Member Spotlight

Q&A with Michele Walter, Northern Kentucky University

March 6th, 2020Michele Walter

  1. What is your current role at your institution? Director of Corporate Engagement at Northern Kentucky University

  2. How long have you been a NACRO member? Since July 2018

  3. What do you enjoy most about your NACRO membership? Connecting with Colleagues across the NACRO Map

  4. So far, what has been your greatest Corporate Relations success? What has been your greatest challenge? My greatest success over the last two years has been establishing my first Corporate Partnership with Kroger to expand our student food pantry, Fuel NKU. This Partnership has allowed Fuel NKU to be in a position to support more of our students. It has enabled students to attain their goals, achieve their dreams, break negative cycles, and make lasting, impactful changes in themselves, their families, their communities and even the world. Together, FUEL NKU and Kroger have been able to Feed the Human Spirit here at home and far beyond. In the first semester, student retention has increased by 1.6%. This is what makes the partnership so special. Over the last year we have grown the Kroger partnership across NKU’s campus to include other areas such as sponsoring our Innovation Gallery in the College of Informatics which will include working directly with our students. This Partnership is a true example of a holistic mutually beneficial partnership.

    Not coming from a Higher Ed background, my greatest challenge has been building a collaborative environment across campus but each day we have been knocking down walls and building bridges!

  5. What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know? I have coached competitive cheerleading at our middle school for eight years. I love working with children!