Who Does That?

Normally to pull off large meetings and events, a facility would need a sales representative, a logistics coordinator and an audiovisual technician. In the case of the Ford Alumni Center, all it needs is Isaiah Truong, the assistant director of facilities and building operations.

Truong meets with clients who want to hold fundraisers, conferences, proms and other events in the Lee Barlow Giustina Ballroom and nearby meeting rooms. He matches what the facility has to offer with the vision of the event planner.

His customers are University of Oregon departments and local groups who come back year after year or are referred via glowing word-of-mouth reviews.

A crew of student workers helps put the event together by setting up the tables, chairs and other amenities to match the client’s vision, as well as staffing the event and ensuring the technology is all up and running. If the events are small, Truong entrusts his students to run them since some have been with him during all their years in college. His student workers rave what a kind and personable boss he is, that he remembers details about each event and their organizers.

Duck Days are among his favorites as Truong rose from the ranks of the ambassadors during his time as a UO student. But hosting the elite athletes in a makeshift lounge during the World Athletics Championships in 2022 was the gold standard and a lasting memory.

So, if you want to hold a fantastic event at the Ford Alumni Center, give Isaiah Truong a call.

—Jennifer Archer, University Communications