Sydney Talley serves Samford as the Director of Annual Giving, overseeing strategic annual giving initiatives that raise philanthropic dollars through the solicitation of alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends. 

Prior to joining the Samford staff in December 2022, Sydney worked at Vanderbilt University in the areas of annual giving, stewardship, reunion and class-based giving. Prior to her tenure at Vanderbilt, Sydney was a program manager at the Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation, where she managed the scholarship, chapter philanthropy and benevolence assistance programs.  

Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Sydney is a 2011 graduate of Samford where she earned a BS in Exercise Science. She is also a former vice president of the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Board of Nashville. Sydney and her husband Chris are proud parents of two children who love cheering on the Samford Bulldogs.