Virtual Alumni Events

While on-campus gatherings were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift from in-person events to virtual programs provided new opportunities for members of the St. Mark’s alumni community.

To strengthen the renowned Marksmen network, the Alumni Board and Office of Development & Alumni Relations have partnered to continue creating engaging content focused on reconnecting alumni to the School and with one another.

“The virtual events have been a great way for the St. Mark’s community to stay connected and engaged despite the physical separation,” said Robbie Baty ’02, Chair of the Activities & Alumni Weekend Committee. “One of the highlights of the virtual events is that alums and other community members from across the country are able to participate in the events, whereas in the past they weren’t able to enjoy the speaker series if they weren’t in Dallas.”

One of the most celebrated alumni events, the Alumni Leadership Speaker Series, successfully transitioned to the virtual stage. The first installment of the series took place on September 24 and featured a conversation with St. Mark's

School Nurse Julie Doerge, R.N. and Dr. Wendy Chung, Chief Epidemiologist for the Acute Communicable Disease Division of the Dallas

County Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 120 guests signed up to hear Dr. Chung discuss the ongoing impact of the pandemic worldwide and Nurse Julie explain the current health and safety protocols followed on campus. Dr. Chung and Nurse Julie worked together this summer to form protocols for public and private schools throughout the Dallas area and learned that adaptability is essential amid the outbreak. “We would think that we were all done with writing a protocol, and the next day we would have new information,” said Nurse Julie. “That situation has been the same at school, as well. But it is just part of the COVID experience, and we learn to be flexible and go with the flow.”

The second installment of the series on October

29 featured an interview with Clark Hunt ’83, Chairman and CEO of the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and former President of St. Mark’s Board of Trustees. With more than 300

registered for the event, Clark offered a glimpse into the business side of sports and highlighted the lasting impact of St. Mark’s on his life and career.

“I can confidently say that the experiences I went on to have at SMU, both academically and athletically, and in my career would not have been possible without St. Mark’s in my life,” said Clark. “We want everybody who works for the Chiefs to be focused on giving back to the community, uniting the community, and treating everybody in the building with respect. Those are certainly lessons that I can say go all the way back to St. Mark’s.”

The Alumni Leadership Speaker Series will conclude with the final installment of the series

in the spring of 2021, hopefully with a return to campus. Whatever the future holds, St. Mark’s will continue to strengthen the bonds of its community.