Welcome, University of Miami Alumni!

Donna ArbideIt is my pleasure to welcome you to the University of Miami Alumni Association (UMAA). Since 1930, the UMAA has been proud to welcome each and every graduate as a lifetime member and to keep all of our alumni connected with the University.

This year your University of Miami Alumni Association continued to expand its global outreach, improve its national programs, and maintain a solid alumni participation rate despite a difficult economy. These are all strong accomplishments that will indelibly shape and define our future.

Your UM Alumni Association expanded international alumni outreach through receptions in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, and the United Kingdom and hosted various national programming events, including the Kirby Hocutt National Tour, which introduced our new athletic director to five key markets.

The UM Alumni Association also brought several distinguished speakers to alumni audiences this year, including Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado magazine publisher Marvin Shanken, B.B.A. ’65, and debuted an exclusive sneak peek of the movie Lovely, Still to an alumni audience before its theater release.

We increased outreach to “young alumni” by offering them a special discount at this year’s Alumni Avenue and hosting the second annual Young Alumni Giving Rally to encourage Annual Fund participation. We also increased alumni faculty participation in the UM Alumni Association with the addition of two faculty representatives to the Alumni Board of Directors.

The UM Alumni Association garnered a Special Merit award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District III for the Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center groundbreaking event, held in January 2008. As construction quickly moves forward on the new center, we are now a few steps closer to our fall 2010 building dedication.

While many of our peer institutions experienced a decline in participation numbers due to the economy, we are proud to report that the UM Alumni Association was able to end the fiscal year with a 17.33 percent alumni participation rate, bringing in a total of $5.6 million in alumni Annual Fund revenue to support institutional needs such as student scholarships and fellowships.

Thanks to your help, our efforts reached the highest-ever number of University of Miami graduates, soonto- be graduates, and family and friends through national outreach programs, engaging activities, and various volunteer opportunities. Our membership grew to 153,275 living alumni, an increase of 3,275 from last year, in a total of 50 states and 148 foreign countries.

This year we made great strides in many respects. We thank you for your continued support of the University of Miami and your Alumni Association. We look forward to another great year.

For the University of Miami,

Donna A. Arbide, M.B.A. '95
Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund and
Executive Director of the University of Miami Alumni Association