Alumni Service Award Recipient
College of Design, September 28, 2023
Jamie Curtis is a graduate of the College of Design at the University of Minnesota and received a bachelor of science in retail merchandising in 1999. Currently the senior vice president of brand management at Décor Apparel, Curtis has contributed to the College of Design’s Retail Merchandising program for six years, serving in a critical leadership position on the program’s board which is responsible for fundraising and organizing the program’s annual Retail Connect event. Retail Connect requires significant efforts to bring to fruition, an event for students, professionals, and faculty to discuss challenges and innovations shaping the retail landscape. Under Curtis’ leadership, Retail Connect fundraising has grown from $5,000 in 2016 to $47,000 in 2022, enabling scholarships for students, and contributing to the Retail Merchandising Scholarship Fund. Curtis and her company have not only been a major contributor to the Retail Connect event, but also are a financial sponsor of the Center for Retail Design and Innovation. Beyond her board leadership and fundraising support, Curtis volunteers her time in classes as a guest lecturer. She and Décor Apparel have also created job opportunities for students, hiring interns from the Retail Merchandising program. Her tireless service to the University of Minnesota and Retail Merchandising has made a lasting impact on the success of the program, its students, and the retail industry.
Biographies are as-of time of award presentation.