Jessi Ferguson named executive director of MSU alumni relations

Morehead State is pleased to announce that Jessi Ferguson (Class of 2011, 2012) is the new executive director of the Office of Alumni Relations & Development (ALRD). She is replacing Allison Caudill (Class of 2005, 2009), who recently accepted a position as the vice president for University Advancement.

A Morehead native, Ferguson is a second generation MSU graduate and a third-generation MSU employee. In addition to a paternal grandfather who worked with facilities, her mother, Jeanie Scruggs (Class of 1972, 1978), worked on campus for over 30 years, primarily in the Office of Student Life (now the Office of Student Affairs).

Ferguson graduated from MSU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in business with an emphasis in marketing and immediately started her Master of Business Administration (MBA). She received a graduate assistantship (GA) in the Office of Communications & Marketing before transitioning into a GA position with the Office of Alumni Relations & Development. She completed an MBA in December 2012 and worked as a staff assistant before accepting an opportunity to transition into a full-time role as the annual giving coordinator in July 2013.

Ferguson worked from 2013 to 2022 in annual giving-focused roles, overseeing the call center, annual fundraising mailings, the alumni website, emails, social media, and other special fundraising projects like the 24-Hour Challenge Giving Day. In 2022, Ferguson began serving as the ALRD's director of advancement and alumni communications, where she oversaw the office's annual giving programs, managed expanded external alumni communications, wrote press releases, and contributed to The Magazine.

In addition to carrying on a family legacy, her husband, Jeff Ferguson (Class of 2009), also started a career here last year as a project manager with facilities management and has three grandparents who previously worked in MSU facilities management.

"I didn't just grow up in Morehead; I grew up at MSU. I spent a lot of time in the halls of Howell-McDowell, where my mom worked. So even before I started working here, MSU really did feel like home," Jessi recalls. "So, it's an honor to get to carry on that tradition of making a career here."

Ferguson oversees the function and mission of the Office of Alumni Relations & Development. She also leads multi-channel annual fundraising activities, including direct mail, online giving, and planned giving opportunities. She is the liaison to the Office of Communications & Marketing and manages external alumni and donor communications.

With Ferguson's Eagle pride combined with her experience in various roles with Alumni Relations & Development, she said her top priority is to build on recent growth, foster current alumni connections and help cultivate a new generation of proud and supportive Eagle alumni.

"We take pride in what we do, and we have fun building relationships and meeting new people. As insiders, we know all the exciting growth happening on campus; we know what our needs are and what kind of support our students need to be successful," Jessi said. "Campus may be changing physically, but MSU is still the home it was 10, 15, or 20-plus years ago. Engaging our alumni and involving them in recruiting and supporting the next generations of Eagles is always our goal."

For more information on the Office of Alumni Relations & Development, contact 606-783-2033 or email giving@moreheadstate.edu.