CORE Concludes with CATConnect Launch
In May, Administrative Services (AS) teams completed the multi-year CORE program, a collection of four transformative projects designed to modernize and enhance platforms and support for Alumni Relations and Development (ARD). We shared an overview of the work shortly after the discovery phase and are now following up with AS directors whose teams led the efforts. We connected with Alan Garbarino, director of Data Management and Analytics; Maureen Knight-Burrell, director of Application Development and Operations, PeopleSoft; Andrew Ludington, senior director of Enterprise Systems; and Moses Phenany, director of Application Development and Operations for Enterprise Systems, to learn about the scope of the undertaking and to celebrate its success. The group collaborated to provide the following answers.
Tell us about the new and improved ways of collaborating that contributed to the success of launching CATConnect.
The success of CATConnect stemmed from a highly collaborative, cross-functional approach that brought together over 70 IT professionals, two major consulting partners, and dozens of stakeholders from the Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) team. We adopted Microsoft Teams and SharePoint as our central hubs for communication and documentation, facilitating real-time collaboration, version control, and access to essential project materials. Project standups, cross-team planning sessions, and clearly defined workstreams maintained high momentum and ensured alignment across technical and functional teams. This working model significantly contributed to keeping the program on track and delivering a cohesive, integrated platform.
Agile practices, transparent communication, and stakeholder-focused feedback loops enabled the team to remain adaptive, foster trust, and ensure the platform met evolving needs.
In what ways will CATConnect allow AS to deepen and improve service delivery to ARD?
CATConnect empowers ARD teams with a unified, data-rich view of alumni and friends of Northwestern, allowing for more personalized, timely, and strategic engagement. With the integration of Salesforce CRM, Blackthorn Events, GiveCampus, and Marketing Cloud, staff can now manage events, communications, and fundraising efforts from a single platform, improving efficiency and consistency.
The new data warehouse provides advanced analytics and real-time dashboards, enabling ARD to make informed decisions based on alumni behavior and engagement trends. This platform will reduce manual work, enhance data accuracy, and support more meaningful, targeted outreach across all channels.
It also streamlines core ARD processes, enabling faster data access and more responsive, strategic service delivery.
What did you learn through this process that will help us better serve business partners in the future?
One of the key lessons was the importance of early and continuous stakeholder engagement. Close collaboration with ARD enabled us to gain a deep understanding of their workflows, pain points, and goals—ensuring that technical decisions aligned with business needs. We also learned the value of integrating security and compliance early in the process. Using CATConnect as a pilot for a platform that meets the information security protocols of NIST 800-171 helped us develop a stronger, repeatable framework for future projects. Additionally, fostering a culture of shared ownership between IT and business units proved instrumental in driving adoption and success. Going forward, we will continue to emphasize co-design, transparent communication, and agile delivery practices to better serve our partners.
As part of this effort, we also implemented the MuleSoft Anypoint integration platform. The new platform promotes API-led connectivity, enhanced security and governance, and a flexible, scalable architecture for integrations that will benefit other business areas going forward.
Flexibility and openness to feedback were key to creating solutions that were both innovative and practical.
What enhancements, newly enabled by CORE’s projects, are you most excited about?
Several enhancements stand out. GiveCampus expands opportunities for alumni to make meaningful contributions to the University. Marketing Cloud’s automation tools open the door to dynamic, multi-channel campaigns tailored to individual alumni preferences and behaviors. The reimagined data warehouse will support advanced segmentation, engagement scoring, and performance tracking. The new integration platform delivers near-real-time data updates from various source systems. Perhaps the most exciting aspect is how these tools work together to create a 360-degree view of each alum, enabling ARD to build stronger, more lasting relationships and setting the stage for continued innovation.
Do we know yet how alumni are responding to CATConnect?
While it’s still early, initial indicators suggest a positive response. Event attendance and digital engagement metrics have shown encouraging trends and anecdotal feedback from frontline staff suggests that alumni are appreciating the more personalized communications and smoother event experiences made possible by the new platform. As more engagement campaigns and events are executed through CATConnect, we expect to gather richer data that will provide deeper insights into alumni preferences and responses. These insights will be instrumental in refining our strategies and ensuring continued impact.