Hobart and William Smith Colleges

8 October 2019 DeVaney Named Director of Alumni and Alumnae Relations

Chevanne J. DeVaney '95, P'21, P'23 has been named the Director of Alumni and Alumnae Relations. In this new role, DeVaney will oversee a comprehensive program to establish and enhance meaningful relationships with and among alumni and alumnae through broad-based engagement initiatives.

In addition to developing and managing outreach and on- and off-campus events, including Reunion and Homecoming, DeVaney will serve as the campus liaison for the leadership of the Hobart Alumni Association and the William Smith Alumnae Association.

"I'm very excited to welcome Chevy into this new role," says Vice President for Advancement Bob O'Connor. "There is no one more qualified or more passionate about the Colleges than Chevy. Her extensive experience in the Offices of Advancement and Intercultural Affairs have made her a trusted resource for alumni, alumnae and her colleagues on campus. As the director, Chevy will be able to leverage those positive relationships to mobilize engagement and support for the Colleges. I'm delighted she has decided to take on this role and look forward to all that will be accomplished under her leadership."

DeVaney succeeds Jared Weeden '91 and Kathy Killius Regan '82, P'13, who managed Hobart and William Smith's respective alumni and alumnae outreach efforts for many years. Regan is now chief of staff to President Joyce P. Jacobsen and Weeden is now director of leadership gifts.

The decision to align the responsibilities of what had previously been two positions under the leadership of one person was made to achieve operational goals and budget efficiencies. DeVaney will oversee a four-person office that will support volunteer groups including LGBTQ alumni and alumnae, Afro Latino alumni and alumnae, class correspondents, regional volunteers, honors committees, young alumni and alumnae, and Greek alumni and alumnae, among others.

"We are thrilled to have Chevy leading the Colleges alumni and alumnae relations programs," says Julie Bazan '93, the president of the William Smith Alumnae Association. "The two Associations will continue to operate as separate entities as we also collaborate to represent the diverse perspectives of all alums. Having Kathy and Jared available to provide historical context when appropriate will mean that the momentum we've developed will not wane."

"Chevy is a fantastic choice for director, and a wonderful representative of Hobart and William Smith Colleges," says Richard S. Solomon '75, P'10, the president of the Hobart Alumni Association. "We are tremendously fortunate that she wants to take on this job. I'm looking forward to working with her and the entire Alumni and Alumnae Relations team."

DeVaney graduated from William Smith College in 1995 with a degree in English. She holds a master's in higher education administration from the University at Buffalo. She served Hobart and William Smith in a variety of roles in the annual fund and was named assistant director of the Colleges Intercultural Affairs in 2003.

In 2007, she became director of Multicultural Affairs at Keuka College where she advised the administration on campus-wide diversity and inclusion efforts, chaired the President's Diversity Task Force, developed Keuka's Diversity Strategic Plan, created training programs and advised students. At Keuka, she served asa Title IX investigator and coordinated the Women's Center, the Gender Education and Advocacy Committee, and the LGBTQA+ Resource Center.

She returned to Hobart and William Smith in 2016 where she has served as the associate director of annual giving. DeVaney is a board member at Finger Lakes Health, Geneva Local Development Corporation, Geneva's Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and Geneva Music Festival. She is the secretary of the Board of Directors of the Wyckoff Family Foundation.

DeVaney is the past president and a co-founder of the Afro Latino Alumni and Alumnae Association at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. She is the recipient of the Geneva Community Projects Kathy Gaylor Costa Citizenship Award, the Community Service Award from the NAACP of Geneva, and, from HWS, the Young Alumna Award and the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award.