Alumni Board President’s Corner
It’s easy to get involved: just visit www.gsm.ucdavis.edu/getinvolved. Make a commitment to re-engage or step up your involvement with the School. Take time to visit Gallagher Hall or the new homes of the Sacramento and Bay Area Working Professional MBA Programs. See firsthand what you’ve helped build. You will see the future, and it is great. Best regards,
John Argo ’04 President, Graduate School of Management Alumni Association john.argo @ gmail.com
G raduat e S c h oo l o f M anag e m e n t A l umn i A ssoc i at i on B oard o f D i r e c t ors 2 0 0 9
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he Graduate School of Management is going through a remarkable time of change that is creating great opportunities. The opening of Gallagher Hall as part of the new front door to campus in many respects represents what the School has become: a jewel at UC Davis, a dynamic hub for business and entrepreneurship in the Sacramento region, and a business school on the rise nationally and internationally. Dean Currall has joined a business school community with a strong foundation and tremendous potential. World-class students and faculty, new facilities and the ever-growing collective power of our alumni network to make a difference, combine to give Dean Currall a launch pad to lift the Graduate School of Management to greater heights. You are key to this effort. GSM graduates now number more than 2,400 — about 70 percent living and working in Northern California. Our influence, involvement and continued engagement with the School are critical to its future success. There are many ways you can stay involved, become more connected and give back. First, the Alumni Association and School recognize that what draws alumni together more than social events are making them “social with meaning.” To accommodate that, the School’s major events are open to all alumni and include more networking time. When you attend these events, you demonstrate our commitment and accomplishments as alumni, and strengthen and expand our network by meeting fellow alumni, students, Business Partners and other invited executives. Next, it’s important to stay current. Read the monthly Alumni @ ccelerator e-newsletter to stay informed. Keep your contact and employment information up to date in the Alumni Online Directory (www.gsm.ucdavis.edu/Alumni/ Directory), and join the School’s group on LinkedIn, which now has more than 1,100 members. We’re also establishing LinkedIn subgroups to strengthen connections among alumni around specific interest areas such as finance, marketing, technology management, or social/personal interests and activities. Let me know what groups you would like to see. Ultimately, giving back to your network is critical. Contributions to the GSM Annual Fund support alumni activities and student programs, bring exceptional speakers to campus, provide classroom enhancements and assist in attracting the highest-caliber students and faculty. Your donation has a direct impact on the School’s international reputation, visibility and rankings. In fact, more non-alumni contribute when they see a high level of alumni giving. You can also contribute your energy, expertise and time to programs such as the Big Bang! Business Plan Competition, Career Services’ Mock Interviews and Shadow Day, or MBA admissions by sharing your experience with the next generation of MBA students.
John Argo ‘04 GSMAA President Director, Energy Projects & Finance Octus Energy (916) 995-5414 john.argo @ gmail.com
Randall Fairchild ‘98 Teacher/College Instructor Florin High School/ DeVry University (916) 284-3827 rstarrfairchild @ gmail.com
Yvette Hatton ‘06 Product Manager Wells Fargo & Company (510) 965-2697 yhatton @ gmail.com
Brian Hoblit ‘07 GSMAA Vice President–Operations Financial Analyst Wells Fargo & Company (916) 501-7139 brian.hoblit @ gmail.com
Marina Hilborn Johansen ‘04 Principal Consultant Resolution (530) 220-2606 marinajo @ hotmail.com
Osman Mohammed ‘03 Technical Program Manager Intel Corporation (916) 799-5596 mohammed.osman @ intel.com
Bill Rhyne ‘95 Visiting Faculty Keuka College, BS Management China Program (510) 219-5934 bill_rhyne @ yahoo.com
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