Nebraska Alumni executive to head Purdue association

Kirk Cerny, associate executive director of the Nebraska Alumni Association, has been elected executive director of the Purdue Alumni Association.

Throughout his career, Cerny has been recognized as an alumni manager focused on bringing technology and innovation to alumni association operations and programming. The Council of Alumni Association Executives honored Cerny with a Forman Fellowship for Research in Alumni Programming in 2000-2001.

Cerny earned a bachelor's degree in human biology in 1992 and a master's degree in higher education administration in 1998, both from the University of Kansas. He served as an admissions representative for KU from 1992-1994 and as director of chapters and constituent programs for the alumni association from 1994 until he was named senior vice president in 1999. In 2004 he was recruited to Nebraska as associate executive director in charge of alumni membership and development.

"Kirk brings with him a wealth of experience in membership development, strategic planning and working with volunteers and donors at two of the premier independent alumni associations in the country," said Ed Paquette, executive director of the Nebraska Alumni Association. "The Purdue Alumni Association will excel under Kirk's leadership. He is savvy, inspires change and understands needs of a major, modern alumni association. The Purdue family will enjoy Kirk and his lovely wife Kelly Cerny in West Lafayette."

A native of Nebraska, Cerny is an avid enthusiast of golf, shooting sports and aviation.

Contact: Andrea Cranford, University of Nebraska Alumni Association, (402) 472-4229