Meet Wentworth Alumni Association President Casey Galante

As a Wentworth student, Casey Galante earned both Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees. Upon graduation, she immersed herself in industry, but remained very closely connected to her alma mater, attending multiple events, mentoring students, and joining the board of the Wentworth Alumni Association (WAA). 

Today, she is busier than ever, working as a marketing manager for Suffolk Construction while also serving on Wentworth’s Board of Trustees and as WAA president. She shares what the first several months of her president tenure have been like and the grand plans she has for the future of the WAA.

Greg Abazorius: You’ve been WAA president for a few months now—what has that felt like? Was it a longtime goal you had?

Casey Galante: The past few months have been exciting! Having been on the board since 2014, I knew there’d come a time when I would be up for the job, and I’m honored that the board voted for me this year. I have a lot of big plans for the WAA and how we align with Wentworth and our alumni. One of the best aspects of being the WAA president so far has been meeting trustees and staff, and getting to know Mr. and Mrs. Thompson (President Mark Thompson and Karyn Thompson). It was fun to be involved with the commencement ceremony in August and welcome students into our Alumni Association. In 2012, I got to sit on stage for my undergrad graduation ceremony as the carrier of the student creed book, so it felt like things were coming full circle as I sat on stage 11 years later as the WAA president.

I still have much to learn about Wentworth and how my role as president can make a difference for the WAA, but I’m excited to work.

Greg: What are some areas that you are addressing right away in this role?

Casey: One area is how the WAA is evolving and aligning itself with the university, the Office for Alumni Relations, and our growing alumni community. We have such a strong legacy as a board, and I’d like to look at how best to honor this legacy while also looking at our future. My biggest questions are: how can we adapt, what are the changing needs of our alumni, and how do we attract new members to join the WAA? 

In my experience, Wentworth students and alumni are very driven by their careers, so I’d love to explore how the WAA can be integrated into their professional networks and become an organization that they view as a beneficial connection for their careers and co-ops.

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Greg: What are your top three goals for your term as president?

Casey: One is to add new members from across the country and a diversity of majors. Second, look for opportunities for student engagement by working with campus departments and clubs. And third, develop goals for our alignment with the university. I want to make sure that the WAA stays relevant and connected to students and Wentworth’s evolving community and culture.

Greg: Tell me a little about the work you’re doing now outside of Wentworth. Any aspects of it you’re especially excited about?

Casey: I’m a marketing manager for Pursuit Marketing at Suffolk Construction, and I truly love my job and working at Suffolk. For those that don’t know, for the AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) industry, projects are competitively bid on by firms. My job is to respond to a client’s request for proposals and create a deliverable that shows the client we understand their project and why we would be the best partner to build their project. I love being able to leverage my architecture background, graphic skills, and creative thinking on each proposal I work on. With each proposal, I challenge myself to do better than the last, whether that be through storytelling or graphics. It’s also exciting to know that our work in pursuit marketing comes full circle. If we win a pursuit, that becomes a project for our teams to work on, and their work in the field creates a positive experience, which then helps us on pursuits.

Outside of work and WAA responsibilities, I’m currently consumed by wedding planning, projects at our condo, seeing family and friends, and keeping up with a tenacious wheaten terrier named Logan.

Greg: If an alum is reading this article, and they haven’t engaged with Wentworth in a while, what is something you want to say to them about coming back to their alma mater?

Casey: My recommendation is to reconnect with someone you went to school with or a professor you had, attend a local alumni event, or simply read the newsletters and magazines when they go out. This is a great place to start. Engaging with Wentworth doesn’t have to mean giving back financially: it’s connecting with our community in small ways. 

You also don’t have to be in the Boston area to reengage with Wentworth. We love to see alumni in other parts of the country hosting events that bring alumni together. If you want to become more involved, consider joining the WAA. We meet every other month throughout the year and have open positions for director roles. Joining the board has expanded my network, continued the connections I made as a student and Admissions Ambassador, and allowed me more chances to get back to campus. 

It’s funny, even some of my friends that live in Boston haven’t been back to campus in 10 years. I always say to them, just walk through campus if you’re in the neighborhood, and stop at Il Mondos for a slice of buffalo chicken pizza and nostalgia. See the new CEIS building and the new athletic field that is underway. 

If you believe that Wentworth had at least one positive impact on you, we’d love to hear from you and find ways to reconnect.

To learn more about the Wentworth Alumni Association, visit alumni.wit.edu.