As I begin my term as President of the Alumni Board of Directors, I am excited by the direction of our university and honored to serve as president of a board that is so passionate about a common cause, giving back to the university that we all love.
It’s a great time to be a Tennessee Vol! Under the forward-thinking leadership of President Boyd and Chancellor Plowman, UTK is reaching new heights. Enrollment continues to grow and student retention is at an all time high. Several academic programs have received national recognition for leadership and three new Colleges have been established. Last fiscal year donor contributions surpassed $300 million for the first time in history. UT is excelling in athletics, including our first National Championship in baseball, adding another level of excitement on and off campus. I had the opportunity to be in Omaha for the College World Series where the passion for the University of Tennessee was on full display. It was an incredible experience to be among alumni and fans with such strong loyalty and love for the university and the student athletes representing it. That Volunteer spirit is the foundation for the work of the Alumni Board of Directors. Members are successful leaders with vastly different life experiences who are all focused on giving back to the university that laid the groundwork for their own successes. I have served on the Alumni Board of Directors since 2019 and have witnessed the commitment of time and energy as well as the overwhelming generosity of this board as goals are set and exceeded. In the coming year, we will build on the ideas and goals of previous board members and develop and pursue our own. Priorities for the Alumni Board of Directors this coming year will include support of the Big Orange Give, UT’s annual day of giving. The board has a history of generous giving and contributed over $70,000 toward the Big Orange Give last year, creating dollar-for-dollar matches for other donors. Our goal will be to exceed last year’s contributions and achieve full board participation. We will have our work cut out for us!
Our second priority will be continued support of the UT LEAD program which was established to promote undergraduate success for first generation students. The board supports these students by offering mentorship and networking opportunities which provide guidance for classroom and life success. We will expand the Alumni Speaker Series to offer more lectures by board members for LEAD program students. The board will also continue funding the Vols Pay It Forward Alumni Scholarship Endowment, established by the Alumni Board to provide scholarships for first generation students.
Thirdly, the board will work to increase the interaction between it and our regional alumni chapters. Alumni engagement goals and successes on campus should be shared regionally and used to strengthen individual chapters. The Alumni Board connection. Our individual alumni chapters are essential in keeping alumni engaged across the country and the world. We must also keep those chapters engaged with the university. Alumni Board activities and priorities will continue to focus strongly on student engagement. Time spent with current students serves to keep our goals in focus and remind us of how bright the future is at the University of Tennessee. I believe if we engage students early with passionate alumni they realize the impact and are more likely to stay engaged as alumni. I look forward to working closely with the leadership of the university including Chief Alumni Officer Duane Wiles and his staff who are committed to the successful engagement of alumni and who work incredibly hard to ensure the success of the Alumni Board.
I appreciate the opportunity to lead the Alumni Board of Directors and I look forward to a productive year as we continue our work to advance the University of Tennessee, enrich the lives of students through alumni engagement and foster a culture of lifelong alumni engagement.
Go Vols!
Lisa Reed
