Along McAlister Place, there’s a palpable feeling that something exciting is happening. Part of the reason is the wave of outstanding new students that just washed upon the quad, but this feeling is about something more than just the start of a new school year.
Chris Bonura (MBA ’09), president of TABA
After 16 years as president, Scott Cowen has stepped down amid great tributes, and Michael A. Fitts has begun his tenure as Tulane’s 15th president. Tulane Athletics ushered in a new era on Sept. 6 when the Green Wave took on Georgia Tech for the inaugural game in Yulman Stadium, the university’s beautiful new on-campus football stadium. And the Freeman School is about to begin its second century of business education with talk of growing both the faculty and the physical plant.
It’s a time to reflect on the past and think about what we want the future to bring. We look to the past with respect for those who have built the Tulane legacy, but it is also incumbent upon us as Freeman School stakeholders to reshape that legacy at this crucial moment in Tulane and business school history.
The Tulane Association of Business Alumni has a similar task at hand. After two years of dedicated leadership, Tom Spiers handed the reins of your alumni association to me in January. Thankfully, Tom remains an active member of the TABA board and my go-to source for counsel and information. He has steered TABA in the right direction for the past two years. As I see it, my task is to keep TABA on course as an active organization that supports the school, fosters alumni and alumni/student networking, and assists the dean in accomplishing his goals.
TABA is celebrating a milestone of its own. The 35th annual Tulane Business Forum took place on Sept. 18 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. The forum always brings together leading regional and national executives and about 750 attendees to discuss timely business topics. This year’s forum was a great one, with the theme “Taking Flight: Business Leaders Executing Plans for Success.”
TABA hosted its annual Rock ‘n’ Bowl Party for alumni and incoming graduate students on Aug. 29.
Meanwhile, the progress made by Tom Spiers to launch TABA chapters continues to blossom. As of this summer, we have hosted chapter events in New York, Washington D.C., Houston and Miami/South Florida, and we are currently working to launch chapters in Chicago, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Denver and Beijing. If you’d like to get involved in one of these chapters or start one in your city, please contact Rhonda Brown at rhondab@tulane.edu or 504-862-8470.
The day before this year’s commencement ceremony, I had the opportunity to speak to graduating students at the annual Champagne toast in their honor. I reminded them that they were all about to become members of TABA and that no dues were required. A Freeman diploma effectively serves as your TABA membership card. In closing, I’d like to extend that same reminder to all alumni who are reading this column. Now is the time to dust off that membership and get involved. Something special is about to happen, and I encourage each of you to be there at the beginning and help shape a new Freeman legacy.
Warmest regards,
Chris Bonura,
President, Tulane Association of Business Alumni
{ 0 comments… add one now }