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Alma Matters

CAA launches alumni group competition

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CAA launches alumni group competition

At January’s Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC) in Boston, the Cornell Alumni Association launched a new recognition initiative, the CAA Cup. Designed to spotlight the hard work and creativity of the many Cornell alumni organizations, the program is open to all—regional and international clubs, classes, school groups, and affinity and diversity groups. “We spend time acknowledging individuals for their volunteer efforts, but we felt it was important to showcase the dedication of the hundreds of organizations that connect alumni to each other and to Cornell,” says CAA president Stephanie Keene Fox ’89.

The winners

The winners: Class of ’02 co-presidents Julie Vultaggio ’02 and Doug Mitarotonda ’02, PhD ’09, receive the cup from CAA president Stephanie Keene Fox ’89 at CALC. Right: The trophy is on display in the Alumni Affairs office.

Last fall, all alumni groups were invited to enter the CAA Cup competition. They had to complete an online application and include a presentation about a program or event, the motivations behind it, and its success. A committee of CAA board members picked three finalists—the Class of 1974, the Class of 2002, and the Cornell Club of Washington, D.C. In advance of CALC, each registrant was asked to review the finalists and vote for the entry that best exemplified the work done by our alumni organizations. The winner—the Class of 2002—was announced at the Sunday breakfast. “Not only did we want to recognize the best of the best, but we also wanted to include alumni leaders,” Fox says. “The recipients of the cup are being judged and honored by their peers.”

The Class of 2002 received a trophy, and its name has been inscribed on the base of the CAA Cup, which will be showcased in the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development; each year, a new winner will be added. In addition, the winner, finalists, and several other entries will be profiled on the Alumni Affairs website so other organizations can gain inspiration from them.

Winner: Class of 2002
Non-Reunion Reunions

The Class of 2002 created Non-Reunion Reunions (NRR) for two reasons: to get classmates excited about their 10th in 2012 and to reinvest class dues to keep members engaged with Cornell. “We want to make Reunion a priority every year,” says Julie Vultaggio ’02, class co-president. Non-reunion-year events have been held in six cities: Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, New York, and Chicago. “We wanted to throw parties the first week in June so our classmates would associate that time of year with Reunion,” Vultaggio says. Each year, the turnout has gotten stronger and stronger—building momentum for the class’s 10th Reunion.

Finalist: Cornell Club of Washington, D.C.
Building Community Activities

Community service has always been a priority for the Cornell Club of Washington. To build an even stronger foundation in this area, a vice president-level board position was created in 2011. The club partnered with local organizations including a food bank, an elementary school that needed help with landscaping, and a pet rescue group. In all, more than 250 alumni volunteers participated in community service, and club membership increased. “Partner organizations benefit, club members enjoy it—and personally, I get a lot of fulfillment from it,” says Mike Pezone, MBA ’09, who served as the club’s first vice president in this role.

Finalist: Class of 1974
Celebrating a Milestone Birthday

If you’re going to mark a birthday milestone, you should do it with the people who know your age—and shared some of the happiest times of your life. When members of the Class of 1974 realized that most of their peers were about to turn sixty, they decided to do it in grand style by hosting events around the country. An embassy in Washington was the location for one party, a winery owned by alumni in the Bay Area was another; they also piggybacked on existing events, like the Columbia football game in New York City. The program was a success, drawing hundreds of classmates, creating momentum for their 40th Reunion—and preparing for their next milestone birthday in five years.

 

Club Spotlight: Cornell Club of Germany Says, Willkomen

Just because you’re far from Ithaca doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected to Cornell—just ask the members of the Cornell Club of Germany.

It began twenty-three years ago, when Wolfgang Fritzemeyer, LLM ’84, and six others got together—and Fritzemeyer has been leading the group ever since. “I have such gratitude for everything I experienced at Cornell,” says Fritzemeyer. “I was able to get a scholarship, and the education I received has helped my career significantly, so it’s great to stay connected and to give back.” There are currently 120 dues-paying members, but the club’s mailing list boasts more than 500 alumni; according to Fritzemeyer, interest in its activities stretches into France, Austria, and Switzerland.

courtyard

Big Red getaway: The club’s 2010 Cornell Weekend, held in Augsburg, Germany, included a chance to tour the sights.

The club is divided into four sub-chapters: Munich; Rhein-Ruhr (Dusseldorf/Cologne); Rhein-Main (Frankfurt); and Berlin. Each chapter holds its own events including Zinck’s Nights, Cornell faculty talks, and other get-togethers. The Rhein-Main chapter also holds an annual event with the other Ivy League clubs in the region.

The club’s biggest event is its annual Cornell Weekend, which began in 1992 and has been going strong ever since. Each year, the club chooses a different German region or a place in a nearby country. The weekend, which draws several dozen alumni, kicks off with a Friday dinner and lecture about the region. Then there’s a Saturday breakfast, featuring the club’s general meeting, followed by a sightseeing tour, a Saturday dinner, and an evening lecture; in 2011, when the event was held in Lübeck, the talk was about local authors Heinrich and Thomas Mann.

The 2013 weekend, which will be held in Cologne in May, marks the retirement of Fritzemeyer as club president. But don’t expect him to leave alumni service; he is currently on the CAA board representing international alumni in Europe. And if you’re passing through Germany, Fritzemeyer encourages alumni to reach out—the club’s members would love to meet you.

This is the first in a series of articles spotlighting CAA clubs and organizations.

 

Cornell Recognizes Alumni forAchievements and Services

Over the past few months, alumni were honored by their alma mater for their commitment as volunteers, their support for the University, and their professional achievements.

At the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC), Bob Persons ’48 received the annual William “Bill” Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader Award. This honor recognizes officers who have provided long-term exemplary service to the University and to their classes. Persons, who describes himself as the “networking curmudgeon” of the Class of 1948, has been his class correspondent since 1968. “I will continue this enjoyable practice until God sends me a message to rest my pen,” says Persons, who came to campus as part of the Navy ROTC program through the G.I. Bill. “Our ranks are thinning, but there are still enough of us to make a lot of noise, if not a lot of sense.”

Honored alums

Honored alums: Philanthropist K. Lisa Yang ’74 (left) received the annual award from the Cornell Asian Alumni Association, while longtime class correspondent Bob Persons ’48 was this year’s William “Bill” Vanneman ’31 Outstanding Class Leader.

At its annual Pan Asian Banquet in February, the Cornell Asian Alumni Association (CAAA) honored K. Lisa Yang ’74 with its annual award. Yang, a retired investment banker who devotes much of her time to the Devereaux Foundation, one of the nation’s top mental health organizations, has established the K. Lisa Yang Scholarship Fund for Undergraduate International Students.

The banquet, celebrating the Year of the Snake, was attended by more than 230 alumni and friends in New York’s Chinatown. In her remarks, Yang described the difficulties she faced in coming to Ithaca from Singapore in the Seventies, as well as the challenges of raising children with disabilities. “Philanthropy has many meanings and levels for people,” Yang said. “I suggest to you that we all try to make it possible for the incoming classes to study at this wonderful institution—so that they, in turn, will be able to give back in ways that touch their sensibilities.”

 

Ambassadors Offer Updates on Campus News

By Mollie Pulver ’80

The date is set, the venue reserved, the guests invited. Everything is in place for your event—including an update about what’s happening far above Cayuga’s waters, thanks to the University Council ambassadors program.

Announced in late 2011, this initiative sends volunteer leaders to local alumni events to give brief presen­tations on recent happenings in Ithaca, in New York City, and beyond; they also update attendees on the progress of the Cornell Now 2015 fundraising campaign. Ambassadors have provided updates at formal dinners, meet-and-greets before sporting events, CAAAN meetings, even an afternoon of apple picking. They’re also available to talk to small groups in informal settings.

The program—which is overseen by Council vice chair Jay Carter ’71, ME ’72, assisted by Jon Kaplan ’73, MBA ’74, and Cynthia Kubas ’78—uses team leaders to match volunteers with events across the country and around the world. In 2012, the program’s first year, more than eighty talks were given; the goal for 2013 is 200. More than 100 Council members are trained to give these presentations.

If your alumni group would like to have an ambassador speak at your next event, you can access the program via CornellConnect. Event organizers can also request a speaker through their regional alumni affairs staff member.

Mollie Pulver is a director-at-large on the CAA board and a Council team leader.

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