BIDDEFORD — Linda Verville is full of enthusiasm and ideas for her new position.

Earlier this month, Verville started work as the director of development, a newly created position, for the Biddeford School Department.

Verville, herself a BHS graduate, Class of 1984, is a former teacher at the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology, where she taught retail and marketing. She left for about a year to work in marketing with a Portland radio station and now says she’s thrilled to be back working with Biddeford schools.

The $40,000 annual salary for the position was funded, said Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray, through savings found in the current year budget.

The purpose of the new position is multifold, he said. A major focus, said Ray, is to “start building an alumni association and create greater relations with alumni.”

Alumni “all over the country want to know what’s going on” in Biddeford schools, he said.

The single-person position is modeled after the five-person Community Relations and Development Department at Thornton Academy in neighboring Saco, said Ray. The private school has been very successful in building a strong alumni association, he said, and he hopes Biddeford ”“ one of the only public schools with such a department he’s aware of ”“ will be just as successful.

One of the first steps in creating the Biddeford High School Alumni Association was to use social media and create a Facebook page. The page, first posted on Feb. 4, already boasts 900 “likes,” said Verville.

“People are eager to help,” she said. “People are saying, ”˜It’s about time.’”

In addition to building the BHS Alumni Association, her job, said Verville, entails connecting graduates with current students, so the alumni can share their experiences, skills and time.

She’s responsible for writing grants, recruiting volunteers and bringing in donations ”“ both monetary and of equipment that is needed at the school, such as a car lift for the COT automotive program.

Getting local businesses involved is another goal, from connecting students with an internship or other type of work experience, to attracting businesses to advertise at the schools. The Tiger Gym at BHS now has a large digital sign that would be an ideal space for small local businesses to advertise, said Verville. The signs are viewed by thousands of people attending games and other functions at the gym.

Another of her ideas includes creating a Biddeford schools YouTube channel “where alumni (from around the world) can share their story and current students can learn from them.” She’s especially seeking out early BHS graduates to feature.

“The possibilities (of the job) are endless,” said Verville.

In addition to connecting alumni and local business with the schools and the students, said Ray, the development director will also be charged with large scale fundraising and grantwriting. Eventually he said, the position could pay for itself and become a way to bring in non-taxpayer revenue.

But that’s not the main purpose, said Ray.

“You can’t measure community involvement and how people view the schools” with money, he said, and the connections made between students and alumni who can share skills, experience and time is most important.

“We spend a lot of time talking about ”˜tiger pride’ and tradition,” said Ray. “It’s important to realize those things don’t end when you graduate.”

Alumni who are interested in getting involved with the schools can contact Verville at lverville@biddefordschooldepartment.org.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.