office of Special Activities Coordinator, and she was always helpful and generous with her time.  She never lets anyone go unnoticed for their work, yet she stays mostly behind the scenes and deserves to be recognized for her countless contributions to the College and the students.”

Every day is a good day for Lively, but her biggest excitement occurs during Commencement Weekend. “On that day, watching the students that I have interacted with for four years walk across that stage on graduation day and receive their diploma is very rewarding.”

A native of Hampshire County in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle, Lively attended Potomac State College and Marshall University and received her undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in higher education administration. Following a stay in Huntington, she had a soft spot in her heart for small-town living.

 “When I moved to Buckhannon and came to Wesleyan, I knew it was the perfect fit. It instantly became my ‘Home Among the Hills.’ I have the greatest job and would not trade any of my co-workers or students for anything! I never wake up and say “I do not want to go to work today.””

Lively and her husband Greg reside in Buckhannon and have two daughters, Megan (22) and Hannah (20), a sophomore at Wesleyan.

NOTE: Top picture Lively, comedian Buzz Sutherland, and CAB member Nicole Ratliff

Bottom picture: Julie Keehner (Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management) and Lively

Taran Parsons Gains Real-World Experience

Taran Parsons is more than a high achieving college student.  The Ripley, WV native will graduate from West Virginia Wesleyan College in May with both a bachelor of science and a master’s in business administration.  Earning both an undergraduate and graduate degree in four years is a rare accomplishment and achieved by a very small percentage of college students.  For Parsons, the feat is even more amazing when one considers her extracurricular and other out-of-classroom activities.

This semester, the management major, is completing an internship with St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Human Resources Department in Buckhannon.  Her projects include conducting research on hospital performance evaluation methods, researching and designing a PowerPoint on employee harassment that will be eventually be incorporated into all employee training, and evaluating all job descriptions within the hospital.  Parsons spends eight hours per week at the hospital.

In addition to a full course load and the internship work, Parsons is also employed as a work-study student in the Office of Admission.  She has been a four-year member of the Wesleyan Ambassadors, a group that provides campus tours to prospective students.  Through this opportunity, she has led nearly 150 families around the campus, answering questions, while “selling” the Wesleyan experience.

Parsons has also been a leader with Wesleyan’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), where she has been a classroom instructor for the College’s recognized “Money Matters,” an educational program that emphasizes basic business principles for fifth graders.  Each year, her classes have produced, promoted, and sold products for profit.  Parsons also chaired the SIFE Bridal Fair during the fall semester, recruiting businesses from a four-city area.  She has also been a member of the group’s presentation team, which has competed successfully in both regional and national competitions.

In addition to serving as a leader in SIFE, Parsons has also been an executive leader with Alpha Delta Pi sorority, serving as president and recruitment vice president.  She was the College’s student government’s community relations chair in 2006-07 and has been the secretary for the Order of Omega Greek honorary for the past two years.  During the fall semester, she was a seminar leader in the College’s Freshman Seminar program and is a current member of the senior campaign committee, a group which is coordinating fund-raising efforts for the class gift.

Parsons’ summers have also been a “blur of activity.”  Last summer, she was a customer service representative for Huntington Banks and during the summer of 2006, she was a co-coordinator for a community fund-raiser, which raised $600,000 over a four-year period to underwrite improvements for Ripley High School’s football facility.

Next fall, Parsons plans to continue her education, earning a second master’s degree in industrial relations at West Virginia University.

“I love being around people and enjoy interacting with them each day,” she said.  “I am not sure sitting behind a desk is a job best suited for me and through all of my experiences I have discovered a passion for planning and pleasing people.”  Parsons hopes to work in human resources for a large corporation and eventually own her own business that is related to consulting or event planning.

“Wesleyan has been a perfect fit for me,” concluded Parsons.  “I have been able to gain many real-world experience opportunities, while learning from outstanding professors.  It definitely has been a “complete educational experience.”

Alpha Xi Delta Awarded Grant to Assist Stockert Youth Center

West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Alpha Xi Delta sorority has been awarded a $6,000 grant from their national office for improvements to the Stockert Youth Center in Buckhannon.  The funding will be used to renovate and improve the computer lab at the Center as well as construct an updated library.

“We are thrilled to learn our chapter’s application was chosen to be among the funded projects this year,” said Lauren Nason, the director of philanthropy and an elementary education major from Wellesley Hills, MA.  “Alpha Xi Delta is excited about this opportunity to help Buckhannon and Upshur County to provide a fun and educational place for children to enjoy after school.”
 
“We are very proud of Alpha Xi Delta’s successful efforts to fund improvements at the Stockert Youth Center,” added Wesleyan President Pamela Balch.  “This is a great example of our students’ extensive community engagement efforts.”

Alpha Xi Delta is one of four national sororities at the private residential college.

Wesleyan Announces Institutional Advancement Appointments

Two Wesleyan alumni Jason Bentley and James Owrey were appointed to new roles in the Institutional Advancement office. Bentley will assume the major gifts officer role, while Owrey will serve as the director of planned and major gifts.

Bentley, a 2006 Wesleyan graduate, is a native of Winfield, WV.  He has served as the coordinator of the annual fund for the College during the past year. In his new position, he will travel throughout the United States to identify and cultivate friends and donors for the College.  Prior to joining the Institutional Advancement staff, Bentley was an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer in Wesleyan’s Community Engagement and Leadership program. 

He earned a bachelor of arts in public relations and was a Bonner Foundation Scholar at Wesleyan, where he performed over 3,000 hours of community service during his three years, including an international service project in Costa Rica and a domestic service project in Appalachia.  He also helped develop a public relations plan for Tri-County Family Court.  In addition to serving as a leader in the Bonner Program, Bentley was president of the sophomore class and an ambassador for the Office of Admission.  He is currently pursuing a master of science degree in integrated marketing communication at West Virginia University. 

He is married to the former Erin Bryan ’03, a visiting instructor in communication at Wesleyan.

Owrey, a 2002 graduate of Wesleyan, will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned and major gift prospects.  He will also develop and implement a plan to market the John Reger Society to planned giving prospects.

Since 2005, Owrey has served as an assistant director of admission at Wesleyan, recruiting prospective students from New Jersey, western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.  Prior to returning to Wesleyan, he was a financial advisor for American Express Financial Advisers in Pittsburgh, PA.  He also served as a member of Wesleyan’s Alumni Council.

A native of Bluefield, WV, Owrey earned bachelor’s degrees in both business management and economics. He was a leader in Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), Theta Xi fraternity, Catholic Campus Ministries, and the Wesleyan Ambassadors.  He is currently finishing a master’s of business administration degree at the College.

“We are delighted these Wesleyan graduates will play a critical role in expanding our advancement and fund-raising efforts,” said Tanya Shelton, vice president for institutional advancement.  “Both have the enthusiasm and expertise to help the College meet its strategic fund-raising objectives.”