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When Jeffery Allbritten became president of Florida SouthWestern State College in 2012, one of his top priorities was to boost alumni relations.
Originally named Edison Junior College when it opened its doors in Fort Myers 1962, Florida SouthWestern has a vast alumni body of more than 38,000 graduates. But until Allbritten became president, alumni relations weren't a priority. The school, where the mascot is the Buccaneers, changed its name from Edison to Florida SouthWestern last year.
Turns out Allbritten hasn't had to look far to find talent to build the alumni network. He's recruiting some of the top people from Hodges University, a private college nearby in Naples that has had success building an alumni network.
Most recently FSW hired Joe Turner, former director of public affairs and alumni relations for Hodges. Turner was a visible face of Hodges at many events in the Naples and Fort Myers areas. He coordinated public affairs and alumni at numerous well-attended events, including the Hodges Humanitarian of the Year award.
Turner joins Louis Traina, vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the FSW Foundation, the fundraising arm of the college. Traina also was previously the vice president of university advancement at Hodges.
There are big plans for FSW. One high-profile project is a plan to build a 75,000-square-foot arena later this year with room for 3,300 fans to watch basketball and volleyball. There will be six skyboxes and a hospitality events center within the facility, which recently was named Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
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