It is no surprise that Matt McKelvey loves Wesleyan. His parents, Steve and Robin, brother Sam, and cousins Jeff and Joe Fagler, are all graduates of the University. In fact, his father received an alumni loyalty award in 2005. Matt became involved almost immediately after graduation. “I wanted to stay connected,” he said, “but I wasn’t financially ready to give significant gifts at the time. So I invested my time and my passion instead.” Matt truly appreciated the Wesleyan experience. While attending NWU, he admired the way that students, faculty, administration and alumni worked together for the good of the University. “That was the dynamic I was interested in being involved in as I transitioned from student to alum.”

Matt joined the newly formed Alumni Executive Council (AEC) in 2000 and remained active until his term as past president ended this spring. He was the youngest Alumni Association president, holding that office from 2003-2005. He helped establish the Alumni Association’s Greek Relations Committee and initiate Wesleyan After Work, a series of social events for Wesleyan’s younger alumni. Matt also helped build relationships between the AEC and the University’s Board of Governors, clarify AEC member roles and accountability, and introduced strategies for efficiency. His personal goal was to encourage the AEC to be an active board, and worked with its members to set short- and long-term goals which would engage the group and contribute to the betterment of the University.

One extraordinary thing about Matt’s involvement is that he has not lived in Nebraska for quite some time. In August of 2003, just as he was beginning his term as president of the Alumni Association, Matt headed to Purdue University in Lafayette, IN, to pursue his Masters of Science in Human Resource Management. He then moved to Manila, Philippines with Dell, Inc. where he worked to set up the company’s new customer contact center. He currently lives in Austin, TX, and his next Wesleyan project is to figure out how to better engage out-of-state alumni.

Matt encourages young alumni to get involved. He suggests that “alumni support whatever it is that you’re passionate about and then find ways to use your skills and abilities for the betterment of the University. We all can play a role in helping Nebraska Wesleyan thrive.”