Voices of UMF: Brandi Rideout

“[UMF is] a place where students are seen, supported, and challenged to become their best selves.”

UMF alumna and recent UMF Outstanding Alumni Award winner Brandi Rideout ’06, Community Health Education, is the Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Executive Director of the Alumni Association at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She now leads engagement efforts for more than 100,000 alumni worldwide, but says her sense of purpose first began taking shape in Farmington. Looking back, she emphasizes not only what she studied, but the deep sense of community that helped her grow into her leadership path. UMF, she reflects, was where she first learned the impact of being both supported and accountable to others. [Read Brandi’s full story below.]

Rideout will be honored on Saturday, July 25 at 2 p.m. at the UMF Ferro Alumni Center during a special Outstanding Alumni Award celebration. The event will take place in the Admissions Gallery (formerly the UMF Art Gallery) and on Mantor Green, and will feature light refreshments, a cash bar, outdoor lawn games, and a short program recognizing her achievements and ongoing connection to UMF. Tickets are $20 per person, with registration requested by July 6.

In honor of this recognition, Rideout has chosen to support the Friends of Athletics Fund, investing back into the programs that shaped her experience as a student-athlete. Gifts to the fund help ensure UMF student-athletes continue to have access to mentorship, opportunity, and a strong sense of belonging.

“I transferred to UMF from the University of Southern Maine and immediately felt a difference—the town, the campus, and the strong sense of community made UMF feel like home. My time there was truly transformational. As a shy and introverted student, I found guidance, mentorship, and a circle of friends who helped me grow, take risks, and thrive.

At UMF, I discovered my passion for community-building and leadership through athletics. As a two-sport athlete in basketball and softball, a work-study student in the athletics department, and later an intern with the athletic director, I was exposed to many aspects of campus life, including admissions, student affairs, and the counseling and career center. These experiences taught me the value of connecting people and ideas to create lasting impact.

One of my favorite classes was epidemiology with Diana White. The combination of strategic problem solving and math fascinated me, and she became a mentor and steadfast supporter, even checking in when I was sick and missed a few classes and has continued to stay in touch over the years. Julie Davis and Coach Beaudoin also played significant roles in shaping my academic and personal development. Experiences like these are what make UMF so special—it’s a place where students are seen, supported, and challenged to become their best selves.

After UMF, I began my career in college athletics, first as a volunteer assistant with women’s basketball at Colby College, then as Director of Student-Athlete Services at the University of Maine for five years, supporting all 400 Division I student-athletes in areas from housing to well-being. In 2012, I became Assistant Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Upper Iowa University, overseeing academic success, events, and facilities while also serving at the NCAA level as a championships manager for regional and national events.

In 2015, I joined MSU Denver as Assistant Director of Alumni Relations and have steadily advanced to my current role as Executive Director of Alumni Engagement and Executive Director of the Alumni Association. In this position, I lead the engagement strategy for over 113,000 alumni worldwide, overseeing a team of five staff members and a 19-member board of volunteers. My work focuses on building meaningful connections, creating programs that support professional development and lifelong learning, and fostering a strong sense of community among alumni, students, and campus partners.

During my tenure, we have increased alumni engagement by 295%, launched new initiatives to support underrepresented alumni, and strengthened our volunteer network to provide career guidance, mentoring, and networking opportunities. I also played a key role in MSU Denver’s first-ever $100 million capital campaign, which included engaging alumni in fundraising, storytelling, and advocacy to support the university’s mission. Beyond metrics and milestones, the core of my work remains community-building, a skill and passion I honed at UMF, where I learned the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and connecting people around shared goals. Whether designing signature events, supporting alumni networks, or cultivating lasting relationships, my focus is always on creating experiences that make alumni feel seen, valued, and connected to their alma mater.

In addition to my leadership role, I am also a faculty member in the Sport Management Department, where I teach the Sport Event Management course—a hands-on, experiential class where students plan, prepare, and execute live sporting events.

My advice to current students: get involved, meet people, seek mentorship, and soak up every opportunity. Everything you do at UMF can shape not only your career but also who you become.”