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A Message From The Chair
Ten years old? Is that all? Our MBA Alumni Network (MMA Network) seems much older, given how much we’ve grown and how many alumni have become involved. In one decade, we created 15 chapters across the United States and 11 chapters around the world.
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How did all of this begin? When I was a first-year student in 1996, I
met a group of second-year MBA students and several recent alumni who
wanted to establish an alumni network to connect alumni to the school
and each other. The absence of such a network was highlighted in recent
ranking reports, and our dean at the time, Bob May, agreed to let
students and alumni take the lead in starting an alumni organization.
The network grew quickly. Dean May budgeted funds to hire the network’s
first director, Elissa Ellis, who developed its organization and
structure. I was surprised at how quickly the chapters grew. It was
clear that alumni wanted to stay in touch with one another and reconnect
with their professors.
One of the early triumphs was the creation of an electronic database
(created by two MBA ’98 graduates). It is a tool alumni now use to find
lost friends, look for alumni in related fields and update all contact
information.
Our second director, Tina Mabley, lent her humor and diplomatic skills
to the network. She was another MBA ’98, and her years as director saw
more chapters—both international and domestic—added to our ranks. She
expanded the office staff
and provided expert support to chapter presidents. We formalized the
McCombs MBA Alumni Advisory Board and began meeting in task forces (now
committees) to work on key areas, including alumni recognition, alumni
giving, involving experienced alumni and career networking, to name a
few.
We are stronger than ever today under the leadership of our third
director Jennie Loev, MBA ’03. We have a dedicated and active board of
alumni who return to campus regularly for meetings, and one of our
largest accomplishments this year has been raising more than $100,000
from alumni for the MBA Alumni Endowed Excellence Fund.
Pretty successful for a 10-year-old organization, huh? Heading into our
teens, we must think strategically about how to become stronger. How do
we continue to give alumni reasons to stay connected to the MBA program?
Come join us as we grow and we’ll show you just what we can do.
Sincerely,
Michael Bacon, MBA ’98
