From Alumni Association President, Troy Sims

Fellow Alums,

At our last Board of Directors meeting, we elected a new group of officers. They are as follows:

• President - Troy Sims
• Vice President - Juliana Williams
• Treasurer - Carin Thompson
• Secretary - Paige Furr
  

We want to thank the last group of officers for all of their hard work over the past year and a half. Without all of their effort, we would not be where we are as an organization. Their energy and effort resulted in one of the most successful Holiday parties ever and ignited the fire that will sustain this organization in the future.

Speaking of the future, let me tell you where we are headed -- we are going back to basics. This organization's mission is to facilitate the growth of a network of former students to support each other and our alma mater. With that mission in mind, we are moving forward with initiatives that will help the organization become more focused, cohesive and effective. We are not going to  reinvent the wheel. We are going to make sure that the wheel is greased and rolling in the right direction for our current and future members.

First, we are going to focus inward. To successfully execute the mission of our organization, we have to build a strong foundation of active and enthusiastic alumni. That doesn't mean just here in Dallas. We have successful alumni at every corner of this planet. Our school consistently sends more talented folks into the world to share their gifts. The same synergy that we all felt in school can be replicated wherever we gather.

Here in Dallas, we will facilitate networking and social events to help us get reacquainted with each other. We will work with the school to open up opportunities for local alums to interact with the current students. Don't worry, the majority of these events will be free of charge and we won't be begging for money. Instead of focusing on raising money for the sake of raising money, we are going to work on getting local alumni engaged and invested in the school again.

For our members that are not local, we are committed to supporting efforts to organize events in your area to help you find others who are around you and to welcome those who are moving to your area. I'm sure that the memory of moving to a different city, attending a new school, and getting out into the working world is still as fresh in your mind now as it was when it happened. One of the most important works of outreach that this group can do is to help our new members in their transition from high school to the real world of college or the workforce in a strange city.

While these initiatives are simple in their scope, they will only be as successful as we - as an organization - make them. For some months now, we have had the same handful of folks doing most of the heavy-lifting of this organization. I can't begin to tell you how valueable their work has been. However, I think that it's time that we give them a vacation. We need an infusion of fresh ideas and bodies to keep us relevant and innovative.

I know from talking to many of you that you want to be involved, but you just don't know where to start. Remember that the members, not the officers, make-up this organization. I encourage each of you to visit http://www.artsalumni.org and sign up for the discussion groups and put your ideas out there. We also have a Facebook group where you can post your thoughts and feedback. We have worked very hard to resolve of the past issues with the organization so that we can be focused on making this a group that truly belongs to the membership. We need all of your innovation and experience to achieve our mission.

I am truly excited about this new chapter in the story of our organization! We have weathered the storm and we have emerged as a stronger, more cohesive and organized group. We don't want to lose this momentum, we need your passion and participation to make this organization worthy of being to official alumni association of the most unique school in Dallas!

Thanks for your time. I speak for the entire board of directors when I say that we are here to support you in your efforts to help each other. Our e-mail boxes are always open. Please use them!

Sincerely,

Troy Sims '96
President, Arts Magnet Alumni Association