Alumni Relations Team
Alumni Relations Team
The Office of Alumni Relations works to actively cultivate and steward positive relationships with Columbia's alumni in order to support the efforts of the Office of Institutional Advancement. The OAR is responsible for maintaining the traditions, spirit, and history of the college by creating meaningful alumni programs and communications. This is done to encourage lifelong relationships and engagement with the college, and awareness of the college's highest priorities.
Josh Culley-Foster
National Director of Alumni Relations
312.369.8611
jculleyfoster@colum.edu
Josh is a proud graduate of Columbia College’s Marketing Communications department. After working as an account director for a local advertising agency, he came to work for the Office of Alumni Relations in October 2005. A year later, he was named national director and charged with overseeing the growth and success of the newly reformed Columbia Alumni Association & Network (CAAN) and all alumni-related programs & events (50+ per year). Born in Chicago, and raised in Northern Virginia. Josh is an avid traveler, Cubs fan, and proud Irish-American. He has visited Ireland and the UK twenty times and looks forward to a stronger dollar and trading air miles for a ticket overseas.
Cynthia VargasAssistant Director of Alumni Programming
312.369.8640
cvargas@colum.edu
Cynthia Vargas (B.A.‘01, Fiction Writing) has joined the Alumni Relations team after more than six years of working in the non-profit and higher-ed sector. In her previous position at Loyola University, she quadrupled their alumni club program, managed events around the country and worked with various alumni boards. Cynthia has worked with Jumpstart, a non-profit organization that pairs low-income preschoolers with one-on-one mentoring, Facing History and Ourselves, a Jewish organization that promotes awareness regarding genocides and the Council for a Parliament for the World’s Religions where she managed the VIP department in Barcelona, Spain. In her new role, she will work with the Chicagoland Alumni Chapters, strengthen and create east coast chapters, the alumni reception at Manifest and Alumni Reunion Weekend. Cynthia is an avid White Sox fan and a native of Chicago.
Michelle PassarelliAssistant Director of Alumni Operations
312.369.6987
mpassarelli@colum.edu
Alumni Relations Coordinator
312.369.7802
sdesantis@colum.edu
Director of Alumni Relations & Development, West Coast
323.469.0443
sschroeder@colum.edu
Sarah is a 2000 graduate of Columbia with a B.A. in Film and Video. Sarah’s first job in Hollywood was as the assistant to talent agent, Craig Wyckoff. After a one-year term in the agency world, she assisted Reuben Cannon in casting the feature, Deliver us from Eva. Once the production was underway, Sarah moved on to the position of assistant to J.B. Roberts, a personal manager at Thruline Entertainment, where she facilitated the start-up of a new company and office. Before that, she served in the same capacity to J.B. Roberts for Rigberg Roberts Rugolo Talent and Literary Management. Prior to her education at Columbia, Sarah was a student of English at the University of Arizona, and has published several articles. She has been active in Columbia College’s West Coast Alumni Network since graduation and accepted the position as the West Coast Alumni Director in December 2002. In her current position, Sarah assists Columbia alumni in acclimating to life in Los Angeles. This includes assisting in job searches, promoting alumni accomplishments, event planning, and acting as a liaison between the west coast alumni and Columbia College.
Cupid Hayes
West Coast Alumni Relations Assistant
323.469.0449
wcalumni@colum.edu