The First Annual Alumni Kickoff Event
Alumni of the Gerald P. Buccino ’63 Center for Leadership Development came together to celebrate the success of the Leadership Program and reunite with their Leadership family.
Written by: Deane Franco
On Thursday November 5th, The Gerald P Buccino ’63 Center for Leadership Development held its first annual Alumni Kickoff Event with the goal of bringing the alumni base back to campus to reengage and support active alumni participation as well as alumni appreciation. With the Buccino Center’s new ranking as the #1 educational leadership program in the nation, the Center is looking to continue elevating all aspects of its program, celebrating with its Alumni base at the heart.
The Buccino Center Alumni Initiative got to work over the summer and formed an Alumni Board of Directors that would oversee and plan out the mission of Alumni Engagement. At the 2015 Alumni Kickoff Event, the Alumni Board pitched their engagement platform to the team.
The Event was highlighted with strong attendance, including 25% of the alumni network, plus the Buccino Center’s 2016 graduating Senior Class all mingling and reigniting the fire of family. The evening consisted of both time for mingling and time for business. The Buccino Center’s Leadership Program forms a strong bond amongst its members no matter the class year. This was notably seen on Thursday when Alumni from the class of 1999 all the way to current 2016 Senior’s came together. This was the first time in the Center’s history that all class years celebrated the accomplishments of the program together. It was a big step in program history.
The Business portion of the event began with the presentation of new accomplishments by Program Director Mike Reuter. He discussed how the Buccino Center earned its number one ranking and how it will maintain its excellence with the help of the new Alumni Initiative. The Alumni Program consists of three facets: Social, Speakers and Connections, all of which have the option to “give” or to “get”. The Board members put an emphasis on the “get” portion of the program because it feels that the Center has reached a time in its life where it can really focus on giving back to those who helped build the program to where it is today. Social events will include leadership family bonding events where the program will offer alumni the opportunity to reconnect and get to know current students. All speaker events have the primary focus of extended learning, and now all Alumni are invited to attend speaker events, along with the option of volunteering to be a speaker. The connections portion of the Alumni Program focuses on increasing the Center’s network so that Alumni can both help build and benefit from the strong professional network the Center has accumulated over the years.
The Alumni Board of Directors knew it would be a challenge trying to reignite an active alumni base, but the tremendous showing at Thursday’s event shows a bright and dedicated future. With the newfound engagement committees, alumni have a clear understanding of how they can give and receive no matter their position or distance. The team is scheduled to meet again in the near future to enjoy a Seton Hall Men’s Basketball game at the Prudential Center as a family, and another excellent turn out is expected.
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