CASE UTAH

Explore the conference itinerary, including sessions, workshops, and networking events.

Thursday, May 14, 2026

Back Nine Golf Social 
Location: 1479 George Washington Blvd, Ste 5, St. George, UT 84790
6:00–9:00 PM – Open Golf & Competitions
7:00–8:30 PM – Social & Snacks

Friday, May 15, 2026

8:00 am – Check-in & Breakfast Open

8:30 am – Welcome and Keynote Presentation “The Dignity Index”

9:30 am – Break

9:45 am – Session 1 Breakouts

10:40 am – Break

10:45 am – Session 2 Breakouts

11:40 am – Break

11:45 am – Session 3 Breakouts

12:40 pm – Break

1:00 pm – Lunch & Closing Social

2:00 pm – Conference Adjourns

KEYNOTE SPEAKER – THE DIGNITY INDEX

Preston Brightwell
Preston Brightwell is a Program Associate and Trainer with the Dignity Index where his primary work is bringing the Dignity Index into business, corporate, and government spaces. Prior to joining UNITE, Preston completed several internships with national and local organizations, including the Governor’s Office of Utah, Colliers International, Advisors Consulting Services, and Vail Resorts Park City. Preston worked as a student scorer on the Dignity Index 2022 Pilot and soon after the pilot, co-founded a Students for Dignity club on the campus at the University of Utah. What excites him most about this work is the power it has to promote healthy disagreement and solve the most pertinent problems facing our nation.
Preston holds a Master of Public Administration and a B.S in Political science, both from the University of Utah.

Madeleine Jones
Madeleine Jones is a Program Associate and Trainer at the Dignity Index, where she leads efforts to embed dignity-centered practices within colleges and universities. She first joined the Dignity Index during its 2022 pilot at the University of Utah, where the project’s impact inspired her to co-found Students for Dignity, a student-led initiative that brings dignity to campus conversations.Madeleine holds a multidisciplinary background in political science, psychology, and sociology from the University of Utah. During her academic career, she contributed to education and public policy through her work on the development team at the Granite Education Foundation and as an intern for the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel at the Utah State Legislature.
Today, Madeleine is helping to drive cultural change by equipping higher education students with the tools to lead with dignity. By fostering awareness and adoption of the Dignity Index, she supports the next generation to cultivate a culture where dignity is a shared, lived value.

Session 1 (9:45-10:40 am)

•  From Metrics to Meaning: Rethinking Alumni Engagement (Scott Miller, BYU)
  • Room: GCB 118
  • This breakout session explores how institutions can move beyond simply tracking alumni activity to truly understanding and strengthening engagement using the framework from the CASE Alumni Engagement Metrics white paper. Participants will gain a practical overview of the four modes of engagement—philanthropic, volunteer, experiential, and communication—and learn how to use these metrics to identify engaged alumni, evaluate programs, and inform strategic decision-making. Through discussion and shared insights, attendees will leave with actionable ideas for implementing or refining engagement strategies on their campuses.
• So You’ve Just Been Named the (fill in major title). Congratulations. Now What? (Kent Stanley, University of Utah)
  • Room: GCB 120
  • Most of us aspire to a next level job from where we are now. It makes sense, our careers are important to us. But are you planning for success in the next role while you’re producing great results in your current role. Many people don’t really have a well-formulated plan of what steps they will take once they are given that new title and all the responsibilities that come with it. This session will discuss 7.5 keys to succeeding in your new leadership or management position including a 100-day plan, what to audit, creating your leadership philosophy, and dealing with dead snakes.
• Active Boards, Active Impact: Foundation Board Engagement Ideas Through Utah Tech’s Active Learning, Active Life Model (Wendi Bulkey and John Bowler, Utah Tech)
  • Room: GCB 122
  • Imagine your foundation board members judging student engineering presentations alongside local jewelry experts, or hearing firsthand how humanities students researched and distributed $3,000 to support community nonprofits—this is the reality at Utah Tech University’s UT Foundation. In this dynamic session, discover how we’ve revolutionized board engagement through our Active Learning, Active Life program, where students, faculty and staff don’t just receive funding—they report back monthly on their real-world impact. From engineering design competitions that bring donors face-to-face with student innovation to service-learning projects that strengthen St. George’s nonprofit ecosystem, our board members are no longer passive observers but active participants in student success stories. We’re taking engagement even further with our new Student Foundation Ambassador program, where ambassadors facilitate meaningful board connections through campus tours, athletic and cultural events, student mentorship opportunities, guest lecturing invitations, volunteer service projects, and personalized giving experiences. Walk away with a replicable framework for creating experiential grant programs and student-led engagement strategies that transform your foundation board meetings from routine reports into compelling showcases of student achievement, faculty creativity, and tangible community impact. Don’t miss this breakout session for some exciting new ways to engage your foundation board members—if you’re ready to energize your board, deepen donor connections to your campus mission, and create fundraising stories that practically tell themselves, this session will provide the blueprint to make it happen at your institution.
• Work Smarter: Enlist Your Target Audience in Building a “content-first” campaign (Natalie Ipson and Chad Little, BYU)
  • Room: GCB 220
  • Build a content machine that keeps your audience participating and producing for your campaign all year long. BYU just wrapped its 150th anniversary year and didn’t ask alums for a single penny, instead the campaign team was tasked with encouraging the campus community to share their gift of love and serve others. This case study gives inspo on marathon-length campaign building, gamification, and leveraging your audience for content creation.

Session 2 (10:45-11:40 am)

• Why does the Algorithm hate me?: Refreshing your content for better reach and interaction (Jessica Kokesh, Weber)
  • Room: GCB 118
  • We’ve all had social media posts flop — and it always happens to the posts we like the most! With the constant tweaks to social media algorithms, it’s harder than ever to get your posts in front of the people who need to see them. In this session, we’ll focus on Instagram’s current algorithmic strategy and how to adjust your content to get your followers’ eyes back on you.
• Party with a Purpose: Turning Tailgates into Impact (Curtis Isaak, BYU)
  • Room: GCB 120
  • Alumni tailgates already bring people together, but they can do more. At BYU, we’ve reimagined road-game gatherings as “parties with a purpose” by adding simple service projects that connect alumni, fans, and local communities in each host city. By partnering with one local nonprofit per stop, these events are easy to participate in, easy to tell stories about, and effective in building goodwill with host universities, community leaders, and media.During the 2025 season, more than 26,000 alumni and friends participated, contributing thousands of donated items and pounds of food to organizations across the country. The tailgates also generated significant local and national media coverage. Along the way, these events strengthened institutional relationships, increased visibility, and opened new pathways for sustained alumni engagement and support.In this session, the presenter will share a practical, replicable framework along with adaptable ideas you can use at your own institution. Participants will leave with strategies for turning travel-based alumni events into meaningful service experiences that build affinity, strengthen partnerships, expand engagement pipelines, and generate positive press that helps your university tell its best stories, while keeping the energy and fun of game day.
• Fundraising As a Team Sport: How Advancement and Campus Can Win Together (Lance Brown, Utah Tech)
  • Room: GCB 122
  • Great projects don’t raise money – great connection does. In this insightful presentation, Lance Brown reveals why campus leaders often struggle to inspire donor investment and how advancement professionals can bridge that gap, translating expertise into influence to unlock stronger partnerships and greater fundraising momentum.
• Why Combining Marketing and Enrollment Positions Utah Tech for Sustainable Growth (Brian Sandusky, Utah Tech)
  • Room: GCB 220
  • Utah’s higher education institutions are navigating increased competition, shifting demographics, and rising expectations for communication and service. In this environment, organizational alignment has become a key driver of enrollment sustainability. This presentation examines how Utah Tech University integrated marketing and enrollment functions to better align with the modern, student-centered recruitment journey.Grounded in Utah’s higher education context, the session explores how aligning strategy, messaging, data, and accountability across the full enrollment funnel strengthens recruitment effectiveness, improves the student experience, and enables more efficient use of institutional resources. Attendees will gain practical insight into how integrated marketing and enrollment models can support access-focused missions while positioning institutions for long-term, sustainable growth.

Session 3 (11:45 am – 12:40 pm)

• Better Together: Building Stronger Alumni & Donor Events Through Campus-wide Collaboration (Moderator: Kris Bosman, University of Utah, Panel: Michael Johanson, BYU, Nathan Bradley, Snow, Ron Cardon, SUU)
  • Room: GCB 118
• Maximizing Brand Awareness through Evergreen Content (Mitch Whitfield, Weber)
  • Room: GCB 120
  • Weber State University’s strategic initiatives include increasing top-of-mind awareness and perception of high quality. Focusing on Nursing, one of their hallmark programs, Marketing & Communications developed a strategic content plan developing How-To videos on common procedures and topics nurses will need to know. Utilizing keyword research, content analysis, and contemporary video editing methods, 29 videos were created and placed on YouTube. This effort yielded 450,139 views on YouTube from Jan 2024- Dec 2025, and secured top 10 SERP positions for a variety of non-branded keywords.
• Annual Giving in an AI World: Almost one year later (Jonathan Young, Utah State)
  • Room: GCB 122
  • As the first university in Utah to launch a Virtual Engagement Officer, USU is expanding its ability to engage a broader group of supporters through timely, personalized outreach. Sage will help deepen relationships with annual fund donors, encourage continued giving, and re-engage past supporters—contributing to long-term growth in participation and philanthropic support.

Conference Location:

UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY

Holland Centennial Commons

• Check-in & Breakfast: Zion Room (5th Floor)

Parking:

Enter the parking lot from 300 S & 700 E

Parking Lot M

• No parking pass needed

Hotel Accommodations:

Red Lion Hotels – St. George
Discounted room rate: $69/night – Call hotel directly and reference ‘Utah Tech Alumni’

Courtyard by Marriott St. George 
Discounted room rate: $139 – Group Rate Link 
*discount ends April 14, 2026