Deborah Dietzler
Executive Director, UGA Alumni Association

Deborah Dietzler, joined the association in 1997 as associate executive director and chief operating officer and was named Executive Director in January 2005. During her tenure, she has been instrumental in helping start the Atlanta Alumni Center, creating an award-winning Web site, involving more students in alumni activities and widening the diversity of the alumni base. In addition, the Association received the CASE Grand Award for, “If I Only Knew Then…Advice to Graduates from UGA Alumni,” an original book conceptualized by Dietzler.

In addition, under her direction, the Association has initiated its Alumni Association Scholarship as well as supported each the CURO Summer and Study Abroad Fellowships.   

She has helped build dues-based membership in the association to more than 22,000, and has started or strengthened other revenue-generating programs that have helped increase the association's budget to nearly $2 million.

"Deborah is an innovative leader whose energy and enthusiasm have helped create great excitement and support for the Alumni Association and for UGA," Wrigley said. "Under her guidance the association will develop even stronger programs and opportunities to engage our alumni. We are fortunate to have someone of her ability, experience and commitment to lead the association and represent the University of Georgia."

Founded in 1834 as the University of Georgia Alumni Society, the association had an open-ended membership structure until 1997 when it changed its name and became a dues-based organization. Members live in every county in Georgia, every state in the nation and in many other countries. The university has some 230,000 alumni worldwide.

Dietzler works to nurture the university's relationship with alumni, who she says "are the best evidence of the value of a UGA education," and to cultivate more support for the university in tight budget times.

"As the stewards of UGA's spirit and traditions, we will strive to become an even more integral part of the university as we carry out our mission of celebrating the excellence found in every corner of our campus," she said.

Prior to joining the association, Dietzler was director of alumni services for Columbia University Teachers College and director of alumni affairs at State University of New York at Stony Brook.

She is President Elect of the Alumni Directors of the Southeastern Conference and currently serves on Athens Rotary Club, UGA's Graduate School Advancement Board and Admissions Enrollment Advisory Committee and the Board of Friends of the Georgia Mueseum of Art.

She is a past president of the Junior League of Athens and served on the board of directors of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. She has been chair of the chamber's Women in Business group and was a nominee for the chamber's Athena Award in 2004 and 2005.

She has been recording secretary for Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, and was a board member of the Clarke County Chapter of the American Heart Association and Chair of the 2004 Heart Ball and volunteered with Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.

Dietzler received a bachelor's degree in English from Hofstra University and a master's in marketing from Texas A&M University.