Achiever Winter 1999 - UMUC Alumni Magazine

I am delighted and honored to have the opportunity to serve as your Alumni Association president in the coming year. Since my own graduation from UMUC in 1990, I have had many pleasant and rewarding experiences serving as an Alumni Association volunteer. I now look forward to working even more closely with an enthusiastic and imaginative board of directors to continue building and expanding alumni association activities in support of UMUC's mission.

UMUC has a dynamic new leadership team in place. We expect big and exciting changes in the coming years, and the Alumni Association will rise to the challenge of keeping UMUC in the forefront of continuing education for a lifetime of learning.

We are fortunate to have the support of so many alumni who are highly motivated and financially committed, and who strongly believe in UMUC's mission of providing quality academic programs, outstanding faculty, and user-friendly services to students worldwide.

UMUC's Alumni Association will continue to provide high-quality programs and oppor-tunities that make membership valuable and exciting-from career networking to low-cost insurance and credit card programs-while offering the opportunity to connect socially with fellow alumni.

Our long-term goals, which will provide new benefits and services for alumni, will also raise new revenues to sponsor programs and to support scholarships, and in turn will reinforce UMUC as a resource for lifelong learning. This will enable us to build on our current com-munity and government relationships at the local, state, and federal levels, resulting in increased support for UMUC and its programs. As we improve communication with alumni and the community at large, we will be empowered to expand and strengthen alumni networks and chapters worldwide.

In order to achieve these goals, we seek participation from our nearly 75,000 alumni in the United States and around the world. If you have an idea that will help us attain these goals, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@umuc.edu. We will be delighted to hear from you.

Alumni Association Board of Directors

1999-2000 OFFICERS

PRESIDENT
Mary Anne Hakes '90 Director of Physician Alliance Suburban Hospital

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Joseph V. Bowen Jr.
'84 & '95
Consultant

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI ANNUAL GIVING
Bruce A. Emmel '86
Program Manager
Caelum Research Corporation

VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS
Debra E. B. Young '88
Senior Systems Analyst Department of Commerce
Office of Acquisition Management

VICE PRESIDENT FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Patricia J. Toregas '84 & '91
Manager
Bell Atlantic

VICE PRESIDENT FOR GRADUATE RELATIONS
Floyd DesChamps '93
Professional Staff
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce

VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNDERGRADUATE RELATIONS
Elizabeth Scheffler
'80, '95, & '97
Associate Director of Administration
National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution

VICE PRESENT AT LARGE
Frank R. Kent III '91
Vice President of Corporate
Human Resources
CAIS Internet

PAST PRESIDENTS

1989-90
Brig. Gen. Edward A. Parnell '75
(U.S. Marine Corps Ret.)
Chairperson of Steering Committee

1990-92
Barry M. Chasen '76
Attorney
Chasen and Boscolo, Chartered

1992-93
Katherine Wellington '87
Field Director
Northwestern Mutual Life

1993-94
Richard F. Blewitt '73
President Rowan and Blewitt, Inc.

1994-95
David R. Kirby '84
President
David Kirby, Inc.

1995-96
Adele P. Lewis '87 & '93
Manager/Realtor
Coldwell Banker Stevens, Realtors

1996-97
Rosemary E. Gibson
'89 & '94
Executive Staff Assistant (Ret.)
Kaiser Permanente

1997-98
Lt. Gen. Emmett Paige Jr. '72
(U.S. Army Ret.)
President/Chief Operating Officer
OAO Corporation

1998-99
Janice H. Reilly '90
Career Transition Center Manager
Lee Hecht Harrison/Mobile

BOARD MEMBERS

Michael L. Bjerknes '97
Partner
I 3 Associates

Marian H. Bowser
'85 & '91
Special Assistant for Civilian Matters
U.S. Air Force Communications and Information

Sharon Campbell '93
Consultant
Bradson Corporation

Ruby M. Crichton '92
Administration Specialist
Department of Human Resources
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Elizabeth L. Durkee '85
Vice President
ANACOMP

Rhonda Gebicke '85
Manager, Minority Business Development
Potomac Electric Power Company

Nancy L. Gentry '91 & '99
Assistant Director, Client Relations
Professional and Workforce Development
University of Maryland University College

James W. Hubbard '89
Delegate, 23rd District
Maryland House of Delegates

Joan L. Johnson '91
Program Manager
State Scholarship Administration
Maryland Higher Education Commission

Susan J. Krause '87
Program Manager
Lucent Technologies

W. Thomas Lansford
'90 & '96
Systems Engineer
Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

Thomas J. Lockwood '95
ASN (RDA)
PEO Submarines

Betty M. Montgomery '86
Implementation Specialist
Office of Global Asccess Technology
Montgomery County Public Schools

Anthony P. Savia '98
Manager, Financial Services
Facilities Management
University of Maryland, College Park

Elinor Seidel '63
Assistant to the Chancellor (Ret.)
University of Maryland University College

Alan E. Small '80
Director of Administration,
MIS and Technology
Baltimore City Public Schools

Charles B. Watson '96
Senior Engineer
RWD Technologies

Ralph C. Young '93
Senior Program Analyst
National Reconnaissance Office

EX-OFFICIO REPRESENTATIVES

Mary Ann Spilman '97 (Faculty)
Director for Executive Management Programs
University of Maryland University College

Mary Ostrowski (Graduate Student)
Freelance Editor

Adelaide A. Lagnese (Faculty)
Director, Paralegal Studies
University of Maryland University College

Yevette Cashwell (Undergraduate Student)

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

James W. Cocke '59
James W. Cocke and Associates

Sgt. Maj. David R. Jones '99
(U.S. Army Ret.)

Alumni Association Honors Volunteers

At the Alumni Association's Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Reception-held in June at the Congressional Club in Washington, D.C.-alumni were praised for their volunteer efforts and continuous support of UMUC over the previous year.

One of the association's challenges during the past year was to help run the search and screening committee that selected UMUC's new president, Gerald A. Heeger. "We are proud of the contributions of our alumni in this effort," says Janice Reilly, departing Association president. Reilly presented certificates of appreciation and special trophies to Rich Blewitt '73, Barry Chasen '76, and Emmett Paige Jr. '72 for their roles on the search committee.

Distinguished Legislator Awards were also presented to Maryland state senators Arthur Dorman (District 21), and Patrick J. Hogan (District 39), and state delegate James W. Hubbard '89 (District 23), each of whom has been a proponent of education in the state legislature and has sought increased funding for UMUC.

The association bestowed Achiever awards on Cecilia Kullman '96, Joseph Page '60 and '63, and David Metzler '84 in recognition of their significant contributions above and beyond volunteer efforts in support of UMUC's mission. Achiever awards were also presented earlier in May 1999 to Brenda Mitchell '90 and Peter Fechter '89 at the Europe and Middle East Chapter alumni barbecue in Heidelberg.

The association's highest award, the Edward A. Parnell Outstanding Alumni Service Award (named for Edward Parnell '75, whose exemplary leadership set a high standard of exceptional dedication and volunteer service early in the life of the association), was presented to Pam Peseux '96. Peseux was recognized for her dedication to UMUC's International Management (IMAN) Alumni Chapter and innovative efforts to create quality and relevant professional development opportunities for alumni and students.

Reilly presented awards of appreciation to board members who had completed their terms of service. Outgoing board members included Charles Castle Jr. '70, Werner Fornos '65, David Hammel '92, Steven Novak '90; regional representatives Georgia Chapman '82, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Matthew Korbeck '75, Tempe, Arizona; Ron Mauritz '84, Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Gary Yunker '80, Atlanta, Georgia; and ex-officio members Tom Thompson, undergraduate faculty representative, and Patricia Fenati and Ruth Davis, student representatives.

Two New Benefits for Alumni

UMUC to Launch UMUC.Start Page

UMUC has contracted with MyPersonal.com, a California-based Internet company, to launch UMUC.Start, a personalized Web start page for alumni, students, faculty, and staff. MyPersonal.com specializes in creating and maintaining customized start pages for nonprofit associations, and currently has contracts with the alumni associations of universities like Stanford, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A start page is the page that a Web browser first accesses when a user connects to the Internet. (Within UMUC, for example, many employees use the Netscape Netcenter Web page or UMUC's home page as their start page.) UMUC.Start will feature news about UMUC, headline news, customized weather reports and stock quotes, and more. It will also offer links to commercial Web sites and allow users to sign up for Web-based e-mail with the UMUC domain name.

"UMUC.Start will reinforce our strong online presence and brand identity even after our students graduate," says Alice Skarda, assistant director, Alumni Relations. "It will enable alumni to stay connected no matter where they are in the world. Our contract with MyPersonal.com will help us develop a single, convenient place for alumni, students, staff, and faculty to go to access the community news, information resources, and commercial sites that are relevant to them."

A start page can be of significant benefit to the university as well, Skarda says. It can serve to remind users of what UMUC has to offer, should they wish, for example, to pursue professional training or graduate work. And by providing links to popular commercial Web sites, UMUC can generate supplemental funding on merchandise purchased by customers referred from UMUC.Start.

"We are very excited about working with an Internet-focused university like UMUC," says Douglas Fish, president of MyPersonal.com. "This partnership will empower a strong, online alumni community that is tailored to the unique needs of UMUC's alumni, students, staff, and faculty."

The start page will be available beginning in January 2000 at www.umucstart.com. Watch for more information on UMUC's Web site at www.umuc.edu.

Alumni Association Forms Partnership with GEICO Auto Insurance

The UMUC Alumni Association has teamed up with GEICO Preferred, a special program dedicated to providing insurance to members of the UMUC Alumni Association. Now, as a UMUC Alumni Association member, you may be eligible for an auto insurance discount in many states when you insure your car with GEICO. This member discount (8 percent in Virginia and Maryland; 10 percent in Washington, D.C.) is available to qualified members in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

GEICO Auto Insurance has been saving money for drivers for more than 60 years. Call 800-368-2734 to see how much you may save, and be sure to mention that you are a UMUC Alumni Association member. If you currently have a GEICO policy, be sure to identify yourself as a UMUC Alumni Association member to see if you are eligible for the member discount.

More information will be available soon on the Alumni Association home page at www.umuc.edu/alum.

Letter from the Alumni Association President

Alumni Association Board of Directors

Alumni Association Honors Volunteers

Two New Benefits for Alumni