Rose Frierman drew alumni back to Binghamton

Rose Frierman, MA ’90, retired as senior director of alumni engagement at the end of June. She joined the alumni office in 1986 and was chosen to lead it in 2005. Under her leadership, the University’s alumni engagement has grown significantly, and each year about 25,000 Binghamton graduates stay connected by attending events, volunteering, making a donation or following our social media.

What drew you to Binghamton? I came to Binghamton from my alma mater, Elmira College, where I worked in admissions. After four years, I was ready for the next challenge. Binghamton was known as an excellent school and, being a young school, it wasn’t deeply rooted in tradition. I had the freedom to be creative and implement new programs and start new traditions. It’s hard to imagine that I’ll never be in another space where I can be this creative, grow programs from square one and see them develop. I’ll really miss that.

What else will you miss?

The collegiality and the relationships that I’ve developed with current and former Alumni Association board members, alumni volunteers, University colleagues and, of course, my team in the Alumni Engagement office. I’ve had the good fortune to work alongside accomplished, driven and dedicated professionals. They all have a “can do” attitude, and what we’ve done together is amazing.

What event did you enjoy most?

Our inaugural Alumni Leaders Conference in 2013. More than 200 current and former alumni leaders returned to campus for an experience that was meant to deepen their relationship with their alma mater. They shared a common sentiment of wanting to give back to an institution that has given so much to them. There was this infectious enthusiasm for alumni engagement at Binghamton, and it set the stage for us to engage even more alumni.

What’s next for you?

No one graduates from college thinking they want to be an alumni director. But I can’t think of a more rewarding career; my work was my play for 31 years. Now, my husband, Howard, and I (with our two dogs) are looking forward to moving into our new home in Florida. I’m an avid quilter and I’ll have plenty of time for quilting and traveling, learning to play pickle ball and, of course, becoming involved in alumni activities in Florida as a volunteer.