Passing the Gavel

ALUMNI COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

E N G A G E

E N T

the tradition of passing the gavel to a new Alumni Council Chairman was observed at the Council’s meeting on April 22. After three and a half years of leading the Alumni Council, representing the RMA Alumni Association, and serving on RMA’s Board of Trustees, John B. McKernan II, ’88, welcomed Bryan Baldwin, ’96, to the role.

“Good leaders strive to leave things even better than they found them. There is no doubt that John used the opportunity to build on the platform established by his predecessors and increased alumni engagement during his tenure.”

RMA President Staś Preczewski

Accomplishments under McKernan’s leadership as Alumni Council Chairman from October 2018 to April 2022 include alumni-inspired initiatives, such as signature academic programs in Aerospace Engineering and Cyber Security and fundraising for a tribute display honoring “Mama” and Coach Errol Bisso for over 55 years of service to RMA. McKernan also furthered alumni engagement through the formation of an Alumni “PT” Group, support for the ALUMNI new Athletic Club, participation in the Summer Leadership Academy, the implementation of a Distinguished Alumni Pinning Ceremony, permanent recognition of former Alumni Council chairmen through a display in the Office for Advancement, strategic additions to the Alumni Council, and bylaws revisions to align with RMA’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. When asked about his RMA experience and why he chose to reconnect with the Academy he drafted the following letter...

This might just be the Sunday night letter that you always hoped you would get.

When you sent me to Riverside, was it a decision that you knew was right? Or, was it born out of desperation? Perhaps it was the best that you could do with the options available to you at the time. Either way, I doubt that you saw it as the long-term investment in my success that the look-back now clearly shows it to be for me and so many of my fellow River Rats whose parents made the same unknowing investment.

Collectively, as parents, you should all be very, very proud of the sacrifices you made in trusting an institution with your sons’ educations and character development that gave all of us who marched those grounds so much more than just a diploma. You gave us a chance to carry forward the tools required in a successful life. In so doing, you also gifted us the opportunity to begin the journey that forged each of us into an Alumni Brotherhood that remains as tight today as ever.

You used to laugh about the stories that filtered back to you about the “keen” interest M/Sgts Larry Beauchamp and Max Bennett had in “helping” me understand the difference between a good decision and a bad one, not to mention the value of keeping my big mouth shut (which, as you know, I still struggle with). Truth is, they gave me the two keys that have opened every door I’ve walked through since. Beauchamp always reminded me that I was in the “doing” business and the results were up to God. Bennett reminded me to thank those around me because nothing in this world is achieved alone. I wish I’d been able to meaningfully thank them before they passed, but the look-back took me a while to appreciate.

Dad, my time as Chairman is coming to an end and I’m grateful to have stepped into the breach. It was clear that my term would coincide with Coach & Mama Bisso leaving Riverside after a lifetime of dedicated service, but unintentionally, I stumbled into the one way that I could say thank you to them and to Larry and Max. I could stand next to everyone doing their level best to preserve the ongoing sustainability of Riverside and help strengthen the Alumni Brotherhood. Realizing this, I poured my heart and soul into honoring their legacies and the institution that they, too, loved. As with all things, time will tell if we’ve been successful or not, but the work has been done.

It never ceases to amaze me how many of the guys you still ask about. What should shock you is how often we still see, talk and hang out with each other 30+ years later. We’ve collectively seen each other through the inevitable ups and downs of life. The bonds we forged at Riverside are truly lasting and are more important today than I could have ever imagined. Unknowingly, you gave me that. Thank you barely scratches the surface, but it is a start.

Other than investing my time in the current cadets, the thing I am most proud of, if not in complete awe of, is seeing how many within the Brotherhood are actively seeking opportunities to meaningfully say thank you to Riverside and being there so stalwartly for their Brothers In Blue. It’s been a blast cheering them on as they found their niches in giving back their time, talents and fortunes. It has also been humbling to witness firsthand the impacts of their successes.

I know that I have honored the dedication and commitment of the Council Chairmen that preceded me. Like me, they too, must be proud of what the Council has accomplished during my term and I hope they recognize how their legacies are entwined with our continued success. Like my predecessors, I steadfastly believe it takes a strong Riverside and strong Brotherhood to not just sustain the two, but to have both thrive. My only regret is wishing we had created further opportunities to help just one more alumnus grab hold of this belief and act on it. Consequently, as the new team takes the helm of the Alumni Council, I’ve left them with the very important job of bringing more alumni back home. This task is one that they are ready and willing to undertake.

Dad, you believed in Riverside’s promise for me when I didn’t know or care to believe in myself, let alone rely on the strength of so many others around me. Because of you, I am a Riverside Man. THIS is an honor that grows in importance every day. I will never be able to repay this debt to you, but it is one I promise that I can and will continue to pay forward.

With immense gratitude,

John