Let’s Meet a Chapter Member
Each eNews, we introduce you to one of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a question and answer type interview article.
Therefore, in the hot seat this edition is Jane Ball, Alumni Director at Queen Margaret College in Wellington and Educate Plus NZ Chapter Committee Member.
How long have you been working in Educational Advancement?
I’ve been the Alumni Director at Queen Margaret College (QMC) since July 2020, so not all that long ago and I fell into educational Advancement quite by accident! QMC is my alma mater, and to be honest, I never imagined 40 years down the track, I’d be walking our halls as staff! Before 2020, I enjoyed a short period of ‘retirement’ having spent 25 years in corporate support in the commercial sector; advertising agencies, banks, State Owned Enterprises and the private sector, and running my own document production company as well as a floristry business. It was fast paced, but my ‘corporate’ life instilled a solid grounding and then allowed me to enhance my natural skill sets in creativity, organisation, document production, project and event management, HR and client relations. All essential skills for working in educational Advancement, especially with Alumni!
The Alumni role at Queen Margaret College was created to bridge the gap between our past (our Alumni) and our future (our current students). However, prior to 2020, Queen Margaret College only had two Advancement practitioners – our Enrolments Director and our Marketing & Communications Manager. Since then, the College has invested significantly in the recruitment and retention of staff in all areas across educational Advancement. We are now a team of nine, including Communications, Marketing and Engagement, Enrolments, International, Alumni, and Development/Sustainability staff.
In 2015, I joined our Old Girls’ Association (OGA), along with my sister, at a time when my young niece was stretching her wings as a QMC girl. My family have deep roots in community service, and at the time, giving back to the College seemed a natural and reasonable extension. I always attended events and supported classroom activities, so formalising that seemed a logical next step. I am still actively involved in our Old Girls’ Association, providing a link between the College and our volunteer association executive, working to ensure their objectives support the broader QMC strategic plan.
What is the achievement you were most proud of?
I am most proud to have created our Alumni Office. It was daunting at the start, as QMC didn’t have any dedicated or active Alumni engagement on campus except through events hosted by our OGA and the odd visit by Old Girls popping in. With the support of QMC’s Principal Jayne-Ann Young, I was tasked with creating an Alumni Office and, therefore, a presence on campus to instill a sense of connection and belonging within our student body; creating a culture of connection. I coined it “growing great old girls from within”, taking limited Alumni engagement within the College and creating a presence and an opportunity for genuine connection to QMC for the future. I had also previously identified the disconnect between our OGA and the College. Alumni came back to visit the campus and staff but not to visit the OGA unless they attended events. I wanted to create a sense of ‘welcome home’ to past students regardless of age or stage. Our Alumni engagement programme subsequently received support from the College Board and now feeds into our more expansive community sustainability programme. We are young in our Alumni engagement journey and have lots more to do, and I’m excited about the future of Alumni engagement at QMC.
What is the greatest moment of learning in your career so far?
Attending the Educate Plus Adelaide Conference in 2022! It was eye-opening and transformational, to say the least. I suddenly became aware of and connected to a whole community of like-minded Advancement professionals. Only two years into my Alumni engagement journey at the time, I was doing a role for which I had no real training except my natural skillset. It was incredibly rewarding to connect with others in the Advancement space and start to gather ideas for my own engagement plan. I subsequently attended the Advancement Practitioner Training in Brisbane early in 2024 at a time when I was struggling with what to do next. I came away feeling that for a small school, we were punching above our weight with Alumni engagement initiatives so early in an engagement journey.
This networking allowed me to realise we all have and work in our own communities, and I was so grateful to have others share their ideas and experiences in a non-competitive way.
What is the most impactful book you’ve read or podcast you’ve listened to?
My reading is strictly for pleasure, turning off the brain and disappearing into someone else’s story. At the moment I am listening to a podcast series essentially about the gut microbiome. It’s called The Gutology Podcast. I believe that the mind has to be healthy as well as the body, and I’m especially fascinated to learn about the gut/brain axis… brain fog is real!
What are three tips or words of advice you have for new members and/or those new to Advancement?
- Ask, ask and ask… there is no stupid question! The more you ask, the more you know and learn. Educate Plus is a great, supportive and inclusive network for this. There is always someone who has been in your shoes and is willing to share their ideas and experience. And I am also lucky to work with an amazing team of Advancement specialists. So, surround yourself with good people who hold each other up and work with you.
- For anyone working in Alumni, data and relationships are key. Capture and work with your data early, get to know your students early… they need to feel a natural affinity with you as their Alumni conduit.
- Be visible. Attend events, put your hand up to support activities, and get involved with students.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have seven grandchildren, elderly (and sadly frail) parents, and two four-legged babies, so I have very little spare time. We try to see our grandkids every six weeks or so, which involves long-distance travel, so I am incredibly fortunate to have flexible work hours and a leadership team that recognises, supports and empowers women… we are a school for girls after all! At the moment, I am enjoying the challenge of nurturing dahlia bulbs to flowers which is no mean feat in a stiff Wellington southerly! When time permits, I am an avid sewer (the only time I crossed the stage at school was receiving both the junior and then senior sewing prize…I’ve been sewing ever since). Over the summer break I set myself a goal to master the art of New York-style bagels and homemade yoghurt. Both had varying degrees of success!
