Michael Sgro to Direct Alumni Affairs

02/01/2013 

Michael D. Sgro, the director of alumni and parent relations at SUNY Oswego, will join SUNY Cortland as executive director of alumni affairs on Monday, Feb. 18.

In his new role, Sgro will provide leadership and direction for the College’s Alumni Affairs Office and the Cortland College Alumni Association, Inc. Erin Boylan, who returns to her role as associate director of alumni affairs, directed the department on an interim basis since June.

“I’m excited to join a campus community with real momentum,” Sgro said. “I can see the enthusiasm in the faces of the alumni that I have met and realize that anything is possible.

“I’m eager to work with the Alumni Association and staff to develop 21st century engagement practices while embracing the strong traditions of the SUNY Cortland campus. My true hope is that all alumni can continue a relationship with their alma mater regardless of distance or time.”

For more than 15 years Sgro, a Syracuse, N.Y., native, has ascended the ranks of higher education at several institutions in New York state, earning a stellar reputation for his work with student and alumni programming, career networking and social media.

“Mike understands alumni affairs as an industry and has a real passion for alumni engagement,” said Kimberly Pietro, the College’s vice president for institutional advancement and Sgro’s supervisor. “His leadership on a national level and knowledge of the field will position Cortland as a model among our peers.

“I know Mike and the entire alumni affairs staff look forward to a successful year of interacting, communicating and meeting with our graduates so that they can continue to connect with their alma mater, its faculty and its students."

Sgro has led alumni and parent-relations projects for the Oswego Alumni Association for the past year, overseeing all programs, staff and initiatives dealing with the school’s graduates. Those efforts include reunions, regional events, social media and student-focused programs such as the Future Alumni Network, an undergraduate group he advised.

A graduate of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, Sgro developed much of his expertise in alumni-related work at his alma mater, serving as assistant director of alumni and parent programs from 2006 to 2010. There, he launched many different programs for alumni and parents and introduced family-focused services such as the college’s Day at the Zoo and its Dolphin Kids website. He also created the school’s Non-Profit Network, which offers service opportunities to alumni nationwide, and directed all of his department’s web and social media efforts.

He co-chaired the college’s administrative forum from 2007 to 2009 and served as the staff advisor to the Creating Awareness, Reaching Equality student group.

Sgro spent five years at New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business before serving at Le Moyne. At Stern, he worked as the associate director of student activities for master’s of business administration (M.B.A.) students before getting a taste of graduate-focused work as the senior associate director of alumni affairs.

During his tenure as associate director of M.B.A. student activities from 2001 to 2005, he oversaw the events, staff and services related to 40 clubs. Sgro managed relationships with student leaders, university administration and corporate clients while overseeing many other student-focused daily duties.

As the university’s senior associate director of alumni affairs, Sgro developed regional and corporate events built on relationships with active alumni volunteers. In that role, with the help of university faculty members, he developed the Life Long Learning workshop series.

In between his stints at Le Moyne and Oswego, Sgro worked for CampusGroups, an online community management company based in New York City, where he served as its marketing and communications manager. He oversaw all of the company’s public relations duties while creating web content and managing projects to grow the brand’s reach.

Sgro began his career in higher education at Fordham University as a residence hall director from 1997 to 2001, working with students and creating programs for them at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Le Moyne and a certificate in project management from the American Management Association in New York City.

Sgro plans to live in Cortland.