Honoring a CMU events legend

For decades, he’s been a familiar face at CMU events, both on and off campus. But soon, the stage lights will be turned off for a final time by alumnus Keith Voeks ‘84, who will retire this week after 34 years as the assistant director of university events.

Voeks graduated from CMU in May 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in theater scenery and lighting design. In January 1985, he began his professional journey at Virginia Tech, where he worked for more than five years. In October 1990, he returned to CMU, where he has worked ever since.

“I guess you could say that my CMU degree has really served me well,” Voeks said with a chuckle.

Initially hired as the technical director for Plachta Auditorium, then known as Warriner Auditorium, Voeks’ role evolved over the years. In 1994, he was reclassified as an assistant director of university events. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in organizing and executing a vast array of events, from commencement ceremonies and concerts to large-scale university events on and off campus.

Voeks also has overseen the design and implementation of ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies for every CMU building erected since 1991.

Through the years, Voeks estimates that he’s coordinated well over two hundred CMU commencement ceremonies and more than fifty high school commencements held at the university. He’s also produced hundreds of concerts and speeches. During those events, Voeks met numerous famous figures, including Maya Angelou, Jane Goodall, and General Colin Powell. He has memories from each of his run-ins with famous people, but his encounter with Angelou left a lasting impression.

The famous poet and author spoke in Rose Arena in October 1999. After her speech, Angelou called upon Voeks and then-director of university events Bob Ebner to pay her a visit.

“Normally, the speakers didn’t talk to us much unless there was a problem with the production or setup,” Voeks said. “But Dr. Angelou asked if we’d join her in her dressing room. She said a conversation was her way to unwind and relax after her speech, and it was just a lovely 10 minutes of chatting with a grandmother-like figure who had the gentlest soul. She was one of my favorite people in the world. It still gives me chills to think about.”

Voeks also helps maintain a longtime tradition that rings out every day across campus: the Warriner Hall chimes.

“They’re not real chimes anymore, just a system that was put in during the ’80s,” Voeks said.

In 2010, he helped oversee the electronic system update, which included new speakers and new recordings.

“I had some School of Music students come over and play the fight song, our alma mater, and all the songs you hear. I recorded it and put the files into the new computer system,” he said.

Voeks’ journey in event planning began in childhood when his third-grade teacher asked for his help arranging desks for a cakewalk at the Spring Carnival. His reward was a massive ball of cotton candy, igniting his lifelong passion for organizing and managing events.

In a memorable moment during the final May 2024 commencement ceremony, President Davies gave Voeks a heartfelt shoutout.

“Keith is as much a part of the fabric of CMU as the chiming of the bells on Warriner Hall, which he has taken care of for the last 30 years,” Davies said. “Always ready with a smile and a song, and almost always a story, Keith has dedicated his life to training students and his CMU legacy will continue through them.”

Voeks says although he’s stepping away from the job he’s enjoyed for so long, he won’t be a stranger. “My wife and I have no intentions of leaving Mt. Pleasant,” he said. “We have a 42-foot fifth-wheel RV and three grandchildren who love to go camping with us. We want to spend more time with them, but if CMU needs me every once in a while, I'm still going to be available.”