The Office of Alumni Engagement (OAE) is excited to introduce several new staff members and a refreshed organizational model to the MBU community. They are eager to engage with MBU’s dedicated alumni to continue building a strong future for the university.

The members of OAE team would love to hear from alumni and connect them with opportunities to share their stories, gather together, volunteer, and give back to their alma mater. Feel free to reach out to alumni@marybaldwin.edu.

Director of Alumni Engagement Clare Eakin

Clare Eakin brings a wealth of experience in the areas of volunteer management and fundraising to OAE. She most recently served as director of stewardship and donor engagement at the University of Virginia and as assistant director of donor stewardship at James Madison University, respectively.

Eakin earned her bachelor’s degree from Birmingham University in the United Kingdom, with a double major in education and theology. She has admired Mary Baldwin ever since her family moved to Staunton when she was 17 years old.

As director of Alumni Engagement, Eakin oversees coordination of all aspects of alumni relations at the university. She is the key point person for events (including Reunion), communication, and engagement with all alumni communities, and she also works with the local community on behalf of the Office of Alumni Engagement.

Operating as a member of the University Advancement management team, she works closely with a broad range of individuals and groups across the university landscape, including MBU alumni, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, parents, faculty, staff, students, and the local community.

Assistant Director of Volunteer Initiatives Amy Davenport

As a child growing up in Staunton, Amy Davenport was fascinated with Mary Baldwin’s stunning campus architecture and historical legacy. She is thrilled that her career has taken her full circle back to her hometown and MBU, where OAE welcomes her expertise in relationship building, collaboration, and engagement.

After completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, Davenport worked as a museum educator for the Woodrow Wilson Birthplace. She then earned a master’s of education from George Mason University and transitioned into teaching high school history in northern Virginia, including running a summer leadership enrichment program for minority students.

After Davenport returned to the Shenandoah Valley, she pursued a career in sales, customer service training, and project management. Most recently, she is noted for her motivational speaking and training for local organizations as a consultant, as well as an adjunct professor for Blue Ridge Community College.

Before coming onboard at MBU, Davenport co-created “Meet Staunton!” alongside Christina Harrison, director of the Spencer Center for Civic and Global Engagement. This pilot program introduced rising MBU first-year students to Staunton, its residents, and local businesses.

In her role in OAE, Davenport will head up communication, engagement, and events with chapters of MBU alumni. She will help bolster development of alumni chapters; create mentorship/internship opportunities for alumni and students, alongside the Vantage Point: Office of Personal and Professional Development; and will energize the BRAVO recruitment program, working with the Office of Admissions.

Assistant Director of Special Projects Anne Holland

An MBU alumna, Anne Holland graduated in 1988 with a bachelor of arts in history. She began working at MBU in 1989, and, during her 28-year tenure, she has worked in many capacities for both Development and Alumni Engagement. Also notable is that Holland initiated the creation of The Grafton Society, which gives special recognition to MBU alumnae who graduated at least 50 years ago.

Holland serves as the liaison for both internal and external groups who want to have events in the Alumnae House. She also heads up inaugurations, serves as the archivist between alumni and the university, and supports OAE events and initiatives. She is also the friendly voice on the line for calls to OAE.

She is a committee member for the Doenges Visiting Scholar Committee as well as staff liaison for the Alumni Engagement Committee of the Alumni Board.She will also be the point person for Class Notes in the MBU magazine.

Office Manager Stephanie Jetton

With an extensive background in customer service, Stephanie Jetton has nurtured an entrepreneurial spirit throughout her professional career. Jetton worked in the corporate world for the past 13 years, prior to which she owned Coffee on the Corner on Beverley Street in downtown Staunton.

As a 20-year resident of downtown Staunton, Jetton has enthusiastically witnessed the growth of Mary Baldwin University. Over the years she has gotten to know many MBU professors, students, and staff members, and she is excited to be working for Mary Baldwin during this time of progressive change.

Jetton’s responsibilities center upon supporting effective communication, event planning, and special initiatives coming out of OAE. She looks forward to meeting and working closely with alumni to achieve their common goals of moving MBU forward together.