I think we all agree this last year has flown by and has certainly been filled with change. It seems like yesterday I made the move from planned giving director to heading up the fundraising efforts for athletics. Then in October 2008 Ermelinda Quintela decided to make a move to athletics as their Associate Athletic Director for Business and Finance. I was given the opportunity to step in to help the alumni association in addition to my role with athletic fundraising, a job made in heaven for me – alumni and athletics – no one should be this lucky.

Under Erma’s leadership along with our wonderful Association President Kevin Conroy ’92 ’99 and our executive council we have implemented a strategic plan, which includes the following goals:

• Increase Association membership and participation.
• Identify sources of revenue for the Association that benefit the university at large.
• Educate and build a stronger volunteer base for the Association.
• Increase visibility in the eyes of the university, affiliated organizations and the community.
• Build, promote and enhance traditions.

These goals, with the help of our board and most certainly our alumni, will be achieved.

I also wanted to share some important facts with you about our alumni. As some of you may know, U.S. News and World Report surveys the nation’s institutions of higher education as part of a yearly ranking announcement. The survey requests the following information from each institution, and I have included the figures for New Mexico State University:

• Number of undergraduate alumni of record: 57,603
• Number of undergraduate alumni of record solicited: 48,908
• Number of undergraduate alumni donors: 4,403

The NMSU Living the Vision Committee, our strategic planning group, also uses these numbers to measure and rank the NMSU Foundation from year-to-year. I am proud to report that our alumni participation has increased to 8 percent. Thank you for making this possible, and with your help we will continue to improve.

Don’t forget Homecoming Oct. 19-24, including reunions on Oct. 22 for the classes of 1949, 1959 and 1969. Thank you all for the opportunity to again be involved with the Alumni Association; I look forward to reconnecting with you.

Go Aggies!
Deborah Widger ’80 ’93
Executive Director