Dr. Deborah Shaw
FLORENCE – Dr. Deborah Shaw is no stranger to hard work and hitting the ground running. For over 30 years she has used that same work ethic to excel at Auburn University as vice president of Alumni Affairs. Now she’s ready to bring that same spirit and hardworking mentality to her new role as the University of North Alabama’s Vice President for University Advancement and Executive Director of the UNA Foundation. And as for the summer slowdown… well, that word is not in her vocabulary!
Shaw officially began her role as VP of Advancement in May, but UNA is not unknown to her. In fact, it’s a place she knows quite well, because Shaw is a UNA alumna.
“You know, for me, it all started with my time as a student at UNA,” Shaw said. “I’ll always remember how this university embraced me, a small-town country girl, who at 18, was looking for a safe and nurturing place to be.”
UNA was that place for Shaw; and to say she excelled here would simply be an understatement. Shaw was deeply involved with UNA from the beginning and is credited for many things during her time as a student, including her work with the Student Orientation, Advisement and Registration (SOAR) program, which is still in existence today. She was also elected by the student body as Miss UNA.
Shaw graduated from UNA in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with an emphasis in history; shortly thereafter, she began her career as an admissions counselor with Auburn University. At Auburn, Shaw earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education administration, and the rest is history. That is until now. Flash-forward to 2016 –- Shaw was getting ready to retire from Auburn, with plans to return to the place she calls home, the Shoals, when the opportunity to work at UNA presented itself.
“You know I am not originally from Florence,” she said. “I was born and raised in Savannah, Tennessee, which is about 50 miles up the road. But my second home has always been the Shoals, where the four most important years of my life happened. It’s where I have family. It is where so many friends from my college days live and thrive and contribute, making this area a vibrant place to be. So, now, 34 years later, I am ready to come home,” said Shaw.
And she couldn’t be coming home at a better time. With the recent retirement of the former vice president for advancement, UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts was looking for someone who could come in and lead the Office of University Advancement, while also keeping the momentum that had been generated in recent years. UNA was set to kick off the public phase of the University’s first-ever capital campaign and Kitts needed someone who had the experience and knowledge to make it a success. 
“We really couldn’t have had better timing,” Kitts said. “Dr. Shaw offers a wealth of experience in university advancement and alumni affairs, and she is passionate about her alma mater – the University of North Alabama. I believe wholeheartedly that she is the right person at the right time to help lead our Office of Advancement to the next level of excellence,” he said.
Shaw will take on the task of raising $35 million for the “Build the Pride” capital campaign, of which $25 million has already been secured. She said she’s already been meeting with donors and working with the advancement staff to achieve the goal the only way she knows how, through hard work.
“They often say in higher education that summer is a slow time, but that’s certainly not the case with me or our advancement staff,” said Shaw. “I believe that who UNA is tomorrow, depends on what we do today. The UNA future students will inherit is the UNA we will give them. They are counting on the actions we take right now!”
Shaw said the campaign is the first step of a broader journey, but just how far can UNA go?
“It depends on how hard we are willing to push,” she said.
For more information on “Build the Pride” the campaign for UNA: https://www.una.edu/campaign/
Media Release/Bryan Rachal, UNA
