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

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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

Maya Houston (MBA ’99) Is New Director of Development
- By Ana Ferrell, Class of 2002

Maya Houston (MBA ’99), new Jones School director of development, teams up with Dean Gil Whitaker and Catherine Del Paggio, Rice University’s executive director of development, to complete the $87.5 million campaign for the Jones School. “The positive team experiences that we had as students can be recalled as we all work together to help the Jones School become recognized as a premiere business school,” comments Houston.

For all those students who had a brief chance to meet Maya Houston (MBA ’99) during the admission process last year, and later wondered where she went, here’s the latest: she is officially back as the director of development, and will take over the challenging task of fundraising that will contribute to making the Jones School one of the premier business schools in the country. For those students and alumni who have not yet met her, chances are you will have very soon as she implements an aggressive development plan.

This enthusiastic Jones School alumna is eager to tell alumni and friends about the many exciting projects going on at the school today and how they can be part of our “10 in 10” strategic plan. Houston believes that this is the right time to intensify development activities and increase awareness of the capital campaign. “We need to convey to alumni our new vision. We want to meet with them, get them excited, proud and eager to be part of the challenging goals we have for the Jones School.”

Ben Mayberry (MAcco ’76), former president of the Alumni Association and president of Jones School Partners, agrees. “I believe that if the alumni group provides the school the support it needs, both financially and in awareness, we will have a school that we are not only proud of, but that will be recognized nationally as a school of excellence.”

Houston’s primary responsibility will be to develop connections with alumni class leaders and school partners in order to plan and execute fundraising activities to meet the specific needs of the Jones School. “We will be holding alumni events in Houston and in some of the main Rice MBA populated areas, in order to get people involved with their class leaders and aware of the Jones School’s projects and opportunities for their participation,” she explains. Houston will serve as the facilitator as class leaders set goals and priorities and create action plans for raising the necessary funds for the Next Century Campaign goal of $87.5 million and increased participation in annual giving. In addition to overseeing coordination of these projects, she will organize alumni receptions with Dean Whitaker in an effort to bring alumni closer to strategic matters at the Jones School.

“I want alumni to feel that they’ve joined a family here. I want them to reunite through different projects. The positive team experiences that we had as students can be restored as we all work together to help the Jones School become recognized as a premiere business school.”

For the next two years, Houston will work with Dean Whitaker and Catherine Del Paggio, Rice University’s executive director of development, on the fund-raising goals for the Jones School:
• The new home of the Jones School, a building designed specifically for management education: $60 million
• Financial aid to attract a more diverse student body: $7.5 million
• New endowed professorships to increase the number of full- time faculty who lead their fields in scholarly achievement and teaching: $20 million

The Jones School is on its way to achieving these ambitious goals, thanks to the generosity of many alumni and community leaders, including a significant lead gift of $17.5 million from Robert McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, the city’s new football team, at the commencement of its capital campaign.

McNair explained his motivation for giving to the Jones School: “Rice University is one of the premier schools in the country, and it will only be a short time before the Jones School attains a similar stature among graduate business schools. The city of Houston and the entire southwestern United States will benefit from the contributions such premier graduate business schools can make to our business community. I am proud to assist the Jones School as it takes a giant step forward.”

The school has also enjoyed substantial corporate support from local companies such as Enron Corp., El Paso Energy, and Chase, among others. This financial support has further enhanced the school’s recruiting relationships with local companies as these businesses recruit increasing numbers of Jones School students to internships and full-time positions. Houston arrives at a time when the Jones School is actively seeking more alumni involvement. Under her leadership, a capital campaign will serve as an opportunity to bring alumni and the Jones School together to shape the future of the MBA program.

Innovative Move

Rice University recently restructured the Development Office to emphasize its focus on graduate programs. This allowed the Jones School to clarify its needs and campaign commitments. Dean Whitaker initiated this new development focus as part of the school’s “10 in 10” strategic plan and as a way to integrate the school’s developmental efforts with Rice University’s “The Next Century Campaign.” This university-wide campaign kicked off in September with a goal of $500 million in five years, of which $87.5 million will be raised by and for the Jones School. To date, Dean Whitaker and Catherine Del Paggio, Rice University’s executive director of development, have raised approximately $50 million. The goal is to reach the $87.5 million mark by June of 2001. This ambitious fundraising goal will be the short-term objective of Maya Houston, Jones School Director of Develoment.

According to Del Paggio, the long-term objective is to keep a close relationship with alumni and community leaders, in order to motivate them to contribute to on-going projects in the Jones School. “We want to maximize our reach through combining development and Alumni Association activities. We plan to develop events that will be key to connecting and gathering alumni and corporate leaders. That will allow us to add value and give them opportunities to be involved with the school.”

Ambassadors

Alumni are the best representatives of the Jones School. Many of these unofficial ambassadors contribute their invaluable time and energy to the Jones School by reconnecting class members, building networking opportunities, and coordinating fundraising efforts for specific projects and class gifts.

“The new building will be world-class and will enable the Jones School to take that next important step in its quest to be recognized as a ‘top ten’ school,” says Doug Foshee (MBA ’92), member of the Council of Overseers and president and C.E.O. of Nuevo Energy Company.

As the Jones School increases in quality and recognition, its MBA degree gains value in the market. “Rice is a very competitive environment in a positive sense. It was a lot of work, but it led to opportunities I never even dreamed of,” says Marc Zieger (MBA ’96), associate at Morgan Stanley in Zurich.

Maya Houston is a good example of the many alumni who have maintained close ties with the Jones School family. “When I came to Rice, I was looking for a portable MBA; I wanted a valuable degree that would be recognized anywhere. I believe that all of the projects we have in place at the Jones School today have already increased the value and portability of our MBA Program. And we have barely started! I am proud to be back and to be part of the ‘10 in 10’ efforts as we look to a bright future ahead.”