Laurie McCormack, Park University

•Title: Vice president for university advancement.

•Organization: Park University, 8700 N.W. River Park Drive, Parkville; 816-741-2000.

•Details: McCormack cultivates the university’s relationships with the external community, alumni and donors. Park University has 26,402 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs at 43 campuses in 21 states and online, including soldiers currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

•Focus: McCormack says the challenge is to keep the wide variety of alumni, from past traditional Park campus students to international students and military base graduates, “involved, informed and interested. These are people with diverse interests and different life experiences.”

•Background: McCormack spent 16 years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has worked at Polsinelli White Vardeman & Shalton and Gateway 2000.

•Thoughts: McCormack said UMKC afforded her experience with an urban model of higher education. “Here the business model is different with often older students, international students and those serving in the military, along with their spouses and families. It is the same kind of passion for me but a different way of delivering higher education — and a whole different audience.”