Edmiston to Lead UL Lafayette Alumni Association

Source: Communications and Marketing  Aug. 29, 2011

The UL Lafayette Alumni Association has a new leader. David Edmiston, ’82, is director of Alumni Affairs and executive director of the Association. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.

Edmiston owned a medical supply company for 17 years. He then began an 11-year career in pharmaceutical sales, working for AstraZeneca and Bayer Healthcare. At Bayer, he supervised 12 sales consultants and managed more than 1,200 sales accounts.

Edmiston said he brings some of the same qualities he relied on in business – people skills, discipline and accountability – to his leadership role with the Alumni Association.
He said his first priority is to evaluate the Association’s activities and programs.

“ During our first meeting, I introduced a common practice I learned in pharmaceutical sales. We call it, ‘Start, Stop, and Continue.’ What should we start doing, what should we stop doing and what should we continue? Those three questions will be vital during my tenure here,” he said.

Ken Ardoin, vice president for University Advancement, said Edmiston is a perfect fit for the Association. “He’s already part of the UL Lafayette family.”

Edmiston’s father, the late Hardy Edmiston, ’52, was a dedicated supporter of the university’s athletic and academic programs.

“ My father loved this university more than one can imagine,” said David Edmiston. “It was his enthusiasm and support of UL Lafayette that led me here as a student — and continues to inspire me today.”

David Edmiston’s wife, Gema Bunkley Edmiston, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from UL Lafayette in 1983. Their son, Drew, received a bachelor’s degree in public relations in 2008; he was a kicker for the Ragin’ Cajuns® football team. Their daughter, Erin, is a senior in general studies. She was named Miss UL Lafayette in 2010.

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