A WALK IN THE WOODS - University at Buffalo

alumninews“The vast majority of universities have chapterprograms in order to strengthen the bond withalums,” says Mike Jankowski, associate director inthe UB Office of Alumni Relations.Even so, chapters are also challenging to maintain,especially for a university of UB’s size. Spurredon by a variety of factors from budgets to volunteerleadership changes, the alumni office and the UBAlumni Association board of directors recently conductedan audit of chapter programs. The result wasa reorganization. “We studied the whole program tofigure out what was working and also what wasn’t,”Jankowski explains. “While everyone agreed thatchapters are a positive, we also wanted to focus onthose regions that had committed volunteer leadershipand were able to consistently provide qualityprogramming.”As a result, the program now has two tiers: chaptersand affiliates. Regions that met the criteria setforth during the audit retained their chapter status;those that didn’t have been reclassified as affiliates.Among other qualities, thoseAnyone interested in designated as chapters have a historyof solid and engaged leader-becoming involved with aship, as well as successful eventchapter or affiliate shouldplanning and implementation.contact Mike Jankowski atFurthermore, chapters are of strategicimportance to the universitymjankow@buffalo.edu or716-645-8713.because of their alumni populationor other factors. Affiliates, onthe other hand, may be new or in a rebuilding phase.Or they may need time to recruit volunteer leadershipand establish the presence required to be a fullfledgedchapter. “Volunteers in affiliate areas needto prove that they have skin in the game. Bringingalums together in their area has to be as important tothem as it is to us for it to work,” Jankowski says.“We’ll continue to work with each chapter andaffiliate to assist with alumni outreach and events,”Jankowski says. The intent, he adds, is to help chapterskeep their status and for affiliates to elevate tochapter status.ChaptersDallas/Ft. WorthDenverHoustonLos AngelesNew YorkPhoenixSan DiegoSouth FloridaWashington, D.C.Western New YorkPhiladelphia: on the wayto chapter statusOne affiliate that has gained majortraction in regaining its chapter statusis Philadelphia. Gary Jastrzab,BA ’76 & BA ’76, executive directorof the Philadelphia City PlanningCommission, had been ruminatingabout how to get more involvedwith UB and fellow alumni in thePhilly area. “Over the years, I wouldoccasionally run into other formerBuffalonians and UB graduates inPhiladelphia, and always enjoyedcomparing stories with them,” Jastrzabsays. “It seemed to me that,through the UBAA, there was a goodopportunity to establish a morepermanent Buffalo-Philadelphiaconnection here.”Erin Zack, UBAA associatedirector of affiliate programs andliaison to the Philadelphia chapter,struck up a friendship with Jastrzaband invited him to participate onthe UBAA board. “I got to knowGary because he often came to ourevents, and he always told me howmuch UB meant to him. I knew thatAffliliatesAlbanyAtlantaBaltimoreBostonCharlotteChicagoClevelandDetroitOrlandoPhiladelphiaRaleighRochesterSan FranciscoSeattleTampaUB EmployeeAlumni grouphe would be great for the board andto help move Philly back to [being]a chapter,” Zack says. Jastrzab nowsits on the board and is also a volunteerleader for the new Philadelphiaaffiliate.With Jastrzab’s involvement,the Philadelphia group has steadilyincreased engagement with areaalumni, holding several events thatrange from dinner and networkingto baseball games and winetastings.Meanwhile, Jastrzab hasbeen joined by three other alumnivolunteers to continue the group’smomentum. They are Jay Schwartzkopf,BS ’97, Amy Weiss, MA ’89,and Gene Trybulski, PhD ’74.“I’ve reached the point in mycareer where I have the motivationand opportunity to give somethingback to those who helped me getstarted on my life path,” says Jastrzab.“My UB experience meant somuch to me, and I’d like to supportand give back to the institution insome way.”A call for keepsakes!Have you kept mementos of your time as a UB student? Your eight-track player, a Fall Festticket stub, a favorite T-shirt? “Keepsakes” is the name of a new feature that we’ll run in subsequentissues. Send us a photo of your item with a brief explanation of what it means to you. If weselect it, we’ll contact you. Send photos and descriptions to lmaynard@buffalo.edu.48 UBTODAY Fall 2013 www.buffalo.edu/ubt