Message from the Alumni Council

Greetings!

I was recently asked by an alumnus, what is the purpose of the Alumni Council? Does it promote connections and plan events? Does it assist with fundraising? Does it serve as a means to communicate information about the College to alumni? Having been asked this question left me a bit surprised, but it led me to thinking about ways in which the Council can enhance its engagement and exposure with Westminster alumni.

The first step to address this concern resulted in both revisions to the Council’s by-laws and the development of a mission statement used to drive goal setting. This work was accomplished by a subcommittee of the Council that met throughout the summer to draft and revise these deliverables. The by-law changes were adopted during our September meeting. The mission statement, provided to the College leadership for endorsement, reads as follows:

“To build and nurture an enduring community that inspires volunteerism and promotes philanthropy.” Using this statement, thought was then given to the Council committees needed to fulfill its mission by aligning its goals with those of the College. Consequently, changes were made with several retired and two added. Nominations and National Connections were retained. Two new committees provide support to the College’s Professional Development Center and social media/marketing efforts. The first supports existing students with resumé preparation, mock interviewing and the identification of internships and/or fulltime employment opportunities. The second expands the audience of alumni, friends and potential students via various social media platforms followed and shared.

It is my hope that these efforts will provide the visibility needed for the Council. However, in case you were wondering, the following is a partial list of the Council’s recent achievements:

• Grew its regional representatives program to 20-plus; • Thanked more than 2,000 donors personally by email, phone call, text or postcard; • Served as lead advocates raising, most recently, more than $120,000 for various projects through a Giving Tuesday crowdfunding campaign; • Continued its tradition of 100% participation in giving; • Assisted educators in nominating 43 students for Jerb Miller Scholarships in the last academic year; • Hosted the alumni table at admissions events; • Hosted virtual and in-person events including National Networking Day and an Alumni Book Discussion; • Created/promoted Wear Westminster Day; • Reviewed and awarded more than 260 Alumni Citation Awards.

I hope this list demonstrates the level of involvement of Council and its measurable results and the many ways in which its members serve as exemplars to the alumni community at large and as ideal stewards to the College.

I encourage each of you to become more involved by providing gifts of your time, talents and dollars. The Council depends on alumni to promote the College and enhance connections. This cannot be done solely by 35 Council members and the current College community. Westminster particularly needs assistance with your financial gifts and in identifying potential students. Links to do both can be found under the Alumni tab on the College’s website.

Thank you for your support of Westminster. I look forward to serving as Council president in the year ahead.

Bill Eavenson ’73 Alumni Council President