Erin Phillips Stringer ’05 is Catawba College’s new Director of Alumni and Parent Relations. The Pennsylvania native arrived on campus to assume her new role in the Development Office at her alma mater on June 19.
Stringer leaves a position she has held for five and a half years as Associate Director of Alumni Relations – Young Alumni Programs at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa. In that role, she has been responsible for transitioning graduating seniors into philanthropically-focused young alumni. Additionally, she has planned and executed Gettysburg’s Homecoming Weekends and, has coordinated reunion programs. Her prior position also required her to closely collaborate with Gettysburg College’s Communications and Marketing Office to develop social media and email communications, and design webpages that align with institutional strategies for communications, engagement and fundraising.
“Catawba is very fortunate to bring back an alumna the caliber of Erin Stringer. Her professional experiences, Catawba knowledge, and engaging personality are sure to resonate with our constituents,” said Catawba President Brien Lewis.
Before her position at Gettysburg College, Stringer spent two years at Catawba between 2009 and 2011 as an Admissions Counselor. She coordinated the Alumni Ambassador program and directed and coordinated the Junior Admissions Representative program, all while managing a recruiting territory for prospective students that included Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.
A Political Science major at Catawba with a minor in English, Stringer’s early employment immediately following her graduation was in Washington, D.C. She worked from 2005 to 2006 as a Clerk on the Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance and Accountability. From 2006 to 2007, she was a Press Aide and Legislative Correspondent for Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis of Virginia.
Leaving Washington, D.C., she spent two years as a Customer Service Representative for M&T Bank in Wayne, Pa., before returning to Salisbury to work as an Admissions Counselor.
Stringer said of her new position: “Within the field of alumni relations, I see no greater honor than to be entrusted to foster and strengthen meaningful connections between alumni and college at one’s own alma mater. I am humbled and invigorated to take on this role at our Catawba, and I thank President Lewis and the Development Team for this opportunity.”
Professionally engaged, Stringer has served as a presenter since 2015 for Academic Impressions on the topics of “Young Alumni Councils,” and also co-authored a paper for Academic Impressions entitled “Should You Start a Young Alumni Council?” She was a workshop presenter of “Going BOLD: Young Alumni Programs at Gettysburg College” for the 2013 CASE, District II Conference. At the 2013 CASE District II Conference, she received a Gold Award for her work in developing Gettysburg Young Alumni Leadership Program.
As an undergraduate at Catawba, she served as captain of the Cross Country team. She was a member of Phi Epsilon Honor Society, and a perennial name on the Dean’s List and the Presidential Honor Roll thanks to her academic success.
She is married to husband Stephen Stringer, a 2011 Catawba alumnus. Together they are proud parents of son Ryan Phillip Stringer, born in April 2015.
Stringer’s connection to Catawba also extend past her own undergraduate experience. Her younger sister, Kelly Phillips Finland, is a 2008 Catawba alumna who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Kelly, who is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education from Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y., is also married to a 2008 Catawba alumnus, Eric Finland. The two were married by the Rev. Dr. Kenneth Clapp ’70 and currently make their home in Bronx, N.Y.
