Alumni Boom

New and revived alumni chapters ignited during pandemic

By Gretchen M. Sanders

McCombs grads demonstrate that when the world shuts down, they don’t.

In Chicago, alumni chapter President Anjana Dalal, MBA ’99, has turned a near-dormant group into a driver of networking and learning opportunities. The business management consultant took command in December 2020 after mentioning to colleagues at her 20-year McCombs reunion in Austin that she craved more involvement with the chapter. “I had alumni chapter envy,” says Dalal, noting that other business schools had robust alumni representation in the Windy City. “My goal was to boost the McCombs brand.”

Holding four alumni events in nine months has accomplished that mission. Dalal and her leadership team have engaged the chapter’s 1,100 members, including downtown dwellers and suburbanites, by hosting trendy virtual speaker and social events. Zoom has allowed commuters to attend meetings easily and has enabled collaboration with far-flung chapters and business schools.

In June, chapters in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Atlanta co-sponsored a virtual conversation with renowned cryptocurrency experts Jon Najarian and Steve Ehrlich. The discussion attracted nearly 500 registrants and was one of the best-attended alumni events in McCombs history.

Energizing the Chicago chapter is Dalal’s push for joint events with other distinguished business schools — Harvard, Kellogg School of Management, Michigan Ross, Chicago Booth, and Stanford — for richer networking experiences and idea exchanges. Coffee and Conversations happens once a quarter and allows graduates from these schools to chat for an hour online before work. “It’s like speed dating,” Dalal jokes, “but for networking.” Alums from broad backgrounds get to talk business when COVID-19 might otherwise prevent it.

Chicagoans have noticed the chapter reboot. They want more, Dalal says. She expects in-person charity events, cocktail hours, and cross-school mixers to debut during the spring.

In other states, ambitious alums founded new chapters despite the world crisis.

Guilherme Junqueira, MBA ’20, launched the Philadelphia chapter in July 2020 after he moved there for work. He thought the city should have a branch, and it has hosted eight events so far. “It’s been fulfilling to create and grow this group,” says Junqueira, corporate strategy manager at Bimbo Bakeries USA.

About 500 McCombs grads live in Philly, and 15 attended the chapter’s inaugural Careers in Tech virtual panel event in October 2020. Since then, dozens more have joined virtual talks by McCombs faculty members, alumni, and prominent CEOs. Some events are co-sponsored by other chapters or business schools and are open to the global McCombs community.

In January, 120 McCombs grads from around the world watched online as McCombs finance professor Julia Coronado discussed 2021’s economic outlook. “I think people are accustomed to meeting virtually because of the pandemic, so it works,” Junqueira says. It also helps that he surveyed Philadelphia-area alums to learn what topics interested them. The answers resulted in seminars on happiness, finance, and technology innovation, and a well-received talk on entrepreneurship by Kettle & Fire co-founder Nick Mares.

In September, McCombs lecturer Sandy Leeds flew to Philly for the chapter’s first in-person gathering at a restaurant. A handful of enthusiastic attendees gathered for the informal dinner. Junqueira says members need time to adjust to meeting in person and to watch for more of those opportunities in 2022.

Texas McCombs has more than 30 alumni chapters worldwide, with nearly 104,000 living members. Austin, Houston, and Dallas have the largest groups, though all grads get free, automatic entry into the chapter nearest their address. Chapters are volunteer-led and receive $500 to $2,000 in funding per year from McCombs. Presidents usually serve two-year terms.

“It’s unusual to see a group form or grow during the pandemic,” says Christine Burdell, director of alumni relations at McCombs. “I thought Zoom fatigue would deter more people.” She credits the initiative and creativity of chapter leaders Dalal and Junqueira for the surprise success in Chicago and Philadelphia.

“Joint and virtual events allowed these smaller groups to thrive,” she says.

Blame COVID-19 or tough luck on a different story in South Texas.

In the Rio Grande Valley, Arturo Olivarez, MPA ’20, has worked to launch a chapter for the 1,000 McCombs graduates living there. The Harlingen, Texas, native wanted to form a local chapter so he could help the next generation of South Texas McCombs grads by linking them to resources he could not find as he began his career in the valley.

In July, Olivarez contacted the valley’s UT admissions office so he could proselytize to incoming McCombs students. Five soon-to- be first-year students met him at a Harlingen coffee shop. “I gave them an overview about who I am, why I was starting an alumni group, what to expect at McCombs, and I offered my support going forward,” says Olivarez, who works for U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo. That meeting marked the Rio Grande Valley’s first official McCombs alumni event. Now Olivarez has allies in the school’s first-year class who one day may compose a lively alumni chapter near the border. Olivarez is playing the long game. With time and perseverance, he knows the chapter will bloom.

This article appeared in the spring 2022 issue of McCombs magazine. Click on the link to see the full issue.