Alumni Council

What a year it has been! While I expected the unexpected when I took the helm of the Alumni Council, I never imagined that this year would be the end of President Jim Kims briefbut highly productive tenure. The Alumni Council was privileged to hear from and interact with President Kim at all of our meetings, and we drew great inspiration from his vision for the College. The 2011-12 Alumni Council continued to distinguish itself through its ongoing commitment to bringing far-flung alumni together to learn and communicate about Dartmouth. All of our councilors seized the opportunity to contribute their time and talent to ensure that we continue to improve the ways in which we deliver on the councils mission. Councilors did a masterful job of communicating with their constituents this year. There was a great deal to talk about, as our committees have been intensely focused on their work in support of current and emerging College initiatives. For example, the alumni liaison committee, established relatively recently to bring together members of the council, the Association of Alumni and the general alumni body with members of the Dartmouth board of trustees, met four times this year alone. I am proud to report that never before has the board been more engaged in and solicitous of alumni perspectives than they were at our meeting this winter. We had seven board members gathered around the table seeking feedback and discussion about the Colleges strategic planning process, the trustee election and other issues. I attended a meeting this spring of other Ivy League volunteer alumni leaders and it was clear that our interaction with the board is the envy of our peers. Thanks to the tireless and outstanding work of the nominating and trustee search committee, the Alumni Council vetted and nominated and alumni elected yet another set of outstanding trustees to the board: Nate Fick '99, Rick Kimball '78 and Ben Wilson '73. Their expertise and dedication to the College are impressive, and I thank all alumni for participating in this important process. The enrollment and admissions committee continues to help recruit more alumni interviewers to assist the admissions office with the substantial increase in applications. This year the committee also shifted its focus to a specific project designed to better leverage alumni connec- tions to increase the yield of accepted students. The young alumni committee worked with the offices of alumni relations and career services to improve the websites offeing alumni networking. In addition, they are developing a manual for seniors with practical advice from councilors for adjusting to the "real" world! The council also presented alumni service awards to these impressive leaders: the Alumni Award was given to Albert Cook '62, Susan Finegan '85, David Eichman '82, John Mathias '69, Ann Peters Duffy '77 and Curtis Welling '71, '77 Tu; and Jeff Fine '99, Amy Henry '97 and Susi Kandel '00 earned the Young Alumni Distinguished ServiceAward.As I readtheir citations I was overwhelmed by their unflagging commitment to serving their alma mater, communities, professions and families. I cannot thank all councilors enough for their dedication to ensuring that the councilcontinues to evolve and remain a vital link to the broader alumni body. We must continue to harness this positive momentum built up during the last several years. There is more to be done and new ways in which to ensure that we continue to learn, engage and communicate. President John Sloan Dickey once said that one of his goals was to "bring the best of the past to the service of the present." That is what the Alumni Council is all about. Alumni Council president,100 Old Stockbridge Road, Lenox, MA 01240; (413)822-0510; danielle.dyer@verizon.net