Posted by Seattle University Alumni Association on Monday, April 15, 2024 at 9:59 AM PDT

To the alumni community, 

I write to share a bittersweet update from the Office of Alumni Engagement. De’Andre Jones,  M.Ed. ’18, our amazing Director of Alumni Engagement, will be leaving his role effective May 1. He will be transitioning to the Charles Wright Academy (CWA) located in University Place, Washington to serve as the Director of Development.

De’Andre has been an integral part of Seattle University for eight years, beginning in 2016 when he moved to Seattle from Menomonie, Wisconsin to begin the Student Development Administration program. De’Andre has worked in several departments at SU, concluding with his current role leading the Alumni Engagement team for the past two and a half years. His leadership was crucial as we transitioned out of the pandemic and established new and successful traditions for the SU Alumni Community. 

De’Andre’s exceptional work has been seen and felt by the Seattle University community for quite a while now, but we’re not the only ones to notice. De’Andre was recently honored with the 2024 Mena Valdez Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award, an honor given to an outstanding professional in student affairs and services with at least five years of full-time experience in the field. 

From De’Andre: 

“From the recruitment and hiring of a brand-new engagement team, the re-imagining of an entire alumni engagement program, increasing brand visibility and shifting the campus’s culture around student and alumni engagement amongst colleagues and stakeholders, I can look back and be incredibly proud of my time here. I am looking forward to this next chapter but what I will miss the most are the colleagues, students, and alumni who made my SU experience so impactful.” 

We are sad to see De’Andre go but know he will shine brightly in his new position, and we thank him for his years of dedication to our alumni community. For those who would like to share words of farewell, congratulations or fond memories, we’ve set up an online board here. 

As we continue to build relationships and grow alumni engagement in meaningful ways, we warmly encourage applications for the Director of Alumni Engagement which will be posted shortly here. If you or someone you know would be a good fit, we encourage you to apply or reach out to the alumni office at alumni@seattleu.edu.  

Sincerely, 

Ellen Whitlock Baker 
Assistant Vice President for Alumni Engagement