GREENEVILLE – An experienced professional with a gift for engaging and connecting with others has been named director of alumni and external relations for Tusculum University’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
Tyler B. Ricker
Tyler B. Ricker is hitting the ground running as he builds on established relationships with alumni and reconnects other former students to their alma mater. He is also supporting the fundraising efforts of other Institutional Advancement staff members to further strengthen the education of today’s students.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Tyler Ricker to our team,” said Tiffany Greer, vice president of institutional advancement. “Tyler was born and raised in Greeneville, and his extensive knowledge of the region and contacts with the people who call it home as well as his passion for Tusculum make him a tremendous addition. Tusculum continues to lead as a strong community partner, and further growing our bonds with alumni and friends of the university is uppermost in our minds.”
Ricker comes to Tusculum following a productive career in human resources and finance. He most recently served as a human resources generalist for Covenant Logistics in Greeneville for more than two years. Among his duties was coordinating benefits administration, open enrollment and employee benefits education.
Previously, he was a human resources representative with Iatric Manufacturing Solutions in Morristown, safety director for C&C Millwright Maintenance in Greeneville and production control specialist for Sumiriko in the Midway community of Greene County. Before serving in the industrial sector, he was a financial representative with Modern Woodmen of America in Greeneville.
Now, he has transitioned to Tusculum and will put his skills of team-building, excellent communications, attention to detail and recruiting support to help the university succeed. Demonstrating his enthusiasm and can-do attitude, he is already collaborating with his colleagues in Institutional Advancement on important initiatives, such as the upcoming patriotic Constitution Day luncheon.
Ricker also has his eye on the success of Homecoming, which will culminate Saturday, Oct. 17, with a full day of activities. Additionally, he is working closely with members of the Alumni Executive Board, which Vanessa Fyffe leads as president, to ensure all former students are staying in touch with Tusculum and learning about all of the good things occurring at the university. His predecessor in his Tusculum role, Dr. Melissa Bryant, serves on the AEB.
“Tusculum is an outstanding university with a wonderful history of enriching the lives of our students and the communities they will serve,” Ricker said. “I have seen it firsthand as a Greene County resident. We are blessed with outstanding alumni, who have made their mark impressively in all types of professions and represented the university with distinction. We are also fortunate to have many dedicated donors, who are committed to ensuring Tusculum has the necessary resources to help our students attain their academic, social and spiritual goals.
“I am grateful to collaborate with these groups and my co-workers to help Tusculum become even more impactful.”
As he dives deeper into his new role, Ricker is driven to help alumni of all ages and from all corners of the world know what is transpiring at Tusculum. He also wants to highlight their career and personal achievements and the way the university contributed to their success. Those stories help demonstrate the way Tusculum equips students to be career-ready, civically engaged professionals.
Through his duties with external relations for IA, he will showcase the many strengths of Tusculum and the way the university’s active and experiential approach to learning, happening in a caring Christian environment, is producing results. That will enable potential donors to recognize the value of a Tusculum education and the importance of investing in the university.
Ricker is a trustee of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, a member of the Mosheim Library’s board of directors, vice president of the Mosheim Ruritan Club and lay leader of Love’s Memorial Church. He previously served on the Greeneville Greene County History Museum’s board of directors.
“Tyler brings a thorough understanding of this community and a genuine desire to connect people with the mission and future of Tusculum,” Greer said. “We are thrilled about the new ideas he will bring and the difference he will make for our alumni, our community and our university.”
More information about alumni relations is available at https://web.tusculum.edu/alumni/. To donate to Tusculum, please visit www.tusculum.edu/giving. Additional details about the university are available at www.tusculum.edu.