Nearly 40 years later, the K-State Alumni Association is making connections for Alan Fankhauser
One more summer with the K-State Alumni Association and then Alan Fankhauser ’82 will ride his Harley into retirement.
The Association is an organization Fankhauser has deep ties to.
“The Alumni Association is one of the gems in all of the different things you can be involved in at Kansas State,” he said.
Nearly 40 years ago, he wrote his first membership check to the Alumni Association. Since then, he has had involvements in many areas of the organization and developed many deep connections throughout the university.
Fankhauser has served as an in-state club leader in his hometown of Garden City and later as an out-of-state club leader in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Garden City, he helped raise funds for scholarships for local students.
“I can remember vividly when I was involved in the club in Garden City, long before the internet and phones when President Wefald, or Coach Snyder, or a new athletic director came on board, they would bring them on a tour around the state, and we'd all gather at a restaurant,” he said. “We'd drop everything and run down there to hear what everybody had to say and that's almost unheard of now.”
Then in Milwaukee he was able to host a visit from university leaders including Kirk Schulz, K-State’s 13th president, at the Harley-Davidson headquarters, where he was employed.
“That was always a lot of fun and people were kind of amazed that I would spend the time to make it happen,” he said. “But that's just what you do if you want to be around other K-Staters.”
In 2012 he became a member of the Association’s board of directors and would later serve as chair of the board.
Fankhauser is often found early in the line up at K-State’s Harley Day.
Since 2018 he has served as a staff member of the Alumni Association in the role of associate director of alumni programs. In his role, he works with the programs team in directing in-state and out-of-state alumni club events, along with assisting the K-State Athletics department with planning and coordinating Catbacker Club events and the Junior Wildcats Club.
“It’s incredible to see how hard everyone works, because we're not a very big staff, and there's a lot of work that gets pumped out of these four departments and then those that keep the building looking good and everything,” he said. “It's just it's a lot of fun to be a part of that.”
He also mentors the K-State Student Ambassadors who often travel with him to club events.
“Alan has always been incredibly intentional and thoughtful in his service to K-Staters, including his travels to alumni club events across the country.,” said Josh Diazdelion ’23, former K-State student ambassador. “As an advisor to us student ambassadors, he consistently went out of his way to accommodate our often-unpredictable college schedules. Even with a demanding schedule, we always found ways to keep things fun— especially after the time we returned from an event in Wichita only to realize we’d let several pints of ice cream melt in the car.”
Each year Fankhauser helps plan and coordinate nearly 30 events including the Wichita Wine Dinner, club activities, presidential socials and more.
“Alan is as tremendously dedicated K-Stater,” said Adam Walker ’04, ’09. “He regularly goes the extra mile to ensure our events are memorable and enjoyable. He also has built outstanding personal relationships with the club leaders across the country. He has elevated the Association in so many meaningful ways, I want to personally thank him for his years of service and commitment to K-State and our Alumni Association.”
Ask him which event his favorite and it’s hard to nail down just one.
“Oftentimes an event is judged by how good the food is, but that's one thing about most of our events… the food is always pretty exceptional,” he said, noting that some real winners serve pork chops at their club event, while other great ones serve fried chicken, roast beef and barbeque. “The worst part about some of those events is you eat that great food, and then you’ve got to drive home. And we would go sometimes three or three and a half hours out. So then when you leave someplace at 8:30 or 9 at night, and I've got to drive back, that's a long drive back to Manhattan.”
Informally, Fankhauser has often been a chauffeur to Association staff, campus guests and others on their way to various alumni club events.
During the pandemic he would often ride motorcycles with Richard Myers ’65, K-State’s 14th president, and Greg Willems, KSU Foundation president and CEO, through the Flint Hills. Then when Richard Linton arrived as K-State’s 15th president, Fankhauser would be called upon to guide the president through Kansas as he got acquainted with the state on several summer tours.
“As we bid farewell to a dedicated member of the Alumni Association staff and a passionate Wildcat fan, we celebrate a legacy defined by meticulous attention to detail,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 who retired as president and CEO of the Alumni Association in 2023. “Alan’s commitment to planning quality events for prospective students and alumni over his tenure will be a lasting legacy that truly made a difference.”
Now Fankhauser prepares for a new adventure with the same attitude, “let’s ride.”