The University Alumni Association, a nonprofit corporation that provides graduates the opportunity to give back to their alma mater, has elected a new president for the next year.
Jim Perry of Salem recently assumed the presidency of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors for 2000-2001.
“The University means a great deal to me,” Perry said. “It has enabled me to have a wonderful career, and now I want to give something back.”
Perry, an attorney with Saalfield, Griggs, Gorsuch, Alexander and Emerick, said the Alumni Association has several goals for this year. The group plans to increase scholarship support, encourage the University’s recruitment process and try to become more involved in higher education issues, such as school funding.
Perry is also determined to see the Alumni Association become better organized so the group can give input in the University’s decision-making process.
John Halgren, immediate past president of the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors, said there are currently nearly 16,000 members in the Alumni Association.
Halgren, who will remain on the board until next summer, graduated from the University in 1968 and has been a member of the Alumni Association for more than 10 years. He is now a retired Springfield elementary school principal.
Bob Fentstermacher, the Alumni Association treasurer, has been a member of the group for eight years, and said he enjoys staying involved.
“I think the most important thing to me is to give back to the University. It’s a way to stay connected,” he said.
Fentstermacher, a 1972 University graduate, hopes to see an increase in membership within the Alumni Association, while also establishing closer connections with other colleges and University students.
In addition to the newly elected officers, the board has also accepted seven new members to serve three-year terms on the association board during 2000-2001.