Jones Journal -- Alumni Magazine of the Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University

Please send comments to:
Deanna Sheaffer, Editor
Director of Alumni Affairs
Jones School of Management - MS 531 Rice University
P.O. Box 1892
Houston TX 77251-1892
e-mail:JGSalum@rice.edu

Dear Fellow Alumni:

George Walker, MBA '96 JGSAA President

The Jones School Alumni Board has worked during the past year to extend the reach of the school and provide additional opportunities for alumni to continue their involvement with the school.

Before I discuss how we have acted on this goal this year, I would like to extend my congratulations to the 2001 graduating class. They are the largest class to graduate from the Jones School and represent an important step for the school as we seek to grow and become one of the top 10 schools by 2010. It is great to see our alumni numbers growing so rapidly.

One of the most important activities of the Alumni Board is the All Class Reunion Weekend. Highlights of the weekend included a kickoff cocktail party catered by Churrascos, Alumni College, a lunch discussion regarding the future of the Jones School with Dean Whitaker, and the 25th Annual Alumni Dinner on Saturday evening. Jim Kollaer, President of the Greater Houston Partnership, was the featured speaker. He shared with us Houston’s plans to attract major corporations to Houston and illustrated the nature of his job by demonstrating his juggling abilities. I want to thank all of current and past professors who made Alumni College an exciting day including Randy Batsell, Ed Williams, Duane Windsor, George Greanias, Steve Currall, Lisa Klein, Doug Schuler, James Weston, and Barbara Ostdiek. Several alums remarked how fun it was to become reacquainted with past professors. Mary Bourne-Marth chose a different track and took the opportunity to attend Ed Williams’ class because she never had the opportunity to take his entrepreneurship classes while at Rice.
Fellow alums often asked me during the weekend how they could increase their participation with the school. My answer to these alums and all alumni is a new program that the Alumni Board launched this year called the Jones Leaders. The Jones Leaders is an organization we started with the school this year to harness the power and energy of alumni to assist the school. This spring, 20 founding members joined together to assist the school in recruiting the some of the most qualified MBA applicants in the United States. We believe that hearing first hand from Jones School alumni about their experience with the program and the opportunities available to a Jones School graduate will be a great assist to both the applicant and the school.

I want to specially thank Bernie Fields (MBA ’93) and Dave Van Horn (MBA ’00) for organizing the Jones Leaders. Maury Bronstein (MBA ’97) was selected by the Jones Leaders to be their liaison with the JGSAA Board and has done a terrific job for the inaugural events. Next year we intend to increase the activities and the membership of the Jones Leaders. If you would like to join the Jones Leaders, please contact Deanna Sheaffer (MBA ’96) for more information.
Finally, I want to thank Bill Windle (MBA ’93), Caroline Caskey (MBA ’92), Eric Nielson (MBA ’93) and Mary Bourne-Marth (MBA ’87) for their service to the JGSAA Board and Rice. Each has served on the board for a number of years and their efforts have made great contributions toward the success of the board.

My role with the board will also be changing as my term as president expires this summer. Bryan Emerson will succeed me as president. He has served as the JGSAA Board secretary for the last two years and has also been very involved with the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship. He brings unstoppable energy and enthusiasm to the job.

Have a great summer!

Sincerely yours,

George Walker
President, JGSAA