Lori Winters Fan was named the new executive director of alumni relations at Missouri State University in July.

“I am looking forward to working with Lori,” said Missouri State President Clif Smart. “She has some good ideas about how to move our alumni program forward in the future and will be an excellent member of our team.”

Fan is a self-proclaimed MVC ‘Valley Girl’

Fan comes to Missouri State from Bradley University, where she had been the executive director of alumni relations since 1999.

“We are very excited to have Lori join the Missouri State family,” Brent Dunn, vice president for university advancement, said. “She has extensive experience in alumni programming and I know she will fit in very well wearing the maroon and white.”

Fan said she looks forward to serving the MSU community.

“No doubt like my wonderful predecessor, I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have served my alma mater for so long as its chief alumni officer,” Fan said. “Being a MVC ‘Valley Girl,’ I am familiar with the tremendous pride that Missouri State alumni, students and faculty/staff feel for the institution and the quality educational experience it offers.”

Ebersold will be missed by many

Fan replaces Julie Ebersold, who retired this summer after 30 years with the alumni relations unit.

President Smart said he was constantly impressed with how well-liked Ebersold was with alumni across the country. He said she was a gracious hostess, exceedingly organized and unflappable, even in the face of last-minute surprises.

“For thousands of alumni,” Smart said, “Julie Ebersold was the face not only of the Alumni Association but of the University. Believe me, that was a good thing for Missouri State. It has been a pleasure to work closely with her the past couple of years. She will be greatly missed.”