Highlights of March Alumni Association Council meeting

The Alumni Association Council is a group of 26 Grinnell College alumni and three student representatives whose purpose is to foster strong connections between alumni and the college, and among the approximately 20,000 Grinnell alumni located in all 50 states and some 50 other countries.

The Council held the first of two yearly, on-campus meetings March 7-9. The Alumni Association Council utilizes technology to meet and conduct business throughout the year, but here are a few brief highlights of the March meetings on campus:

The Alumni Association Council has the responsibility of presenting the Alumni Awards that are given out during Reunion weekend. The applications are reviewed by a Council committee and a slate of nominees is then endorsed by the full Council during the March meeting. Come to Reunion Weekend to see who receives the prestigious honors this year!

The Council heard an update from Associate Professor of Religious Studies Henry Rietz '89 on the status of the College's reaccreditation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as reports on current campus issues and activities from the Student Government Association and the Student Alumni Association.

The Council participated in GRINNELLINK, a reception sponsored by the Career Development Office that gave students opportunities to meet alumni, network, and learn from their experiences.

The Council chose a new President-elect: Rob Killion '90. Sam Perlman '90 begins a one-year term as President of the Council in June 2008 when M. Leslie Stearns '87 steps into the role of immediate past President.

The Council and its Pioneer Fund Committee unanimously supported the Young Alumni Challenge to the twenty most recent classes (1988-2007), to increase the total number of donors in each class by twenty over the number in the past year, for a total of 400 new donors to the Pioneer Fund.

The Council nominated six new members to begin their first two-year terms in October 2008, while bidding adieu and thank you to five Council members who had completed their terms and were no longer eligible for membership.

New Alumni Association Council members: Mala Adiga '93; Mary Brooner '71; Theretha (Terry) Nelson Littlejohn '70; Kirpal Singh '97; Louellen Stedman '85; and Marc Bass '88.

Retiring Council members: Barry Huff '73; Michael Ison '93; Kino Ruth '79; Kartik Sheth '93; and Lisa van Sand '85.

If you'd like to read and review the complete minutes of the Alumni Association Council meetings, you can do so by clicking here.