Hundreds Attend New Alumni Meeting
By Tom Cummings '75, Betty Eng '92 & Scott Pesner '87
To gauge the success of the first-ever Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference, held this past January in Washington, D.C., all you had to do was hang around the lobby and bar on Saturday night at the Marriott Wardman Park, where the event was held. There, you would have seen a cross-section of generations of alumni—from the most recent graduates to more senior alums—mingling, talking about what they learned, and sharing their Cornell experiences with new friends.
The conference was an outgrowth of the annual Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO) Mid-Winter Meeting, which had taken place for the previous 104 years. This new conference acknowledged that alumni leaders comprise more than just class officers; to cast a wider net, regional club leaders, chairs from the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network (CAAAN), and board members of several undergraduate colleges and graduate schools were invited. In addition, almost fifty student leaders came down from campus. All in all, more than 800 people registered.
"Having attended a number of CACO Mid-Winter Meetings over the years, I found this format elevated the weekend to a much higher level," said Diane VerSchure '74. "The expanded format, inviting alumni who are involved in different alumni volunteer areas, created more opportunities to share practices and learn from peers in other parts of the country. I especially appreciated the chance to interact with alumni I would not have met under the old format."
The three-day event kicked off on Friday with a luncheon presentation by Samuel Bacharach, the McKelvey Grant Professor in the ILR school. His talk focused on a key topic for the weekend: leadership. Bacharach told alumni that leading involves the "pragmatic micro-skills of mobilizing campaigns and sustaining momentum."
Attendees also had the opportunity to tour several Capital-area attractions, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. The day was capped by two "town hall" meetings featuring Professor Glenn Altschuler, PhD '76, dean of the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions and vice president for university relations. The first session focused on the direction of the University and also featured Charlie Phlegar, vice president for alumni affairs and development, and Chris Marshall, associate vice president for alumni affairs. The nightcap saw Altschuler with his former student, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod '85, discussing the current state of the Obama Administration; a lively Q&A provided insight from speakers and alumni.
Saturday offered chances to hear from the Cornell administration on the current state of the university: a campus update at breakfast from vice president for student and academic services Susan Murphy '73, PhD '94, and a discussion of the strategic planning evaluation "Reimagining Cornell" through a luncheon presentation by Provost Kent Fuchs.
But Saturday was about more than just learning about the University—it was also about how alumni can be better leaders and more active volunteers. Session topics included "Beg, Borrow, and Share," in which leaders discussed best practices; working across generations to promote alumni participation; effective tools to increase event attendance; diversity initiatives; marketing through social media; and a presentation on Cornell history by Corey Earle '07, associate director for student programs in Alumni Affairs.
For alumni who are not busy enough, "Volunteer Opportunities at Cornell" presented a panel of some of the University's top volunteers. Moderated by trustee emeritus Karen Rupert Keating '76, the panelists (Katrina James '96, Jason McGill '88, BArch '89, Kristen Rupert '74, and trustee Paul Salvatore '81, JD '84) discussed their paths to becoming alumni volunteer leaders. And proving that Cornellians are always looking for new ways to contribute, one attendee was Bill Vanneman '31—who has since celebrated his 101st birthday.
Not all sessions focused on Cornell and leadership but on topics of personal concern for attendees. "Career Success" featured Jodi Smith, MILR '95, on proper etiquette for networking events. Topics included the correct handshake, where to wear your nametag, and how to make a graceful exit from a conversation (never cite any of the three Bs: bathroom, bar, and boredom).
Saturday morning's plenary sessions gave way to tracks geared toward specific alumni groups—class officers, Law School and Johnson School alumni, regional club leaders, and CAAAN volunteers. Club officers focused on how they can run their organizations more efficiently, from how to use social media to effective networking. Saturday also included a discussion on whether clubs should go dues-free, an initiative that twenty-five clubs have already undertaken and many more are considering for the upcoming year.
More than 150 CAAAN chairs and volunteers were on hand for the conference, and its sessions—such as a discussion of best practices and a town-hall meeting on how the CAAAN process can be improved—were well attended and informative. On Saturday afternoon, associate director of admissions Kyle Downey put attendees in the role of admissions officer for a session on "Understanding the Admissions Process." Using actual applications, Downey walked participants through the process and asked them to make admissions decisions. "This session was an eye-opener for many CAAAN leaders, as it showed how difficult it is to decide whom to admit among many qualified candidates," said Alex Vollmer '62, MCE '64.
Saturday's activities were capped by a panel presented by MOSAIC, the University's alumni-driven diversity initiative, on issues around health-care reform. And keeping with the Big Red spirit, that night's cocktail reception featured a big-screen viewing of the Cornell-Harvard basketball game (we won, 86-50).
On Sunday morning, Rana Glasgal '87, MEng '92, an associate vice provost at Stanford, discussed university rankings and explained why it's difficult for Cornell to move up in the U.S. News & World Report list because of how the survey is done. Glasgal said alumni should think beyond rankings and encourage applicants to visit campus, talk to current students, and speak to the admissions office. Sunday also offered a look at young alumni—how to get more of them involved in activities and as volunteers, and what their needs are.
"As a young alumna, it's inspirational and moving to be in a room full of more than 800 Cornellians who share the same love for their alma mater," said Marie-Jouvelle Aubourg '06. "I left the conference with a renewed appreciation for Cornell and for Cornellians."
Didn't attend the conference? Re-caps are available at alumni.cornell. edu/calc. And put it on your schedule now: the 2011 conference will take place on January 28-30, again in Washington, D.C.
Tom Cummings, Betty Eng, and Scott Pesner serve on the board of the Cornell Alumni Association.
Peter Schwarz Wins Vanneman Award
At the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference in January, Peter Schwarz '47, BEE '46, was honored with the William "Bill" Vanneman '31 Outstanding Class Leader Award. Schwarz was his class correspondent from 1965 to 2002, and has served as class webmaster since 2007 and class president since 2000. He also co-chaired the class's 40th, 55th, and 60th reunions.
The award, which was presented during the conference's Saturday luncheon, is given annually to an alum who has provided long-term exemplary service to the University through his or her role as a class officer. Bill Vanneman '31, who turned 101 in April, was on hand to watch Schwarz receive the award.
Alumni Association Elects New Board Members
At its winter meeting in January, the Cornell Alumni Association (formerly the Cornell Alumni Federation) approved the nominations of several alumni as directors-from-the-region and directors-at-large, each serving a two-year term from May 2010 to May 2012.
Elected to continue for a second term as directors-from-the-region are Jill Fields '88 (Mid-Atlantic) and Tom Cummings '75 (New York/Ontario). New to the board are Bobby Tsai '83 (International), Randy Rosenberg '74 (Metro NY), Subha Lembach '97 (Midwest), Lynn Butterly '71 (Northeast), Tanis MacKay-Bell '81 (Southeast), Judy Osgood '89 (Southwest/ Mountain), and Diane Shakin '83 (Western).
Betty Eng '92 and Larry Taylor '73 were elected to serve a second term as directors-at-large, while Joy Higa '89 was appointed to a first term. Shana Mueller '95 and Scott Pesner '87, whose terms as directors-from-the-region had ended, were elected to serve as directors-at-large.
Stepping off the Cornell Alumni Association board are directors-at-large Angela Clark '88, Jerrold Day '71, MBA '78, Linda Vecchiotti Saal '71, and directors-from-the-region Bernard MacCabe '75, MBA '79 (International), Aaron Gadouas '86 (Midwest), Rachelle Montano '94 (Southeast), Catherine Cocco '85 (Southwest/ Mountain), and Brad Wellstead '83, MS '96 (Western).