The University named Andrew Shaindlin ’86 as the next vice president of alumni relations effective Dec. 3. In this position, Shaindlin will be responsible for managing and leading the alumni office and acting as the liaison between the University and the Brown Alumni Association.
Shaindlin previously served as the University’s associate director for alumni relations and director of alumni education from 1989 to 1996. He also held roles in alumni relations at both the University of Michigan and the California Institute of Technology, where he handled “politics, budget issues and academic priorities,” Shaindlin said.
“I left Brown because I thought that professionally it would be useful to have more diverse experiences,” Shaindlin said. He decided to return to the University because of its strength in “fundraising, academic reputation and admissions,” he said. The University is a “sweet spot of different academic disciplines,” he added. As an alum, Shaindlin believes he contributes a “clearer understanding of (the University’s) history, culture and traditions.”
Galen Henderson, president of the Brown Alumni Association, said Shaindlin’s previous leadership roles made him a strong candidate for the position, even more so than his alumni status or previous work experience at the University. Because Shaindlin has worked on both the strategizing and implementation of alumni relations initiatives, “he is a person who truly understands alumni relations from various vantage points,” Henderson said.
Senior Vice President for Advancement Sergio Gonzalez described Shaindlin as “a good communicator, a team player and a good manager,” which is why several University alums had initially referred him for the role, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez added that Shaindlin “believes in a philosophy that I believe in — providing engagement opportunities for alumni throughout their lifetimes.”
In his role, Shaindlin plans to “make sure alumni feel connected to the University and feel a part of the Brown community.” This connection is important because alums form the largest and only permanent audience that the University has, Shaindlin said.
To prepare for his position, Shaindlin has started familiarizing himself with current matters at the University with the help of both Gonzalez and Jill Rossi, who is currently interim vice president of alumni relations. Though he hasn’t worked at the University in a long time, Shaindlin believes the transition will be easy and described his return as a “homecoming.”
