Sydney Talley serves as the Director of Data Reporting and Analytics, overseeing all reporting from University Advancement. She is responsible for providing accurate, usable and timely reports, analytics, segmentations and other outputs from the university’s database. 

Sydney joined the Samford staff in December 2022 as Director of Annual Giving, where she led the university’s strategic annual giving initiatives to increase philanthropy from alumni, students, parents, employees and friends of the university. Prior to that, Sydney worked at Vanderbilt University in the areas of annual giving, stewardship, reunion and class-based giving. She also served the Alpha Omicron Pi Foundation as program manager for 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. Sydney and her husband Chris are proud parents of two children who love cheering on the Samford Bulldogs.