A Message from Alumni Board
President Jan Gollins '72
"Staying Connected for Life"

John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

When I graduated from Moravian, I always felt in my heart that someday I’d be back. In truth, I never left. A part of me always remained right here at Moravian. What I didn’t know, however, was that it would take 25 years for me to actually make my return journey. The journey started when I said yes to serving as the chairman for my 25th reunion and has continued over the past seven years during my tenure as an Alumni Board member. My years of service have provided a great opportunity to re-connect with my classmates, faculty members, and administrators. As president of the Alumni Board, I have also enjoyed establishing new friendships with the students and trustees that I am certain will last a lifetime.

Continuing to build on the work of my most recent predecessors, Connie Stirling Hodson ’68, Jeanne Taccarino Guaraldo ’69, and Candy Barr Heimbach ’79, I have worked with the Alumni Board to launch a new five-year strategic plan. Pointing toward a new direction and a new look for the future, our plan is all about building a lifelong relationship with Moravian College and staying connected.

Our mission is simply to continuously build and strengthen the Moravian College alumni community based on values that are deeply rooted in Moravian’s heritage and tradition and to perpetuate the spirit of Moravian for future generations.

One of our primary goals is to support the College’s vision of being recognized among the top 100 liberal arts baccalaureate institutions in the nation. Highlighting alumni achievement is an important tool to help strengthen the image, perception, and value of a Moravian College education. Both an increase in College magazine profiles and our new Alumni Association Awards Ceremony have provided excellent tools for recognizing our alumni. We invite you to attend our awards ceremony on October 24 to help us pay tribute to our 2003 Comenius, Benigna Education, Haupert Humanitarian, and Young Alumni Awards recipients.

The Alumni Board will also emphasize to the campus community the value of involving alumni in all areas of campus life, especially in career mentoring and in student development. Regional programs continue to be important for social, educational, and networking opportunities, and we invite you to help us reorganize both the Lehigh Valley Home Club and the New York Area Alumni Club. Lehigh Valley alumni, please mark your calendars for an exclusive inaugural alumni event at the Moravian Book Shop on November 19!

Affinity programs provide another way to be involved. We extend our thanks to all of you who participate in our MBNA credit-card affinity program. In this past year it produced approximately $16,000, which we use to support our student-related programming. Earlier this spring, the Alumni Association sponsored a new program that provides both affordable short-term medical insurance and one free year of life insurance for our 2003 graduates. We will also be sponsoring a low cost life insurance program that will generate additional income for the Association. (Visit Member Programs on the Alumni website, www.moravian.edu/ alumni, for more information.)

Under the leadership of President Rokke, Moravian has truly become a “small national treasure.” During his six-year tenure, his exceptional expertise in strategic planning has moved us forward in so many areas. Just a stroll around our campus gives evidence to the amazing changes that have taken place. So if you haven’t been back in a while, don’t wait 25 years the way I did. Come back and get connected for life!

United Student Government president Regina Lacombe ’03 and Student Alumni Association president Bindee Shrestha ’04 with Jan Gollins ’72.