New IMU director to join staff August 9

IU alumnus Loren Rullman was named the executive director of the Indiana Memorial Union and the IU Auditorium Tuesday.\nRullman will succeed outgoing IMU director Winston Shindell, who is retiring after 23 years at IU. He comes to Bloomington after working as the University of Michigan's director of university unions. Rullman is a graduate of the IU School of Education and has over 16 years of experience leading college unions.\n"It has become even more evident to me during my career at other institutions that the IMU and IU Auditorium are viewed as flagships by other campuses. Many, in fact, attempt to replicate these two organizations' success," Rullman said in a press release.\nRullman was selected over four other finalists for the position. \nDuring the process of selecting a new executive director, Rullman spoke with 25 members of the IU community, which included students from the Union Board. \nThe IMU is one of the largest college unions in the world and has served the IU community for over 90 years. \nThe IU Auditorium was built over 60 years ago and has held world-class performers such as Bill Cosby, Itzhak Perlman and the Metropolitan Opera.\n"I am particularly looking forward to working with the IMU Union Board, other IU students and the staff of the IMU and IU Auditorium to ensure that we protect the core values of the organization," Rullman said.\nDoug Booher, director of the IU Auditorium and Kelly Carnahan, marketing and communications manager at the IMU will both be working closely with Rullman when he starts working for IU August 9. \n"(Rullman's) professional experience and personal commitment to the values of the collegiate experience will be a strong asset to the IU community," Booher said in a press release.\nCarnahan said the IMU is fortunate to have a new director of Rullman's caliber.\n"He will bring new energy and new ideas to the Union," Carnahan said in a press release.\nCheryl Crouch, executive director of marketing for auxiliary services, was on the search committee that selected Rullman and is looking forward to his presence on campus.\n"I am excited, like everyone else here, that he is coming. He is exuberant and a very likeable, easy to get to know person," Crouch said.\nRullman's father, wife, sister and brother-in-law all attended IU and many members of his family are current Bloomington residents.\n"IU and Bloomington have always been special places to my family and me," Rullman said. "In fact, my wife and I met at a student organization meeting in the IMU."\nRullman has been an active volunteer of the Association of College Unions International and is a member of several other professional associations including the Association of College Union Internationals, the National Association of College auxiliary Services and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.