Erickson Alumni Center
The Erickson Alumni Center (1992) is home to Bethany’s Alumni Relations Office, Development Office, Church Relations Office and the Office of Communications. It also houses the Alumni Council Room, the Wilkin Parlor and the Martin Guest Rooms.
Originally part of the McLean-McEachern residence complex, it was completely reconstructed as the result of a gift from noted West Virginia philanthropist Charles O. Erickson. His generosity made the creation of alumni centers possible at colleges and universities throughout West Virginia.
The Council Room and the Wilkin Parlor are available for alumni meetings free of charge. There are seven sleeping rooms in the Alumni Center. Two rooms share a private bath. All rooms have use of the kitchen in the Center. Alumni can stay at the Center for a fee of $30 per night.
To make a reservation for overnight accommodations or meeting space, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 304.829.7723 or send an e-mail to alumni@bethanywv.edu.
Meet the Team
Lori Weaver joined Bethany College in February 2020 as its Associate Vice President of Major Gifts and Campaign Operations and has since accepted the position of Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Marketing & Communications.
Lori was born in Huntington, WV and earned her bachelor’s degree from West Liberty University in speech pathology and audiology, with minors in education and psychology. She comes to Bethany with more than 22 years of fundraising experience. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of Campaigns and Advancement Operations at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, PA.
Lori enjoys seeing the impact that her office’s work directly has on the students. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and donors, Bethany is able to provide unique experiences and financial support to students that wouldn’t be possible without them. Lori loves leaving work every day knowing that she has made a difference.
Lori can be reached at LWeaver@bethanywv.edu or 304.829.7284.
Shelby Davis joined the team at Bethany College in June of 2022 as the Director of Media and Public Relations and is excited to be here.
Prior to Bethany College, Shelby was a news anchor for WTRF-TV and worked in the automotive industry as a social media director.
Shelby was born and raised in the Ohio Valley and is a 2019 graduate of West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media. During her time there, she was the main anchor of WVU News and a member of the WVU Competitive Cheer team, where she helped her team place 2nd in the nation.
Outside of work, Shelby can be seen with her three Goldendoodles—Sahara, Rubicon (Rubi), and Willow. You may also catch her on the mat teaching acro and tumbling to little ones!
Shelby can be reached at shelby.davis@bethanywv.edu or 304.975.0522.
Deno Emili ’78 returned to his alma mater in Jan. 2022 as Director of Alumni Engagement after a career in commercial real estate.
Deno most recently worked as legal counsel and compliance officer with Fraport USA in Pittsburgh. He previously worked with multiple real estate service providers after starting his career in Pittsburgh at General Nutrition Centers, Inc.
An active member of the Bethany community, Deno has served as an adviser to the active men of Beta Theta Pi for more than 25 years, and more recently as a patron of the women’s softball team.
The director of alumni engagement works with the Bethany College advancement team and alumni council to engage Bethanians of all ages with activities, communications, and service opportunities.
Deno can be reached at demili@bethanywv.edu or 304.829.7633.
Long-time College employee Shirley Kemp has been associated with Bethany for 45 years. Shirley’s smile, wit and calm are instrumental to the success of the advancement office. Prior to coming to institutional advancement, she served the admission office for ten years. She is the “keeper” of the records, responsible for gift entry and reporting as well as monitoring data input and pulling the many lists for the Bethany community.
Outside of the office, Shirley enjoys working with the Special Olympics, loves to golf and is active in the Castleman’s Run United Methodist Church. She is also an active volunteer for Our English Setter Rescue and has two loyal English Setters, Charlie and Mia.
Shirley can be reached at 304.829.7485 or skemp@bethanywv.edu.
Emily Luke is Bethany College’s Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, having come from the Morgantown Dominion Post, where she was a multimedia journalist for two years. Originally from Perryopolis, Pa., Emily is a graduate with honors of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, where she majored in public relations. She was the video editor for the student newspaper and was a public relations intern for the Stark County Hunger Task Force and Peanut Free Zone.
Outside of the office, Emily spends her free time reading and furthering her skills in photography and videography.
Emily can be reached at eluke@bethanywv.edu.
Liz Short joined the Bethany College family in October 2020 as the Director of Philanthropic Gifts. In this role, Liz will be meeting with alumni and friends of Bethany to solicit donations to support the students and mission of the college.
Liz grew up in Webster County, West Virginia. She earned her BA in Public Relations at WV Wesleyan College and later her MA in Higher Education at the University of Delaware.
Liz has spent her career either working with college students or working to support them in advancement roles. As a first generation college student, Liz believes that college is a transformational experience that any student with the aptitude and desire should have the opportunity to experience, regardless of socioeconomic status. She’s thrilled to bring her experience and passion to Bethany!
You can reach Liz at 304.829.7281 or lshort@bethanywv.edu.
Anna Winesdoerffer joined the Bethany College family in November 2022 as a Communications and Marketing Coordinator.
Anna is a native West Virginian despite spending much of her life in Canton, Ohio. She is a 2022 graduate of Saint Francis University’s Shields School of Business, where she earned a BS in marketing, with a minor in psychology. During her time at Saint Francis, Anna was a member of their Division I lacrosse program for two years. She also was a student writer for the student newspaper, a student-athlete mentor, and involved in multiple social justice campaigns.
She has been quick to fall into the role of promoting Bethany’s mission and goals to provide the best experience for current students and alumni while upholding the institution’s values. Anna looks forward to seeing the office’s direct impact on the Bison community.
You can reach Anna at awinesdoerffer@bethanywv.edu.