Virginia Tech Alumni Association

You are REQUIRED to have a Virginia Tech PID (vt.edu e-mail address) to access the Chapter Forms system. Visit the website and click on "chapter forms and log-in" for instructions and to access the system.

Dear Chapter Volunteers,

Spring has arrived and the Alumni Association office is gearing up for a busy season of community service events, as well as planning many exciting reunion and homecoming events for this fall. Throughout the month of April, we will focus on our community service-based Hokie Nation Serves. Many chapters have scheduled blood drives, chapter speaker events, and have partnered with other local organizations including Habitat for Humanity and food banks to continue the Virginia Tech tradition of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). If your chapter would like to participate, but is unsure of how to get started, contact your chapter liaison for more information. Also, you’ll be inspired by our growing list of planned community service events at: http://www.alumni.vt.edu/hokienationserves/.

I’m sure you’re aware of the state budget crisis; all state organizations are making necessary budget reductions for the remainder of this year, as well as the upcoming fiscal year. The Virginia Tech Alumni Association has had to cut its budget as well, anticipating future severe reductions due to decreasing foundation investment values and less profitable affinity programs. As a temporary measure, chapter mailings (for chapters with more than 500 alumni) will now be sent to alumni who have donated to Virginia Tech in the past, our “ever-givers.” E-mail correspondence will continue to be sent to all alumni with current e-mail addresses. We also anticipate a reduction in our travel budget, which may limit chapter visits by liaisons. We still encourage chapters to schedule speakers for their events and we will continue to provide travel funds for these programs. We have had to endure severe budget cuts before and have been impressed with the understanding from our chapter leaders as well as your willingness to work with us to explore more creative and innovative ways to carry on your chapter business. Please let me know if you have any questions. As always thank you for your service to Virginia Tech and please let me or your liaison know how we can help you.

Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations

Chapter Officers Forum
Our fall Chapters Officers Forum will be held on September 18 and 19, 2009. Be sure to join us for a fun weekend of networking, exciting discussion topics and of course, Hokie football! More information and the registration form can be found on our website at http://www.alumni.vt.edu/reunion/cof/index.html.
Chapter Highlight: Alleghany Highlands Blue and Gray Banquet

Alumni Distinguished Professor, Dr. James I. (Bud) Robertson Jr. was guest speaker on February 12 for the 2nd annual Blue and Gray Banquet sponsored by the Alleghany Highlands Alumni Chapter and the Covington-Hot Springs Rotary Club.

Dr. Robertson’s presentation, “The Mother State in the Civil War” focused on Virginia’s role in the Civil War. As many of our chapters know, Dr. Robertson is an excellent speaker and remains accessible to those on campus, across the state and the nation. The event was held at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College and students from the Culinary Arts class at the college prepared food that would have been available to soldiers during the Civil War. Collaboration was the key to the success of this event. Randy Rose, Chapter President, and his board also involved the local Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, press, the Rockbridge Chapter of Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Dabney Lancaster Community College, and students in the planning and hosting of this academic speaker event. If your chapter would like to host a speaker event, contact your chapter liaison for speaker suggestions and ideas on collaborations in your local area.

Affinity Program
We are pleased to announce a new addition to our affinity partner program, The Goulet Pen Company. Goulet pens offer our alumni custom hand-made products that are ideal for any occasion, such as birthdays, graduation, anniversaries, retirement and holidays. We feel this partnership is a complement to our other products and services the Alumni Association offers alumni. If you have not had the chance, please take a minute to view our merchandise webpage at: http://www.alumni.vt.edu/merchandise/index.html. We welcome feedback; please feel free to get in touch with Greg Fansler at gfansler@vt.edu if you have a business idea or comment regarding the affinity program.
“Savor the Flavor” – Old World Meets New World Wine Tasting and New River Valley Wine Festival
You won’t want to miss our wine weekend on June 12 and 13, 2009 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. The Alumni Association will be hosting “Savor the Flavor” on Friday, June 12 with professor John Boyer. This interactive and entertaining wine session features Cabernet Franc and Viognier wines and will compare Virginia wines with their European counterparts. On Saturday, June 13, the New River Valley Alumni Chapter will be hosting their inaugural Wine Festival on the Holtzman Alumni Center terrace. The festival will include Virginia wines, live music, regional food and merchandise vendors. For more information, visit http://www.alumni.vt.edu/wine/ and http://www.nrvhokies.com/events.html.
Reminder! Check Chapter Contacts

Please remember to check your chapter’s contact information on the Alumni Association's website regularly and make updates as needed. There are also links to submit reports for chapter events, for your convenience. more...

New Service for E-mail: Available July 1, 2009!

Beginning July 1, 2009, the Virginia Tech Alumni Association will offer an improved e-mail format for chapters. We will provide chapters with HTML e-mail instead of plain text e-mail.

By creating HTML e-mail for chapters, it allows us to use color and images. The guidelines that have always been in place for publications will remain the same, with a few additions.

If your chapter requests a mailing, you automatically get an HTML e-mail
(Requests can always be made in advance of the 6-8 weeks notice needed for mailings. The notice means we need the actual information in hand 6-8 weeks prior to the RSVP date).

If your chapter requests an e-mail only, you will get an HTML e-mail instead of plain text e-mail
(at least 2 weeks notice prior to the RSVP date is still needed for e-mail requests)

A chapter will follow the same procedure as before when submitting the information.

More detailed Instructions will be sent to chapter officers in late May, but the procedure will basically be:

Go online to http://www.alumni.vt.edu/chapters/index.html and login.

Fill out publication request form, there will be a new feature that will allow you to attach a photo(s).

We are limiting HTML e-mail to one image only.

We will only accept .jpeg, .gif of PDF formats.
Remember, images can only be used in the HTML e-mail and not the mailer. Our printing press prints in one color, so images do not come out clear.

All requests must be made by filling out the online form, no exceptions. Requests e-mailed to Communications by standard e-mail will not be accepted, you must fill out the online form.

Staff Spotlight: Melissa Vidmar

Melissa joined Virginia Tech in July 1998 as the Public Relations Manager for University Unions and Student Activities and later began working for the Alumni Association in January 2004 as Communications Director.

She is responsible for overseeing four major functional areas for the Alumni Association, which includes publications; website and electronic communications; general marketing and communications & branding. Melissa also supervises the communications and printing staff; supports alumni programs (i.e. reunions, special programs,chapter events), heads the Public Relations Committee, and coordinates Alumni Association presence at campus events to include GobblerFest, July New Student Orientation, open house, International Street Fair, Hokie Focus and more. Melissa has over 14 years experience in public relations, marketing, and publications. Her educational background is in computer science and marketing.

If you have any questions about publications, promoting your chapter or graphic design options, please contact Melissa today!

Upcoming Dates more...

Chapter Teleconference: An Open Forum with Chapter Liaisons – April 14, 2009 at 10:30 AM (EST)

Spring Game – April 25, 2009

Spring Commencement – May 15, 2009

Virginia Tech Alumni Association Wine Tasting and New River Valley Chapter Wine Festival – June 12 & 13, 2009

Deadline for list of chapter scholarship recipients to Virginia Tech Alumni Association – June 15, 2009

Chapter Officer’s Forum – September 18 & 19, 2009

The monthly newsletter is a communications tool between the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and its chapters. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to your chapter liaison. If you have problems with viewing the newsletter, please contact Melissa Vidmar, Communications Director or view it online.