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Reflections on the first Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference Reflections on the first Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference One hundred and four years ago, the Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO) established an annual get-together of class leaders known as Mid-Winter Meeting. This event, held for many years in New York City, became a Cornell institution, one […]

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Reflections on the first Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference

Reflections on the first Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference

One hundred and four years ago, the Cornell Association of Class Officers (CACO) established an annual get-together of class leaders known as Mid-Winter Meeting. This event, held for many years in New York City, became a Cornell institution, one that increased the knowledge and boosted the enthusiasm of generations of volunteers. This year, under the leadership of Chris Marshall, associate vice president for alumni affairs, CACO's meeting was expanded into the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC). The alumni invited to attend came not only from the class leadership but virtually every other organization in the alphabet soup of Cornell alumni organizations: from clubs to CAAAN to affinity groups large and small. Held at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in January, CALC drew more than 800 alumni, along with forty-some current students plus spouses, friends, and hangers-on.

speakers 

The three-day event included board meetings, presentations, and a smorgasbord of workshops and panel discussions. On Friday, the lunch gathering featured an energetic talk on leadership by ILR professor Samuel Bachrach, who debunked many myths and offered straight-ahead advice on how to get people on your side and keep them there. Later in the day, Glenn Altschuler, PhD '76—professor, dean, and vice president for university relations— offered some thoughts on Cornell's place in the world and moderated a lively "town hall" with Chris Marshall and Charlie Phlegar, vice president for alumni affairs and development. Not content with that, the indefatigable Altschuler returned an hour later to engage with CBS newsman Jim Axelrod '85, a former White House correspondent, in an assessment of the Obama Administration.

Susan Murphy '73, PhD '94, vice president for student and academic services, kicked off Saturday's program with a concise overview of the many functions of her office and its interaction with today's multi-tasking students. The lunchtime speaker was Provost Kent Fuchs, who explained the "Reimagining Cornell" process and even tried to make Cornell's budget model comprehensible—brave man. Before and after these big events, attendees circulated among some two dozen smaller sessions that covered everything from social media to volunteer opportunities and the mysteries of college rankings. Everything wrapped up on Sunday morning, with a breakfast, more workshops, and a young alumni "ideas exchange." Somewhere in there, a big snowstorm tied up traffic and made Washington look more like Ithaca for a while.

bannerAs much as I enjoyed the scheduled events—and I'll tip my hat here to Corey Earle '07, associate director for student programs in the Office of Alumni Affairs, for his terrific presentation on the University's history—the best part of the weekend, for me, was the opportunity to meet and talk with so many Cornellians, from current undergraduates to Bill Vanneman '31. Some of these discussions were in formal settings, such as the CAA and CACO board meetings on Friday, but many took place over meals, in the lounge, and even in hallways. I also enjoyed a quick side trip to the National Zoo, where I visited the panda house and saw Tai Shan shortly before he departed for China.

All in all, it was an exhilarating (and sometimes exhausting) experience, one that served as a great reminder of the remarkable commitment of many Cornell alumni—a commitment we try to reflect and encourage in every issue of CAM. As the original mission statement of the Cornell Alumni News reminds us, it's our job to "increase the enthusiasm and loyalty of every Cornellian for the college on the hill."

—Jim Roberts '71

Watch for more about CALC in our next issue.

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