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

President's Letter

George Walker (MBA ’96) became president of the board in August 2000. His goal is for all alumni to strengthen their ties and remain involved with the Jones School. “As you’ll remember from your days at the Jones School, giving students an opportunity to meet alumni and learn more about careers and industries that interest them is one of the best ways to stay involved.”

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I would like to introduce myself. My name is George Walker. I graduated from the Jones School in 1996, joined the alumni board in 1999, and became president of the board in August 2000.

The alumni board is working to provide greater opportunities for all alumni to strengthen their ties and remain involved with the university. Our efforts to support this goal began this fall when we participated in the annual Career Fair and the Mock Interview events. As you’ll remember from your days at the Jones School, these events give students an opportunity to meet alumni and learn more about careers and industries that interest them.

I want to highlight three activities that we are sponsoring in the spring of 2001: Area Group Meetings, the All Class Reunion Weekend, and the Jones Leaders Program. Brian Emerson (MBA’96) leads our Area Groups Committee. This group has held events in Austin, Chicago, and New York and is planning to host gatherings in New York, New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in the spring. Bob McKenna (MBA’92) in Austin and Charles Geoly (MBA’92) in San Francisco have joined the board this year to assist in this effort to reach out beyond our Houston base. For more information on area events, please contact Brian Emerson at emersonb@aol.com.

Mark your calendars for March 2 and 3 for our Second Annual All Class Reunion Weekend! This weekend provides a wonderful opportunity to catch up with former classmates and Jones School professors. Reunion Weekend includes Alumni College on Saturday March 3 featuring interactive lectures on current business topics from Randy Batsell, Barbara Ostdiek, Ed Williams, and Duane Windsor. At Saturday’s lunch Dean Whitaker will discuss the new building and the direction of the Jones School. The weekend will conclude on Saturday night with the Alumni Dinner, which is returning to the Petroleum Club in downtown Houston. If you think your company would like to increase its exposure to the Jones School community by sponsoring the reunion, please contact Deanna Sheaffer at 713-348-6222 or via email at jgsalum@rice.edu.

The board is launching a major initiative this spring with the Jones Leaders. The Jones Leaders will provide a formal opportunity for alumni to participate with the Jones School. This spring this group will assist the School in recruiting the most sought after MBA candidates. More information on this group will be forthcoming and we will have a kickoff event early in 2001.

Finally, I would like to encourage all of you to e-mail your thoughts and suggestions on how the Jones Graduate School Alumni Association can continue to work for the alumni. My e-mail address is gwalker@mac.com.

Sincerely yours,

George Walker
President, JGSAA