DATE: February 24, 2009

CONTACT: Elizabeth Milhous, 864-656-5671
milhou3@clemson.edu

WRITER: Angela Nixon, 864-656-0382
anixon@clemson.edu

Clemson restructures Young Alumni Council

CLEMSON — The Clemson Alumni Association has restructured its Young Alumni Council and elected new officers and representatives for the council.

The council now consists of three elected officers — president, past-president and president-elect — representatives from five regions where Clemson has large alumni bases and five at-large members. The five regions represented are Greenville, Charlotte, Columbia, Atlanta and Charleston.

The goal of restructuring is to get young alumni who have graduated from Clemson in the last 10 years more involved and connected to the university, said Elizabeth Milhous, director of outreach for Clemson’s alumni center.

“This is our fastest-growing alumni population, and the most powerful,” Milhous said. “We want to foster their relationship to the university so that as they grow older, they still have that strong connection to Clemson.”

“It is important for all alumni to remain connected to the university," said Young Alumni Council president Jonathan Tribo of Atlanta. "Typically there is a time period following graduation where alumni lose touch with Clemson. We want to make sure that young alumni are actively engaged and connected to Clemson from the beginning to make sure that they have a continuous and lifelong connection to Clemson.”

Tribo said the new council wants to see more activities planned for young alumni in the five main regions.

“In addition to working with the local groups, the Young Alumni Council is also planning to coordinate a national day of service for young alumni, a Come Back to Clemson weekend, and a closer involvement with the Student Alumni Council to allow for an easier transition for graduates as they move out into the 'real world,’” he said.
 
Newly elected officers are Tribo and president-elect Tigue Garick of Birmingham, Ala. Area representatives are Keaton Green of Atlanta; Kevin Harvel of Charlotte; Jim Storey of Greenville; Tory Watson of Columbia; and Michael Shuler of Charleston. At-large members are Matt Billwinkel of Columbia; Taylor Horton of Washington, D.C.; Tara McElroy of Charlotte; Ashley Felker of Charlotte; and Mary Kathryn Dempsey of Charleston.