ALUMNI CONNECTIONS The work of the Alumni Relations Office continues, and in fact thrives, during this unique year. In the previous issue of Tabor
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Today, we reported on the early stages of our Forecasters Series.
“Tabor’s Forecasters Series has been a phenom-
Built from scratch as an alternative to traditional in-person pro-
enal way to keep alumni of all ages connected to
grams, Forecasters has offered meaningful engagement opportu-
Tabor and one another. I’ve been impressed by the
nities for a cross-section of interested alumni to network around
breadth and relevance of subjects the series has ad-
shared personal and professional interests. And in the middle of a
dressed – from cryptocurrency to returning to a post-
global pandemic, this series has allowed alumni to come together
COVID workplace to the future of the sports indus-
socially, albeit virtually.
try. The presentations have been a great reminder of
Now, at the close of its inaugural season of ten episodes, we couldn’t be happier with the results. To date, over 1,000 alumni from 29 states and 5 countries have registered for the series–nearly 15 percent of our alumni base. Compared to 2019-20, our last year with a full slate of in-person programs, Forecasters has nearly tripled our event registrations, resulting in a 21 percent increase in alumni engagement, and extended our institutional and geographic reach. We have been pleased to see “new” names on the attendee roster and faces on our Zoom calls. In short, by going virtual, we have reached more alumni in more places than we did prior to the pandemic.
the strength of the Tabor alumni network, and I’ve been encouraged to see so many new and familiar faces joining the episodes. At a time when it’s so difficult to feel connected and when many are suffering from Zoom fatigue, Tabor’s Forecasters Series has stood out for its ability to educate, entertain, and connect alumni.” – Kelley Newman ’12
“Forecasters has brought me closer to Tabor and provided me with new ways to give back. I have extended my network with like-minded alumni to
And despite all the planning in the world, we wouldn’t have
learn together and share my knowledge of and pas-
achieved such an overwhelming response to the initiative without
sion for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.
our remarkable lineup of hosts. The talented and accomplished
I am very grateful for the new experiences that the
alumni who shared their wisdom and time with their fellow
Alumni Relations Office has created for us and look
alumni are central to the success Forecasters has had in bringing
forward to Season 2!”
alumni closer to Tabor and one another.
– Alec Parsons ’89
If you’ve missed an episode of the Forecasters Series, you can
“I loved being a part of the Forecasters Series.
catch up by visiting taboracademy.org/forecasters. Over the
First and foremost, it gave me a way to give back
course of nine months, the series has examined COVID-19 and the
to the Tabor community leveraging the talents I
road ahead, explored the pandemic’s impact on higher education,
have developed since my time on The Waterfront.
discussed developments in professional sports, provided an out-
Second, through the prep and conversation, I was
look on American foreign policy, demystified cryptocurrency, sur-
able to meet some “new to me” and very talented
veyed the shifting realities of office culture, assessed residential
Seawolves. And lastly, I have had some wonderful
and commercial real estate markets, identified trends in venture
follow-up conversations with alumni. It reinvigo-
capital, and investigated the state of cybersecurity.
rated a connection to all alumni even in this virtual
the months ahead, but there is little doubt that the Forecasters Series has a permanent place in our alumni engagement arsenal today, tomorrow, and forever. The lessons are obvious–when possible, strip away the limitations of geography, offer interesting, insightful, and compelling programs, and rely on your alumni to tell their own stories.
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We obviously look forward to being with each other in person in
world we are operating in.”
– Nicole Greene ’95
taboracademy.org/magazine 41
