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Alumni

New Alumni Board Chair Focuses On Outreach, Campaign

As the incoming Alumni Board chair, Ken Malcolmson ’74 says “participation and the many forms that takes, from attending events to supporting The Second Century Campaign” is the Alumni Board’s focus.

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Ken Malcolmson

For Ken Malcolmson ’74, the friendships forged at SMU were an important part of his education. “There are all these units of connection between students – like Greek life and campus activities – that create a lasting bond,” he says.

That bonding doesn’t stop with graduation, Malcolmson says. It continues through events that promote alumni interaction and involvement with their alma mater.
Malcolmson, who majored in political science, has carved out a successful career in the health-benefits industry. He is CEO of Humana’s West Central Region, which encompasses Texas, Colorado and Utah. With an office in Dallas, he takes advantage of opportunities to stay in touch with his fellow Mustangs. “The best part of being an alumnus is the opportunity to network with a cross section of alumni of all ages,” he says.

As the incoming Alumni Board chair, Malcolmson says “participation and the many forms that takes, from attending get-togethers to supporting The Second Century Campaign” is the Alumni Board’s focus. “We’re the visible champions of the University to the alumni community.”

The board has established three committees charged with fortifying the links between alumni and SMU:

  • Regional Outreach. The committee has worked with leadership teams to establish chapters in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Chapters host at least four events a year, and “we’re looking at ways alumni can be more involved in student recruitment, which is something we had gotten away from in the past few years,” Malcolmson says.
  • Campus Outreach. Finding “ways to engage our huge contingent of local alumni” is the committee’s mission. In addition to promoting such signature events as the Distinguished Alumni Awards banquet and reunions, the group is establishing new traditions, such as the Red-Blue Game picnic in April, “which we hope will grow in the coming years to replicate the Boulevard experience in the spring.”
  • 25/50 and Revenue Generation Committee. The committee identifies and implements the most effective tools for boosting alumni giving. “We do an excellent job of alumni-to-alumni solicitation during reunion years, and we’re trying to find ways to inspire alumni to participate in their non-reunion years,” Malcolmson says.
    The Second Century Campaign has identified alumni giving as integral to its success. The Alumni Board has been presented with the challenge to increase the annual alumni giving participation rate to 25 percent, with a goal of having 50 percent of alumni contribute over the life of the campaign. “Higher alumni participation rates translate into higher rankings of institutions of higher learning,” he says. “There’s been a positive trend in giving, and we want to build on that momentum. Gifts of all sizes are important to the University.”

Malcolmson views his next two years as chair as “an honor. With our outstanding students and faculty, the transformation of our physical plant and footprint, and the potential for a great athletics program, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of SMU.”

For more information, contact Alumni Relations at 214-768-ALUM (2586) or smualum@smu.edu, or visit smu.edu/alumni.

Alumni Board
Nominations for the 2010 SMU Alumni Board will be accepted through Dec. 31. Alumni may nominate fellow alumni or themselves. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 214-768-2586 or e-mail smualum@smu.edu.

Alumni Board

CHAIR Ken Malcolmson ’74
PAST CHAIR Connie Blass O’Neill ’77
MEMBERS Brad Adams ’93, Chris Ainsworth ’94, Vincent Battles ’06, John R. Bauer ’66,
Shonn Evans Brown ’95, Robert Cabes Jr. ’91, Stephen A. Corley ’90, Kim Twining Hanrahan
’92, Harriet Hopkins Holleman ’63, Ruth Irwin Kupchynsky ’80, Doug Linneman ’99,
Tamara Marinkovic ’91, Robert Massad ’67, Susie Jay McCormack ’77, Robert Mills ’57,
Jamie McComisky Moore ’85, Dennis E. Murphree ’69, Mark A. Robertson ’85, Scott Rozzell ’71, Lisa Holm Sabin ’78, Jesusita Santillan ’06, David Schmidt ’79, Deborah Hurst Sirchio ’70, Laura Staub Pusateri ’01, J. Jeffrey Thrall ’71, Jeffrey Ziegler ’84

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