Letter from the President

Dear Alumni:

Congratulations to the Class of 2002 and welcome to the Alumni Association. On the university's 30-year anniversary of becoming an independent institution, you are joining the association at a momentous and pivotal time.

As I reflect upon my tenure as Alumni Association president, I want to share with you our progress on the goals we set at the beginning of my term.

Our first goal was to develop and strengthen the active membership within the association by generating a clear path for involvement for those who desire leadership roles within the alumni and university community. Toward this goal, our board work has been refocused around five major committees that provide alumni an opportunity to get involved in activities that contribute to the university and advance our goals. The board has refocused its energy on identifying and cultivating future alumni leaders.

Our second goal was to develop a comprehensive communication plan to foster and strengthen communication between the alumni and the uni-versity, between the alumni and the community, and among the various alumni chapters. In response to this goal, we have launched MasonWire, an e-mail newsletter that provides a quick summary of what is happening at George Mason. To receive MasonWire, call the Alumni Affairs Office at (703) 993-8696 or send an e-mail request to [email protected].

The last goalembrace and encourage a spirit of giving back to the university in terms of support and fundingis even more important as George Mason University celebrates 30 years by kicking off our first comprehensive fund-raising campaign. This initiative seeks to raise $110 million in private support by June 2005. This is a historic moment for our university community, in which alumni can play a critical role. I challenge each of you, as alumni, to look for ways to contribute your talents and resources to help make The Campaign for George Mason University a success and to continue to help make George Mason a "great university." Learn more about the campaign by visiting www.campaign.gmu.edu.

I wish all of you continued success and much happiness in the future. Thank you again for allowing me to serve as your Alumni Association president. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Jim Laychak
B.S. Accounting and Decision Sciences '83
[email protected]