CBA experience provides inspiration for U.P. development challenge

As this issue goes to press, I will begin an exciting and challenging new phase of my development career at Northern Michigan University as director of fund development and operations. Each new initiative I undertake in my new position will build upon the exceptional experience I am privileged to have had with the faculty, staff, friends, and supporters of CMU's College of Business Administration.

During the past five years, I have seen significant positive growth and progress in development and alumni relations at the college.

Much of our success has been chronicled in each issue of Exchange, the magazine you are holding, which is mailed twice annually to more than 22,000 CBA alumni. Through collaboration and teamwork, the College of Business Administration and CMU's Public Relations and Marketing office have transformed this newsletter into an award-winning newsmagazine.

Exchange isn't the only place that we have been able to recognize the many CBA alumni who have succeeded in the world of business. In October we celebrated our second outstanding alumni awards reception. This formal celebration honors our highly accomplished graduates and their significant contributions to business, industry, country, community, and their alma mater.

Dialogue Days, Management Aspirations, and the Dow Corning Executive-in-Residence program also have demonstrated increasing alumni participation in CBA programs and services. Each year, we see more alumni return to campus to provide our students with real-world business perspectives and to enhance the outstanding academic rigor provided by some of the best and brightest CBA faculty members. Support staffs in the dean's office and the development area, including Cindy Howard, Nancy Worgess, and Melissa Stevens, each have helped make our college events the best they can be!

Most significantly, perhaps, from my development perspective, giving to CBA has grown substantially. This is a true indication of the growing involvement of alumni in the college's successes. Last year alone, more than $3 million was raised in support of CBA student scholarships, programs, and faculty research. The New Vision of Excellence Campaign has moved the college to new fund-raising levels, with more than $6.2 million already raised toward our goal. Nonetheless, we still have much work to do, and I am confident that our momentum will continue. Important needs drive our determination. The need for student scholarships has never been greater. The need to provide a state-of-the-art learning environment and technology for students competing for jobs in a challenging economic environment requires an even more significant commitment from the private sector than ever before.

My five years with CMU have been professionally and personally rewarding, and it is not without regret that I say goodbye to many amazingly talented colleagues across campus and wonderfully inspiring alums, faculty, and students. I hope I have left the College of Business Administration on a straighter course as I embark on my next professional adventure in the Upper Peninsula. With gratitude, I thank all the remarkable people I have been blessed to have help and encourage me along the way at this wonderful place to learn and grow ... Central Michigan University.

Amy Silk
CBA Director of Development