ALUMNI NEWS
UMNAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS — WORKING FOR YOU! Greetings alumni! I have had the privilege and opportunity to serve as president of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association since February 2020. As you look at my start date, you guessed it — my entire time in ofce has been during the pandemic. When you love your alma mater and know where you belong, you will let nothing stand in your way! Your UMNAA Board of Directors along with the University Alumni and Advancement ofce quickly pivoted to virtual platforms to continue our mission to: • Enhance alumni ties to and support of the University. • Promote active and efective participation of alumni in the Associ-
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ation and the University.
• Advocate, promote and support the University of Montevallo and
its unique mission to be a vital part of Alabama’s future.
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One thing is for sure, this pandemic has proven Montevallo alumni have great resolve! We have enjoyed seeing you on Zoom — attending virtual Cofee Breaks, Book Clubs, Career Panels, social justice forums, etc. It has also been great to see some of you in person; in adherence with standard safety protocols, of course. Te UMNAA Board of Directors continues to work hard for alumni and the University. One event I would like to highlight is the UMNAA Summer Board Retreat held in June 2021. We kicked of the weekend with a cookout at University Lake on Friday. Te Junior Board of Directors were our special guests as we wanted to strengthen our connection with these young alumni leaders and enhance our mentorship program. On Saturday, we started the day with a tour of the new Center for the Arts by Andrew Fancher ’14, which was amazing. Ten we heard University updates and received information from several guest speakers: Karen Kelly ’80, UM Foundation president; Scott Dillard, vice president of advancement and external afairs at UM; and Dr. Mary Beth Armstrong, UM provost. We spent the entire day taking care of alumni business including planning for the upcoming year, revising the alumni clubs handbook, creating alumni surveys for input, reviewing leadership and legacy alumni scholarship criteria, writing postcards to prospective students, planning Founders’ Day and Homecoming activities, promoting nominations for coveted alumni awards and more. I would like to personally thank the Board of Directors for their dedication and service to alumni and our beloved alma mater. On behalf of your Board of Directors, I would like to extend an invitation to all those who would like to get more involved in the mission of the National Alumni Association and to be part of your alma mater. We continue to host a number of events throughout the year to provide alumni with opportunities to connect. I hope to see you at Homecoming in February 2022 or at one of our virtual or in-person events soon! Cynthia Todd ’88 UMNAA president
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