Ann Foraker Nicely ’03, MCM’05 has extensive experience within the areas of organizational communication, fundraising, recruitment and management. She served as a Human Resource Specialist with the United States Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Services where she applied the merit-staffing program by ensuring that all human resource actions complied with the provisions of the applicable merit staffing plan and negotiated agreements. In her position, she provided information and guidance to employees and operating officials on the effective use of the merit promotion and career development programs and selected appropriate staff acquisition methods to identify highly qualified candidates to fill vacant positions in consultation with a subject matter expert, advises on and assisted with the development of rating assessment tools.
Preceding her time with the Federal Government, Ann worked for more than 14 years in higher education administration at Marietta College.
During her time at Marietta College, she started her career in the Office of Admission where she managed the recruitment of prospective students from West Virginia, Indiana, and Western
Pennsylvania. She communicated with high school guidance counselors, traveled to schools in assigned districts; interviewed students; maintained relationships with potential students through
correspondence, telephone, and on-campus visits. Ann also served as scholarship coordinator with the Office of Financial Aid, campus reception assistant, PSEO and Upward Bound coordinator.
In 2005, she changed positions and joined the Office of Advancement as the Assistant Director of Alumni Events and Services. During this time, she participated in the college’s $50 million fundraising Legacy Campaign team, worked to create environments that develop alumni’s desire to give to their alma mater. She improved the quality of on-campus and regional events, resulting in higher attendance and greater participant satisfaction, implemented the first Golden Reunion Weekend, which was held in the spring instead of during homecoming in the fall. Alumni satisfaction with these events resulted in considerable contributions to the college.
She continued her career in alumni and advancement work by moving into a leadership role as Associate Director. At this time her responsibilities were focused on developing, planning, coordinating and delivery of key on-campus and off-campus events, with emphasis on continuous evaluation of effectiveness and implementation of changes when deemed necessary. Design, coordinate, and deliver engaging and appropriate programs for College Homecoming and Golden Reunion weekends on budget and developed alumni service programs, designed to create value-added opportunities for Marietta College graduates. She worked collaboratively with all members of the College Advancement team (prospect research, annual fund, major gifts, donor relations) that involve alumni. She managed print and electronic communications with targeted audiences on regular basis. She also managed and supervised the Assistant Director of Regional Associations and Young Alumni Programs, served as the Student Alumni Association advisor, and supervised department interns.
As the Director of Alumni Engagement, she manages a progressive alumni engagement program designed to optimize the connection between the institution and its alumni, parents, current students, and friends and to grow constituency commitment to philanthropy. In collaboration with Vice President of Advancement and Executive Director of The Marietta Fund, Alumni Engagement participates in the development of program missions and goals in furtherance of the strategic goals of the College, and conducts annual and long-range program evaluation and budgetary planning. Over the years Ann developed and maintained strategic partnerships with the leadership of the College, its campus partners, the community and various constituencies. She also served as the executive leader of the Marietta College Alumni Association Board of Directors in their capacity as advisor to and philanthropic support of the College.
She is the 2016 recipient of the Douglas Putnam Collaborative Staff Service Award and was part of a team that won a Pride of Case V Gold Award-For Excellence in the category of Best New Alumni Program Golden Pioneers Reunion Weekend in 2008. She currently serves as the Conference Coordinator for Ohio Communication Association.
Ann is a proud 2003 Marietta College graduate, along with her family of Long Blue Line members (father, Dan ’73, bother, Jay ’00, and sister, Meg ’08 and bother-in-law, Chase Graham ’07). She and her husband, Lucas, reside in Williamstown, West Virginia, with their son, Henry, and daughter, Kate.