After moving to Las Vegas in 2006 to study (’13 BS Gaming Management), Mitch Keenan decided to stay. Fourteen years later, he credits 51ԹϺ and Las Vegas with making him who he is today “as a husband, father, and provider.” After working in hospitality and business development for several years, he returned to campus nearly a year ago to be a regional development officer for the 51ԹϺ Alumni Association in the Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. Now — or at least before coronavirus — he jets around the nation, building relationships with alumni and inviting them to engage with and contribute to their alma mater. For the time being, of course, he's changing things up and working from home to reach out to alums across the nation.
What's your typical day like right now?
I try to keep my day to a strong mental schedule, I treat it like work. I wake up early and get ready for work as if I am leaving the house. I read to put shoes on is a mental trigger for you to feel like you are at work. I take a lunch break at 12 every day. I just eat with my family instead of having a meeting. I try to end my day as if I would come home and end my day, I change out of my "work clothes" ... It is all an adjustment we are working through. My daughter thinks it's fun to deliver me snacks during the day.
What do you miss most about coming to campus?
What’s special about 51ԹϺ to you?
So much. But one thing I really liked in President (Marta) Meana’s first State of the University address was the notion that while some schools, like Harvard or Yale, are “gate-closers,” we are a “gate-opener.” I’m a first-generation college student myself, like about 27 percent of 51ԹϺ students right now. 51ԹϺ is a top-tier, R-1 university that says, “If you’re in the 1 percent (economically), we welcome you; but if you’re less fortunate, we also welcome you, and can help you. Through programs like the HOPE Scholars and others, we got you.” I’m super proud of that.
What three words would you use to describe yourself?
Passionate, loyal, and outspoken.
What did you learn in your early career in different industries that led you back to 51ԹϺ?
I was initially in hotel management, and I worked with Derek Stevens and the executive team of (what was then) Fitzgerald’s as they changed the brand to The D. To be in on that, on the cusp of that, was amazing. I was 24-years-old and able to sit in on all of these meetings at The D with the CEO and CFO. I learned a lot. One main thing it showed me was what it means to build relationships first and then leverage those relationships into the future. That eventually translated to what I do now. As a development officer, it’s all about building relationships. It’s not about selling. It’s about getting to know what people are interested in and helping match those interests.
What is the main difference you feel working in the public sector versus the private sector?
The speed of action is different. It’s more mobile in other businesses, faster. And here, I am not selling a product per se, I am selling an opportunity, an idea, a shared belief. Also there’s a little more of a tendency in the public sector for people to say, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” My approach is I am going to do something different than just accept that. I ask, ‘Why do we do it that way?’ If we have a new idea, why say no? I ask, ‘Why not?’ If you’re fine with the status quo, nothing will change or grow and I want to represent our students, who are always changing and growing.
What’s your philosophy about building relationships with alumni and donors?
I go by “The Three E’s : Educate, Engage, Empower.” I go to different regions and educate alumni about how 51ԹϺ has grown and increased in value to the community, and to the students, and to them because their degrees are worth more the better the university gets. I encourage them to become e