Man
of the
Hour

Young Grad Chosen as SPU's New Alumni Director

By Clint
Kelly

"Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound." That sums up what Seattle Pacific University was looking for when it sought out a new alumni director this fall: the perfect person for a very important job.

The enthusiastic choice was Doug Taylor, an affable 1987 graduate whose profile leans more toward mild-mannered reporter than man of steel. "We had many highly qualified alumni applicants interested in the job," says Vice President for University Advancement Robert McIntosh, who led the search to fill the position. "Doug is just the kind of person we hoped to hire."

"This is the job I'd do if I didn't have to work," says Taylor with his trademark grin. "I love the people at SPU, past and present. I love everything about the place and want others to see the great things I see."

All that optimism flows from a man refined by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and its evangelistic efforts on 760 secular college campuses nationwide. For four of his six years working with the organization, Taylor was personal assistant to Steve Hayner, IVCF president and former vice president for student life at SPU.

"We traveled a lot together, and I quickly learned that Doug was my greatest asset," says Hayner. "He kept everyone's names straight, and before I knew it he was having wonderful conversations with people he'd only just met.

"Without a doubt, he is one of the greatest fans of Seattle Pacific I've ever known."

Taylor's appreciation for SPU stems from a rich experience as a business management major, both in terms of the quality of the education he received and the people he came to know. He remembers notable professors with single adjectives: Joe Davis is "phenomenal"; Mel Foreman "amazing."

Ken Cornell, 1985 alumnus and SPU director of admissions, is one of a number of close friends Taylor made in college. The two remain active in a discipleship group formed of classmates from the mid-1980s. "What a tremendous passion Doug has for SPU," says Cornell. "He has so much integrity, and I've watched him network effectively with a broad range of people, from corporate CEOs to 80-year-old grandmothers. He's genuine."

"Doug's love for Christ, his enthusiasm for life, and his wholehearted investment in people tend to draw a loyal community around him," adds Jennifer Kirby Carrell, Class of 1986. "It's hard not to feel valued around Doug."

She vividly recalls the flood of volunteers who stepped up to support his successful run for student body executive vice president. At the time, Carrell wrote in her journal that Doug was "irreplaceable."

The secret to Taylor's success with Seattle Pacific people lies in a natural curiosity about where individual alumni fit in the flow of SPU history. "I enjoy finding out about people, filling my head with what makes them tick, exploring ways they'd like to be involved."

His inquisitiveness extends to the historical accuracy of the homes he and his wife, Jean, have inhabited, including a circa 1884 Wisconsin home which they restored to its original Victorian style. The Taylors have indulged their penchant for art through travels to Italy and their interest in architecture by touring England and Scotland.

Thus it was somewhat difficult for Doug to part with his recent job as production manager for Picture Source, providers of art to hotels and other institutions, in order to assume his new duties in the Alumni Center. But a man who serves tea in SPU mugs, volunteers on the Seattle Pacific Alumni Board, and invites new SPU students over for dinner already has one foot firmly on campus.

Fellow Alumni Board member Kathi Teel thinks Taylor will make a great leader of Seattle Pacific's single largest constituency. "He's young and it will be fun to see what he does with the job. I think he'll run with it."

"He reminds me of Dick Frederick, the former alumni director," says Alumni Program Assistant Laila Sharpe, who joined the alumni leadership team this past summer. "He has that same sincerity, humility and interest in people. I'm going to enjoy working with him."

McIntosh agrees. "Our priorities include a broader engagement by our younger alumni coupled with a strong link to our older, more established alumni. I see in Doug the ability to do both of these things. I think he'll be a great asset to SPU!"

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Copyright © 1999 University Communications, Seattle Pacific University.

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