Connections that Count: Volunteer Leaders Converge

"It’s hard to be humble when you’re from MIT." That message was emblazoned on a pillow displayed at an event at the Alumni Leadership Conference, Sept. 25-26. Jerry Appelstein ’80, chair of the William Barton Rogers Society, a leadership giving group, brought the pillow from his substantial collection of MIT memorabilia. In fact, he has a room in his New Jersey home full of MIT things. While the pillow always gets a laugh, Appelstein says he actually sees his fellow donors as humble granite pillars supporting the university.

Connections That Count was the ALC theme that drew more than 400 alumni and guests to share community-building skills and learn about volunteer opportunities, event planning, and marketing with social media. Missed ALC? You can still learn from the ALC presentations online.

The Association's annual awards were bestowed at a festive dinner. The top honor, the Bronze Beaver, went to Joseph G. Hadzima, Jr. ’73, SM ’77, a leader of the MIT Enterprise Forum and other entrepreneurial activities; Patrick J. McGovern, Jr. ’59, a life member of the Corporation and founder of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research; and Dana G. Mead PhD ’67, chairman of the MIT Corporation since 2003.

—View the 2009 ALC Media Gallery to see photos from the plenary and workshop sessions, the awards dinner, and more.

—Meet Lola Ball ’91, SM ’92 on video and find out why she’s kept coming back to ALC--10 times.