Dear Fellow Alumni,
In this Spring issue we celebrate and showcase our Alumni Clubs in Philadelphia and London, Mexico City and Brazil, and in Hong Kong…one of our hosting cities for the Global Alumni Forum on May 25-26, 2007.
As we enter the second issue in our call for greater Alumni connection (and reconnection), I would like to share with you what your Alumni Board is doing to increase engagement and to invite each of you to step up and increase your engagement and participation in your world-class community of over 81,000 fellow alumni.
Our Focus on Lifelong Engagement
The goal of our Alumni Association Board is to better connect our community and to find new ways to engage all of us. To this end, lifelong engagement is the focus of our Board, which is comprised of five working committees whose objectives are to enhance our community in the following ways:
• Technology Committee – Implement and launch a new world-class online alumni community portal. Committee Chair: Meesh Joslyn, W’93, WG’98 (meeshroom@gmail.com).
• Global Clubs Committee–Enhance our global network of geographic and affinity clubs through greater standardization, resources, and recognition. Committee Chair: Robert Newbold, WG’99 (rnewbold@grahampartners.net).
• Alumni Outreach Committee–Identify new resources, services, products, and activities that will meet the professional development, demographic, affinity, and generational needs of our entire global community. Committee Chair: Ronica Wang, WG’90 (ronicawang@yahoo.com).
• Development Committee – Identify ways to enhance alumni education about giving and to increase loyalty-based programs and recognition. Committee Chair: L. David Mounts, WG’04 (ldmounts@yahoo.com).
• Student-Alumni Culture Committee–Create a stronger cultural connection between student and alumni life that will increase lifelong affinity and engagement. Committee Chair: Christian Hernandez, WG’03 (christianh@google.com).
TODAY
How You Can Increase Your Personal Engagement
1) Update your contact information online.
Log onto the School’s current system called WAVE at <webapps.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/registration>. Either update your data or set up a new account with your current contact information.
2) Join an Alumni Club as a paid member.
Become a dues-paying members of the nearest geographic club to your home or office or an affinity based group. For a list of the over 80 clubs worldwide see the directory in this issue, or go to <www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/Clubs>
3) Reach to fellow alumni wherever you work, live, give, or play.
MAY 10-12 2007
5) Attend Your Class Reunion. If you were in the classes of 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002 don’t miss this year’s reunion on May 10-12, 2007. For more information and registration, go to <www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/reunion/2007/ reunion_weekend_2007>
MAY and JUNE 2007
6) Attend the Global Alumni Forums
• Hong Kong (May 25-26, 2007) <www.whartonhongkong07.com>
• Costa Rica (June 7-8, 2007) <www.whartoncostarica07.com>
• Zurich, Switzerland (June 29-30, 2007) <www.whartonzurich07.com>For more information and registration, go to <www.wharton.upenn.edu/alumni/reunion/2007/reunion_weekend_2007>.
We look forward to you answering the call for greater connection as we work together to increase our Wharton Alumni brand, experience, and value proposition. Just remember, your Alumni Board is here for you and we’re waiting to connect with you. Just give me a call at (310) 229-5951
Until then,
Tama L. Smith, WG’90
Board Chairwoman,
Wharton Alumni Association
President, Tama Smith & Associates, Inc.
tsmith@tsassociates.com
