alumni news - Alumni - Truman State University

Alumni Volunteers AttendLeadership ConferenceAlumni volunteers returned tocampus for the Alumni LeadershipConference held duringHomecoming weekend on Oct. 26, 2007.The annual conference is open to allTruman alumni and provides workshopsand networking opportunities for bothnew and continuing alumni volunteers.The keynote speaker for the conferencewas Todd McCubbin (’93), executivedirector of the Mizzou Alumni Associationand associate vice chancellor for AlumniRelations at the University of Missouri.Workshops included Chapter Eventspresented by Eric Short (’92) and ErinLesczyski (’02); Training for TruView, theUniversity’s Web portal, presented byCindy Spiker (’93) and Gus Simmons(’99); and Scholarship Fundraisingpresented by Pat Thornton (’92) andDenise Smith (’79)."The Truman Alumni Association hosts theAlumni Leadership Conference to showalumni some of the volunteer opportunitiesthat are available at the University,"says Denise Smith, director of alumnirelations at Truman. "There are a varietyof ways for alumni to stay connected withtheir alma mater that range from levels ofhigh involvement, such as serving as achapter officer, to lower levels ofinvolvement, such as helping plan or hosta single alumni event. You can select thelevel of participation that best fits intoyour own schedule and still allows you tostay connected to your alma mater."Alumni attending the conference receivedcomplimentary breakfast and lunch and T-shirts courtesy of the Alumni Association.All alumni who are interested in becomingalumni volunteers are invited to attend thenext Alumni Leadership Conference onOct. 3, 2008. Alumni chapters and clubscan receive a limited number of stipendsto help cover travel expenses fordesignated representatives who attend theconference on behalf of the chapter/club.Watch for more details or contact DeniseSmith, director of alumni relations, (800)452-6678, (660) 785-4133,alumnievents@truman.edu.Alumni at the 2007 Alumni Leadership Conference.Front row, left to right: Carrie (Powell) Kleinsorge (’77, ’81), Janis (Allison) Keough (’75), Cindy (Barnes) Moeller (’86), Stacey(George) Sifton (’00), Claire (Sykes) Jepson (’73, ’87), Ginger (Nitti) Asher (’68), Nicole (Ragusa) Higgins (’95), and Jessica(Neighbors) Hill (’99). Middle row: Denise Smith (’79), Karol Hollingsworth, Eric Short (’92), Karen (Klingemann) Spencer (’89), JohnGadbois (’80), Jeannette (Toth) Harris (’71, ’78), Victor Childers (’55), Mike Wilson (’92), Cindy Spiker (’93), Erin Lesczynski (’02),Julie (Magruder) Lochbaum (’80), and Pat Thornton (’92). Back row: Gerald Hollingsworth (’67), Gus Simmons (’99), David Peppard(’80), Chandrika (Wilson) Collins (’04), Von Abbott (’79), Kent Donaldson (’90), Kurt Schulz (’90), and Steve Justice (’70, ’81).30 Truman Review

News from theAlumni BoardNew Member JoinsBoard of DirectorsJohn Mathis, a 1966 Truman graduate fromIrving, Texas, has been named to Truman’sAlumni Board of Directors. Mathisreplaces the expired term previously filledby Gerry (Toth) Ready (’70).Mathis has held many titles throughouthis professional career. He has lecturedat Texas Christian University, served asvice president ofsales/marketing/training atAlphaNational Technology Services,manager of the National EducationCenter of HBOC/McKesson Drug,regional sales manager at GAINSystems,a managing partner of ApplicationsBusiness Consulting Incorporated, andhas been employed by InternationalBusiness Machines Operations in variousmarketing, technical, and training roles.Kirksville ChapterChanges Name toNortheast MissouriChapterThe Alumni Board approved a requestfrom the Kirksville Alumni Chapter tochange the chapter’s name to theNortheast Missouri Alumni Chapter.The chapter has members from all overnortheast Missouri, and the new namereflects the chapter’s broadmembership. As of Oct. 26, 2007, thegroup officially became the NortheastMissouri Alumni Chapter.Alumni AssociationWelcomes NewestMembersUpon graduation all Truman studentsbecome members of the AlumniAssociation, and the University’sDecember 2007 graduates were treatedto a Graduation Pizza Party to welcomethem to the vast network of approximately50,000 Truman alumni livingaround the world. The graduates-to-bealso received alumni T-shirts courtesy ofthe Alumni Association.During the winter Commencementceremony on Dec. 15, 2007, JimCherrington (’85), president of theAlumni Association Board of Directors,welcomed the graduates to the AlumniAssociation.Truman alumnus Mike McClaskey (’85),vice president of EchoStarCommunications, gave theCommencement address to the 245students who received degrees at theceremony held in Pershing Arena.Alumni Travel Programto Italy This FallThe Alumni Association has partneredwith GoNext Inc. to offer a travelprogram to Italy Oct. 10-18, 2008, andall members of the Truman family areinvited to explore the Italian Riviera andTuscany in the company of fellow alumni,families, and friends. Cost is $1,349 forthe land program (plus an additional$1,299 for the airfare program) andincludes first-class accommodations forfour nights in San Remo and three nightsin Montecatini. For more informationcontact the Office of Advancement,(800) 452-6678, (660) 785-4133,alumnievents@truman.edu.Benefits of Being anAlumni ChapterMemberAn alumni chapter membership providesan opportunity to meet other Trumanalumni and families in the chapter regions,and members often receive discounts forchapter events.Those who will be traveling in 2008 canalso take advantage of hotel and carrentaldiscounts that can be usedthroughout the United States, andmembers receive discounts at themeparkssuch as Worlds of Fun/Oceans ofFun in Kansas City, Mo.; Six Flags in St.Louis, Mo.; and Adventureland in DesMoines, Iowa.Select Kirksville-area hotels offer specialdiscounts to chapter members, and someof the other chapter membership benefitsinclude two free passes to the UniversityRecreation Center (upon request),discounts on Truman clothing andmemorabilia at the University Bookstoreand Patty’s University Bookstore, andfree admission to many of Truman’s homeathletic events.All alumni, friends, and parents are invitedto join an alumni chapter: an annualmembership is $20 for a singlemembership, and $30 for a jointmembership, and alumni who havegraduated from Truman within the lastyear can join for half price.Truman’s 10 alumni chapters representthe following regions: Arizona; Chicago,Ill.; Colorado; Dallas, Texas; Iowa; KansasCity; Mid-Atlantic (Washington, D.C.area); Mid-Missouri; Northeast Missouri(formerly Kirksville Chapter); and St.Louis. Those who do not live in one ofthe chapter regions are invited to join thechapter of their choice so that they cantake advantage of the membershipbenefits. For more information on alumnichapters, contact Denise Smith, directorof alumni relations, (800) 452-6678 or(660) 785-4133, alumni@truman.edu. Joinonline at http://alumni.truman.edu/.Spring 2008 31

Events for Alumni & Friendsof the UniversityMark Your Calendarfor Homecoming2008Plan to return to campus Oct. 3-5, 2008,along with your family and friends tocelebrate the tradition of Homecomingwith a weekend of activities that rangefrom class reunions to athletic events.Class reunion celebrations will be held onSaturday, Oct. 4, 2008, in the StudentUnion Building for Golden Alumni(Classes of 1958 and all previous classes),Class of 1968, Class of 1978, Class of1983, Class of 1988, and Young Alumni(1998-2008). Members of the reunionclasses are encouraged to bring family andfriends to their Class Reunion Luncheon.If you missed your class reunioncelebration or have friends in any of thisyear’s reunion classes, you are welcometo attend a class reunion luncheon.Pricing for Homecoming events andadditional details will be available thissummer, and information will be postedat http://alumni.truman.edu/. If youwould like to volunteer to help out with aClass Reunion celebration or otherHomecoming events, please contactDenise Smith, director of alumni relations,(800) 452-6678 or (660) 785-4133,alumni@truman.edu.MAY14 Tempe, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Happy Hour/QuizNight at Rula Bula17 Blue Springs, Mo.Kansas City Alumni Chapter: 8th AnnualGolf and Scholarship Tournament at AdamsPointe Golf ClubJUNE6-8 Kirksville, Mo.Truman State University: Music AlumniReunion with Special Guest Dr. Tom Ritchie7 Scottsdale, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Wine/CheeseTasting at Kazimierz Wine Bar21 Des Moines, IowaIowa Alumni Chapter: Event with TrumanAlumni Association Board28 Kansas City, Mo.Kansas City/Mid-Missouri/NortheastMissouri/St. Louis Alumni Chapters: Tailgate& Baseball Outing, Royals vs. CardinalsJULY1 Urbandale, IowaIowa Alumni Chapter: All-Student Send-off7 St. Louis, Mo.Truman State University: Bulldog FootballGolf Classic at Lake Forest Country Club11 Kirksville, Mo.Northeast Missouri Area Alumni ChapterScholarship Golfapalooza at KirksvilleCountry Club19 Phoenix, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Pizza/Pagliai’sRonza Night19 Des Moines, IowaIowa Alumni Chapter: Iowa Cubs Game &Picnic20 Lombard, Ill.Chicago Alumni Chapter: Freshman Send-offat Lombard Community CenterAUGUST2 Dallas, TexasDallas Alumni Chapter Student Send-off3 St. Louis, Mo.St. Louis Alumni Chapter: Student Send-off8 Scottsdale, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Dinner/MovieNight at Farrelli’s Cinema Supper ClubSEPTEMBER1 Central IowaIowa Alumni Chapter: Wine-A-Palooza13 Kirksville, Mo.Truman State University: 1988 FootballReunion13 Central Phoenix, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: DiamondbacksBaseball GameOCTOBER3-5 Kirksville, Mo.Truman State University: Homecoming10-18ItalyTruman State University: Alumni TravelProgram to Italy12 Central Phoenix, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Race for the CureNOVEMBER7 Scottsdale, Ariz.Arizona Alumni Chapter: Wine/CheeseTasting at AZWINECOStay connected by bookmarking our calendar at http://alumni.truman.edu/AlumniEvent.asp.ALUMNI CHAPTERSArizona ChapterMichael Whitney (’94)(602) 549-9347trumanaz@yahoo.comChicago ChapterNicole (Ragusa) Higgins (’95)tsuchicago@yahoo.comColorado ChapterDenise Smith (’79)dlsmith@truman.eduDallas ChapterPatrick Fontana (’95)alumni@truman.eduIowa ChapterCindy Spiker (’93)tsuiowaalumni@yahoo.comKansas City ChapterMike Wilson (’92)kcalumni@truman.eduNortheast MissouriChapter (formerly Kirksvillechapter)Jim Bergman (’90)jim_bergman@chs.netMid-Atlantic ChapterLauren P. DeSantis–Then (’03)lauren.desantis@gmail.comMid-Missouri ChapterEllen (Hoelscher) McLain (’87)midmoalumni@truman.edumclaine@missouri.eduSt. Louis ChapterKurt Schulz (’90)314n1@charter.netALUMNI CLUBSFlorida ClubElaine Joggerst (’93)laineyj2@gmail.comHouston, Texas ClubJennifer (Roy) Mailhes (’94)jmailhes@houston.rr.comOmaha, Nebraska ClubDenise Smith (’79)dlsmith@truman.eduSpringfield, Missouri ClubCarrie (Powell) Kleinsorge (’77)(’81)ckleinsorge@logrog.netALUMNI RELATIONSDirector of Alumni RelationsDenise L. Smith (’79)(800) 452-6678(660) 785-4174dlsmith@truman.eduCoordinator of Alumni RelationsStacy Tucker-Potter (’02)(800) 452-6678(660) 785-4167stuckerpotter@truman.eduFor more alumni information visithttp://alumni.truman.edu32 Truman Review