Well, my Tulane family, as they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun!” I have truly enjoyed every moment of serving as president of TABA, and as my journey as president comes to an end, what better time to assess where TABA is as an organization and what lies for the future.
Brandon Nelson (BSM ’01), president of TABA
Through the efforts of board members and many other dedicated individuals, TABA has achieved a lot in the past year. The 2011 Tulane Business Forum, titled “The Turning Point: Economic Growth Through Innovation and Collaboration,” generated its highest level of revenues since the downturn in the economy several years ago. More than 900 local professionals and business leaders attended this year’s forum, representing over 200 organizations and 84 sponsoring companies. Reviews for the forum were also the best in years, with attendees responding positively to our touching on the state/local economy and business environment in addition to national topics.
TABA is equally proud to have sponsored several programs and events within the Tulane community. Earlier this year, TABA made another contribution to the Levy-Rosenblum Institute and the Tulane Entrepreneurs Association in support of the annual Tulane Business Plan Competition, which continues to improve and grow in notoriety every year. TABA also continued its sponsorship of Freeman Days. These four networking events held in cities across the nation have long played a crucial role in helping students gain employment following graduation. This year was especially exciting as we held our first ever Freeman Days Chicago. The results for this first-year event were outstanding, and the potential for Freeman Days Chicago is every bit as great as our Freeman Days New York and Houston events.
Finally, if you recall my message in the last issue of Freeman magazine, TABA is making a concerted effort to start chapters in various cities in the United States and abroad. After a lot of hard work and resolve, the great news is that we are literally days away from the creation of the first chapter outside of New Orleans, which will be the TABA Houston chapter. We also expect to have chapters in New York and Chicago by the end of 2012. All of this is the result of dedicated alumni willing to put their time and effort where their mouths are. We sincerely appreciate all of their efforts and look forward to assisting in any way. To sum it up, the past year has been very exciting and productive for TABA, and the future looks brighter than ever. I am happy and grateful to have been able to go along for the ride. I would like to end with a quote from someone I highly respect who, when I asked for some words of wisdom in taking over as president of TABA, told me this: “Work to make Freeman so good you wouldn’t be able to get in, and continually improve your board so that when you depart, you’ll be missed only as a friend.” With Tom Spiers (MBA ’01) taking over as president of TABA for 2012 as well as the committed board members that I have built relationships with over the years, I can assure you that I will miss TABA more than TABA will miss me. The positive momentum that started several years ago continues on. So, to my Tulane Family, it’s been a blast. See you at the next reunion!
Warmest regards,
Brandon Nelson
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