From the secretary’s perspective, it’s my goal to ensure that we’re communicating properly and effectively to our members.  In order to do so, we’re embarking on an effort to maintain a proper “database” for our members and their contact information.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve gone through an auditing and scrubbing process, aggregating and filtering alumni lists and information from the Penn State Alumni Association as well as our records in Penn State’s listserv system.  At this point, we now have the most up to date list possible with what data we’ve been able to gather.

Here’s some of the statistics:

• 65% of our alumni have a record with the Penn State Alumni Association
  
• 64% of our alumni have a valid mailing address
  
• 57% of our alumni have a valid email address
  

My goal over the next year will be to increase these percentages, especially for email addresses.  In addition, I’d like to also make sure that this data is not only complete, but also correct.  Of course, this is a voluntary basis, so only those who wish to be in our records will be there.  Here’s what we’re going to do to make sure that this happens

1.       I have created an online form that all alumni can reach out to in case of any change.  The website address is: goo.gl/uZy0L .  I will begin to market this form so everyone knows it’s out there for them at any time.

2.       We will also be looking to identify “class captains”  that can help us reach out to all of you in the right ways.  It’s much easier for each class to keep each other informed amongst a group of 15, as opposed to a group of 700+.  If you are interested in becoming a class captain, please reach out to Caitlin Zankowski at caitlin.zankowski@gmail.com

3.       Finally, we’re also making strides in social media as well.  We have a secret group in Facebook, as well as a private group in LinkedIn.  To join our facebook group, please contact Trevor Tom at trevor.tom@gmail.com.  To join our linkedIn group, go to this link and request to join: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=132423&trk=hb_side_g.

Overall, I’m looking to find opportunities to better serve our alumni.  I’d like to be able to leverage social media (Facebook and LinkedIn) to more dynamically connect our alumni in ways that emails cannot accomplish.  I’d also like to make sure that when we do send out a communication via email, that it reaches all of our alumni that wish to be in the loop.  The first step in all of this is to ensure that our communication channels are complete and correct – I appreciate all your engagement in this as we move forward.

There are a few updates to the events that will be happening in our society.  Here they are:

Event 1
Place is here
8:00AM - 9:30AM EST
Come dressy casual

Event 2
Place is there
10:00AM - Noon EST

I am writing you for the first time as the President of the Lion’s Paw AIG and I am very excited to serve you in this role.  Mike Conti (’79) has done a tremendous job for Lion’s Paw over the past two years and I am proud to take the helm from him as we are already on course for an excellent year!

First I would like to welcome and introduce our board officers who became official on July 1: Vice President Don Klein (’66), Secretary Sara Woods (’96), and Advisor to the Board Mike Conti.  We will all be serving two-year terms in our current positions and look forward to leading Lion’s Paw into the future.  To get our feet on the ground, the four of us got together in Philadelphia in August for the first ‘annual’ LP Executive Board Retreat.  We spent the day transitioning duties, defining our roles and responsibilities, and getting organized.  We are making some very positive changes to the structure of the board and our committees, and I am excited to see them come to reality now that the year is underway.

Here are some of the reasons why you should continue to be proud of Lion’s Paw…

Thanks to your generous contributions to our endowment, we are for the first time in a position to offer scholarships to members of the active class!  LP2K5 will receive scholarships this fall and we expect the scholarship program to grow and become more defined in the future.

When is the last time you visited 419 Old Main?  Our room is changing, and it is for the better.  Aimee LaPointe Terosky (’95) and Kat Foley (’05) are chairing the renovation efforts and we are really seeing the results… new carpet, new furniture, a fresh coat of paint, and the reorganization and discovery of some lost treasures!  Please stop by before the Homecoming or Blue/White weekend board meetings and have a look yourself – you’ll be amazed!

When Edward R. Hintz, Jr. (’59), chair of the Penn State Board of Trustees, addressed LP at our 95th anniversary reunion celebration in 2003, he challenged us to examine University traditions a bit closer.  I am proud to say that Lion’s Paw and especially LP2K4 responded to the challenge by resurrecting a nearly forgotten tradition with a moving ceremony to name President Graham Spanier ‘Prexy’.   President Spanier was named Prexy over the Blue/White weekend this past Spring.   

Although we still have a few years before LP 100th Anniversary Reunion occurs, we are excited to begin planning for this extravaganza.  Stay tuned for more information!

As much as ever, our executive board remains dedicated to this group and open to your feedback and suggestions.  If you have ideas on how to make Lion’s Paw even better – please let me know!

May It Ever Rest,
Jeff