Jill Norton Woodruff Chosen as New Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Napierra Alexander
Thursday, November 18, 2021 12:00 AM
All, Press Releases, Community, Employees

Cleveland, Tenn. - A Cleveland State Community College former student has come back to serve the college and the community. Jill Norton Woodruff, a native of Cleveland, looks forward to serving the college as the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations. With almost three decades of experience in marketing, recruitment, and fundraising, Norton Woodruff brings a wealth of knowledge to the college to assist in alumni and community connections. 

“We are excited to have Jill Norton Woodruff join the Advancement team at Cleveland State Community College,” stated John Squires, executive director of Advancement and Planning at CSCC. “She has a wealth of experience in community relations, and as a life-long resident of the area, Jill has connections throughout the Cleveland State service region.  Jill is a former student at the college, and her mother, Judy Norton, is a long-time faculty member in nursing, which makes her a great fit to expand our efforts in terms of alumni relations and community engagement.  Additionally, Ms. Norton Woodruff has a passion for higher education and working within the community to benefit the lives of our students.”

After attending CSCC, Norton Woodruff received her Bachelor of Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and her Master of Arts at Lee University. Throughout her career, she’s held leadership positions within the Tennessee Valley. She started as the Assistant Athlete Services Director at the Ocoee Region Canoe & Kayak Association during the 1996 Centennial Olympics. She also held the position of Executive Director of Nantahala Racing Club, Inc., Director of Volunteer Services and Special Events at the Salvation Army, and served as the Community Events Specialist for the American Cancer Society. Before accepting her role at CSCC, she worked at UTC in the Chancellor’s Office and more recently, in the Division of Diversity and Engagement as the Coordinator of Civic Engagement.

Norton Woodruff has 16 years of experience in higher education and proudly credits working for multiple non-profit organizations raising money and awareness for various important causes. Now working in her new role at the college, Norton Woodruff looks forward to expanding programs and increasing engagement with Cleveland State’s students and alumni. She wants to increase the alumni presence to bridge a connection between students and graduates. 

“As my most recent role at UTC had changed into one focused on building and strengthening relationships with the community, my heart was telling me to put my efforts, time and talent into Cleveland, the city where I was born and raised,” stated Norton Woodruff. “Being the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at Cleveland State gives me the opportunity to work with amazing people, build and strengthen relationships with CSCC students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters, and hopefully at the same time, make a positive impact on the community I love.”

In Norton Woodruff’s spare time, she gardens and raises chickens while spending time with her friends and family. She loves to travel where she can be outdoors and makes time to volunteer in her community. What she likes most about working in the CSCC environment is feeling young at heart from the energy students bring to the campus.

For more information on Cleveland State Community College, visit the website at
clevelandstatecc.edu or email clscc_info@clevelandstatecc.edu. If you are interested in applying,
visit mycs.cc/applynow. Students are currently enrolled online and on-campus through the CSCC
main campus in Cleveland, Tennessee, as well as CSCC’s Athens Center in Athens, Tennessee
and Monroe County Center in Vonore, Tennessee.

CSCC earned the Tennessee Board of Regent’s 2019 College of The Year. CSCC directly serves
Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, and Polk Counties in Tennessee. The College System of
Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system, with 13 community colleges, 27
colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving more than 140,000 students.