Director's Message Archives
March 2006
A Message from Becky Mitchell, associate dean, Alumni Affairs and Development
Volunteer leadership key to vibrant clubs
Warm winter wishes from the Johnson School. In January, Johnson School students, staff, and deans traditionally exit Ithaca's winter winds and fan out across the nation and abroad for on-site learning, special events, and alumni interactions. I joined the group this year, which included representatives from admissions, alumni affairs, career center, corporate relations, and marketing and communications. I can't overstate the value of these travels for me, as the new associate dean of development and alumni affairs. I was touched by the warmth and famed collegiality of our alums, excited by the interesting things they are doing with their work and avocations, and inspired by their enthusiasm and energy for the Johnson School.
My trip started in San Francisco, an area representing the third largest concentration of Johnson School alumni in the country, and a place that I called home for 15 years. Many of us met with alumni who are involved in a spectrum of careers—entrepreneurs to marketing to venture capital—and who are quite accomplished in their respective fields. While in San Francisco, we met with the leadership of the Bay Area Johnson School Club. Sarah Brubacher '99 and her team discussed their vision for the club, which included more frequent faculty speakers and creating a greater presence for the school in the Bay Area. The club oversaw another spectacular Predictions Dinner, with everyone in attendance agreeing that it was another smashing success.
The model for the Bay Area Predictions Dinner has proved popular for other Johnson School Clubs. I made a quick trip down to Los Angeles, for their second annual Predictions Dinner, held this year at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Dean Swieringa gave an update to the 75 alumni and guests in attendance, and we enjoyed the comments of keynote speaker, James Surowiecki, business author and staff writer at The New Yorker. Scott Taylor '90, president of the Johnson School Club of Southern California did a sensational job of managing this event and executing all the details. The next day, Dean Swieringa and I headed to Scottsdale, Arizona, for a series of meetings with alumni in the area and the first Predictions Dinner there, hosted by a smaller—but no less enthusiastic—group of Johnson School graduates. Bravo to Henry Hirvela '81, president of the Johnson School Club of Arizona, and Chris Marchell, CU '75, MBA '81, president of the Cornell Alumni Club of Arizona, for working together in making this event a success and rolling out the red carpet for Bob and me.
It was clear to me through these brief but important interactions that our volunteer leadership truly makes a difference in the vibrancy of our clubs. A club with strong leadership and a cohesive and focused plan is positioned to excel in its outreach to local alumni, benefit from its Johnson School affiliation, and support the school. Our new director of alumni affairs, when hired, can guide and assist clubs, as each makes a strategic plan. Because this position is so critical, I am being very deliberate in the recruiting and selection process. The new director must possess vision, energy, and drive, and come prepared to shepherd and support our alumni clubs in their fine work with the Johnson School. I'm looking forward to announcing a new director of alumni affairs in the very near future!
Finally, we're pleased to welcome Virginia Augusta to our development team, as associate director for the Annual Fund. To learn more about this well-qualified addition to the staff, please see Virginia's photo and profile below.
As always, I encourage you to contact me and share your thoughts, as we continue to build dynamic relationships across cities and alumni clubs. And I hope to see many of you on my next trek!
Warm wishes from Ithaca,
Becky Mitchell
rhm33@cornell.edu
