Alumni Association updates board on accomplishments, priorities

Alumni Association updates board on accomplishments, priorities

Credit: Penn State Alumni Association The Hintz Family Alumni Center at University Park

DuBois, Pa. — The Penn State Alumni Association reported to the Penn State Board of Trustees today that it posted the largest increase in membership in the last five years, gaining more than 3,400 members, as well as chartering and reorganizing six additional alumni groups.

Alumni Association President Barry M. Simpson, a 1969 Penn State graduate, outlined these achievements and others of the 2009–10 academic year, as well as reviewed the Alumni Association’s strategic goals through the year 2013.

As of June 30, total membership in the Alumni Association reached another all-time high of 164,658, gaining more than 3,400 members for a 2.1 percent increase, to continue to be the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world.

Another major achievement was the continued expansion of alumni affiliate groups throughout the country. During the last academic year, five new alumni groups were chartered and one group was reorganized. New groups are: two African American Alumni Organization Alumni Interest Groups (one in New York City and one in Pittsburgh), the Essence of Joy Alumni Singers Alumni Interest Group, the Columbia (S.C.) Chapter, and the Northeast Maryland Chapter. In addition, the LGBTA Alumni Interest Group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender alumni and their allies was reorganized and is now actively growing.

“A key part of our mission is to make sure that we are welcoming and inclusive for all alumni, both in the Alumni Association and within our affiliate groups,” said Simpson. “This growth in membership and growth in our groups reflects our efforts in connecting a diverse cross-section of alumni with each other and the University.”

Other Alumni Association initiatives and accomplishments highlighted by Simpson were:

• Numerous online efforts designed to engage alumni have been expanded and updated, including the Alumni Association’s new web site.

• The Alumni Association this year launched two new revenue-producing initiatives: the Penn State Elms Collection of furniture and frames made from on-campus elms that have succumbed to elm yellows disease and a new Penn State license plate featuring the Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics logo.

• The Alumni Association in April announced that the third $300,000 installment of its $2.1 million gift for student scholarships will go to the College of the Liberal Arts, Penn State Beaver, Penn State Hazleton, Penn State Mont Alto, Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State World Campus. Each college or campus will receive $50,000, which will be matched by the University as part of the Trustee Matching Scholarship program.

• A key effort in support of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students is the Alumni Association’s outreach to affiliate groups to increase their student scholarship endowment book values from $5 million to $7.5 million.

• The Alumni Association worked with the Penn State Council of Commonwealth Student Governments to orchestrate a successful Penn State Capital Day in Harrisburg in April, pairing up students with alumni to meet with legislators and rallying in the rotunda.

• The Alumni Association again increased its financial support to Penn State campuses, providing an additional 5 percent increase in support for alumni relations programs and networking events, bringing the total increase in the last three years to 25 percent.

For more information about the Alumni Association, visit www.alumni.psu.edu.