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And So it Goes...
DEAR FELLOW ALUMNI:
In this, my final message
to you as Chairman
of the Wharton Alumni
Association Board, I'd like
to look back on some of the
exciting developments I've
seen in our alumni network
in my seven years of service
with the Board. I'd also like
to share some thoughts on
whither we go from here.
We're more visible.
When I joined the Board,
it was a hard-working and
active but little known
and little recognized body.
Now, with our presence in
this Magazine, numerous
events held jointly with
the Board of Overseers and
other Boards, much greater
presence on campus and
significant support from
our amazing Dean and his
administration, our Board
and the alumni network it
represents are very much
on the radar screen. This
means more and more support
from the school, as well
as more opportunities for
alums to benefit from participation
in the network.
We're evolving. Thanks
to technological developments,
our club network has
grown from a geographic
based set of affiliations to
include so-called "affinity"
clubs such as the Wharton
Private Equity Network
and Wharton Health Care
Network. We expect several
more groups in the next
year or so. Affinity clubs allow
alums to network with
others in their industry, not
just those who happen to
live in the same city.
We're making our voice
heard. Your alumni club
leaders from around the
world attend an Alumni
Leadership Conference each
May in Philly. The Board
and school are committed
to continuing this annual
event, which ensures that
your local needs and interests
are heard and addressed
by the alumni leadership
and the administration.
This interaction has had
positive results, including,
for example, the school's
funding of mailings by individual
clubs.
We're more student-focused.
We have underscored
the need for current and
prospective students to learn
about, understand and access
the alumni network—which is key to the future
success of both the network
and the school itself.
In addition to "priming" the
pipeline for future active alums,
we are letting students
and prospective students
see firsthand that being a
Wharton student or grad
means having access to a
tremendous and welcoming
group of dedicated alums.
We're more development-focused. We believe
that the Board has a responsibility
to help the school
build greater financial
support from its alumni.
Altruistic? Perhaps—but
this is also a self-serving
endeavor for all alumni. As
we help raise endowment,
program and scholarship
dollars, we contribute to the
long-term value of our own
degrees. Unfortunately, we
rank very low against our
peer institutions in terms
of percentage participation
by alums in the Wharton
Annual Fund. Our Board
has made it one of our missions
to determine the reasons
for this reduced level of
participation and to suggest
ways to improve it. We hope
more and more alums will
realize the importance of
giving back to the school
and the community that
gave them so much.
As for the future... I am honored to have been
part of the growth of the
last seven years, and I am
confident that my successors
will build well upon the
foundation we have laid. As
they carry on this important
work, I ask four things of
them on behalf of our alumni:
1) maintain as a priority
the strengthening of the
alumni network, 2) be willing
to think big thoughts
and consider big changes, 3)
tell every active alum how
much the school needs their
time and talent, and ask for
his or her ongoing commitment
and 4) support our
Dean and administration,
while also challenging him
to always advance the interests
of the alumni network.
To you, my fellow alumni,
I wish for you an endless
number of connections
among fellow Whartonites,
an attitude to "take the call"
when a student or Wharton
alum calls you, and a strong
feeling of connection back
to your alma mater.
As always, if you are
currently an active member
of Wharton's alumni
network, thank you for
your dedication. If you
are interested in getting
involved, start by going to
wave.wharton.upenn.edu
to find a Wharton alumni
club in your region or your
area of interest.
Please feel free to call
or e-mail me directly with
any questions. Thank
you for your support of
the Wharton Alumni
Association and thanks
for letting me communicate
with you here in the
Magazine for the past several
years.
Please feel free to call
or e-mail me directly with
any questions. Thank
you for your support of
the Wharton Alumni
Association.
Sincerely,
David N. Feldman, Esq.,
W'82, L'85
Chairman, Wharton
Alumni Association dfeldman@feldmanweinstein.com
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