In my role as director of alumni relations, I am tasked with the role of establishing and enhancing opportunities for nearly 20,000 George Fox alumni to stay connected with the university. It is an incredible job in which I find a great deal of personal satisfaction. Since arriving two years ago, however, one thing has consistently nagged at me: how do we serve alumni of our various graduate programs? Largely due to our small staff, Alumni Relations has long focused the majority of its efforts on alumni of the traditional undergraduate program. Now, after significant discussion by the Alumni Board, Alumni Relations team, and numerous faculty members, momentum is building, with this e-newsletter being the one of the first outcomes.
Much of the credit for the creation of the George Fox Evangelical Seminary Alumni eNews goes to new Dean Chuck Conniry. Since assuming the role of dean in summer 2008, he has shared his vision for reconnecting alumni to the Seminary and the incredible ways that it continues to train students to serve Jesus in the world. Whether you are an alumnus from the earliest days of Western Evangelical Seminary (WES) in Jennings Lodge or a more recent graduate from the George Fox Portland Center, we are committed to helping you stay connected to your Seminary. I am so thankful for the leadership that Dr. Conniry has given to this project.
I believe that this newsletter is foundational to an ongoing connection between you and your alma mater. It is my hope that in this newsletter you will find interesting information about Seminary programs, upcoming events, faculty news, and other key university announcements. Hopefully, you will also discover a variety of opportunities to reengage with your former faculty members and classmates, and other ways to reconnect with and support the Seminary and university.
I encourage you to reconnect with George Fox: read this newsletter, send an email to a favorite faculty member, attend an event, or find some other way to get involved.
God’s peace for 2009!
Robby Larson
Director of Alumni Relations
rlarson@georgefox.edu