Walt Cody
Walt Cody
Illinois State University’s Alumni Relations Office welcomes Walt Cody as the new associate director for the Chicago Office. Cody will work with the Chicago area chapters, affinity clubs and Chicago Corporate and Foundation Relations director. He will also work on new programming in Chicago.
Cody received his bachelor’s degree in finance and his juris doctorate from Loyola University of New Orleans. Before coming to Illinois State, Cody worked as assistant director of Alumni Affairs at Tulane University. His duties there included coordinating 56 national and five international alumni clubs, managing club events, promoting alumni programming and contributing to the alumni magazine. Prior to his Tulane employment, Cody worked at Hospitality Enterprises where he was involved with paddlewheel cruise vessels and the Flamingo Hilton Casino summer concert series.
While in Chicago for a Tulane Alumni Association event, Cody was grounded by Hurricane Katrina and spent the next 10 weeks in Chicago waiting to return home to New Orleans. “While in Chicago, I began to think not only about the future of New Orleans and Tulane, but my own future within those communities,” Cody said. “I have a lot of friends living in Chicago, and during the time I was waiting to return to New Orleans, I met many new people and discovered what makes Chicago one of the best cities in the world.”
“Yet I would not have left Tulane had it not been for the people I met at Illinois State,” Cody said. “Their commitment, professionalism and enthusiasm was impressive and just what I was looking for.”
Cody said he loves alumni affairs work and has seen the positive effect a university, its students, employees and alumni have on the community. He took a tour of Illinois State and was impressed with the University’s commitment to engage all of their alumni and with the level of energy and vibrancy of the people on campus.
