Dear Cal Alum Members and Friends,
Thank you for your continued interest in and support of the Orange County Cal Alumni Club!
We are proud to unveil our new website which we hope you find to be an upgrade from the previous edition. Our Club has achieved several successes in the past few months including expanded membership and participation. Our focus this year is to improve our web presence and ability to communicate with alumni in the area. We believe that so far we have not been able to tap into all the enthusiasm and energy of the members in our area due to deficiencies in our communication resources. We have also created a Facebook group for our club. With better communication and more services, we hope to be able to organize more events for our members.
The continuing recession has created some distress for some of our alumni, particularly new graduates. Therefore to assist our members in this scenario, we have added a job board and resume bank. I request all alumni who are looking to fill positions in their own businesses or place of employment to post their job requisitions on our websites. We are making greater efforts to coordinate with other clubs such as other alumni clubs, or other professional/charity related groups in which our members could participate in. Our first joint event with the OC Penn Alumni Club is scheduled in April.
In order for the Club to continue to thrive, I'd like to personally ask each of you for your support over the next year and beyond. First and foremost, please plan to attend a few events this year. We will make best efforts to organize events that appeal to all our members whatever their interests or aspirations. Our goal for every event is to incorporate an opportunity to network with other alums–before, after, or as the central focus of the event. So come out and enjoy yourself with your fellow alums! Second, please help us to make our club even more successful by volunteering your time. The more participation and volunteers we get, the larger and more frequent events we can organize. Lastly, please continue your membership in the club and remind your friends and classmates to join as well!
Remember, this is your club– put your personal stamp on it! It is my endeavor and goal that each of you get more out of the club than what you put in.
We have put substantial financial resources in developing our new website and expanded services. After about 2 decades, we thought it was time to increase our membership dues a trifle to $30 per annum and lifetime membership to $150. Now we can accept payments online through credit and debit cards. Moreover event tickets can also be purchased online, making it easier to participate and contribute.
Our Club is proud that we are considered the gold standard for our outreach activities, due to the enthusiastic participation of hundreds of our members and the stellar leadership of Scott Carpenter. In these times of economic crisis both for Cal and prospective, your participation is required more than ever.
In closing, I'd like to thank officers and board members of the OCCAC who contribute so much time and energy. Jason Sherr (Immediate Past President), Morgan Gilman (VP Marketing), Javaid Ansari (Treasurer), Nona Djavid (VP Events), and Scott Carpenter (VP Outreach and Scholarships).Our Board Members who provide us with invaluable guidance are Carlos Rodriguez, Jackie Jacobson, Bill Hsiang, Alan Thaler and Annie Schwab.
I sincerely hope to speak with and hear from all of you over the coming year. Until then...
Atish Bagrodia, B.S. IEOR '00
President, OC Cal Alumni Club
