Deborah Fowlkes, assistant vice president for Alumni Relations and executive director of the Temple University Alumni Association, has accepted a position as executive director of the Alumni Association at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

In her five years at Temple, Fowlkes has made significant contributions to the growth and development of the university’s alumni relations program. Under her leadership, the Alumni Office interacted with a record number of students, alumni and friends.  Many new outreach programs were started, including regional alumni clubs, shared interest groups such as the Black Alumni Alliance and LGBT Alumni, affinity reunions for groups such as the University Honors Program, Temple News, and Temple Rome, the TemPals international student mentoring program, community service projects, Alumni Weekend, Temple Down the Shore and the Temple Travels program. In addition, Fowlkes greatly increased partnerships with the Career Center, Undergraduate Admissions, Student Affairs and Athletics in order to reach students and alumni and reconnect them to Temple.

Under Fowlkes’ leadership, the TUAA board of directors was revised from 120 members to a working board of 50. New bylaws creating term limits and the orderly rotation of board members were adopted and rolled out to all 17 school and college alumni associations. The annual Founder’s Dinner was changed from a standard sit-down dinner to a lively, festive awards ceremony and after-party.

“I value Deborah’s professionalism, leadership, and her impressive experience in the field of alumni relations, and am grateful for all that she has accomplished during her tenure at Temple,” said Temple Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement David Unruh. “We are positioned well for future growth in Alumni Relations."

Fowlkes will remain at Temple through July 9. A national search will be conducted for her replacement.