New staff bring diverse skills to development

In the past year, Marlboro has acquired two key staff members bringing a wealth of background and experience to the development department. Rennie Washburn joined Marlboro in January as director of leadership giving, and soon after that stepped up to the role of director of advancement. Maia Segura ’91 officially became a member of the development staff in August, as director of alumni engagement, after helping Marlboro launch Branch Out, the new online platform linking alumni, students, and other community members.

“I see Marlboro as a place of tremendous opportunity, both for our students who want to engage in the serious pursuit of a unique education, and for our supporters who can help to make that happen,” said Rennie. “I have enjoyed getting to know Marlboro’s students, alumni, parents, and friends, and sharing that opportunity with them.”

Rennie came to Marlboro with 17 years of experience in many different facets of development work, most recently at Northfield Mount Hermon where she was the director of alumni and parent giving and programs. She has also worked in development at The Putney School, and at Chittenden Bank as an assistant vice president and trust officer. Her deep experience and passion for development stands to successfully take Marlboro College to the next level of strategic constituent giving and engagement.

“It has been a great honor and joy to lead the development team at Marlboro, an amazing learning community that is so deserving of support,” said Rennie. “I have been thrilled to use my broad experience in all aspects of fundraising to engage the school’s key stakeholders, and I look forward to meeting more of them.”

Following on a dynamic career in the creative economy, ranging from Los Angeles to Seattle, Maia Segura joined Marlboro as the new alumni director last summer. It was a homecoming in a way as she graduated from Marlboro in 1991, an early participant in the World Studies Program with a Plan of Concentration in international studies, political science, and sociology.

“I love being an active part of the Marlboro College community again, and in these changing times our engagement of alumni is more crucial than ever,” said Maia, who went on to get her MS in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University. “Whether you look at students, faculty, alumni or staff, I see this incredibly diverse and talented community where people are passionate about whatever it is that they pursue. This is critical to our collective success.”

Co-founder of Penniless Projects, a marketing and communications firm now based in South Newfane, Vermont, Maia moved from Seattle to Vermont in 2016 and reconnected with other local alumni. As a project manager, she helped Marlboro College launch Branch Out, reaching out to focus groups of faculty, staff, and students to make sure the platform was effective, user-friendly, and really fun to use. Marlboro is lucky to have Maia’s unbridled energy and enthusiasm squarely on the development team.