Celebrating our Connected Alumni Community

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I hope this letter finds you well and thriving. I am honored to continue as president of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management Alumni Association (GSMAA) Board of Directors for a second year.

And what a special time it is. This academic year marks a milestone for the UC Davis Graduate School of Management: We’re celebrating our 40th anniversary. It's an exciting moment in our history, and there’s much more to come. Our momentum is high and our potential is greater than ever.

I enjoy staying connected with the GSM; hearing updates from the dean, the faculty, and students; celebrating new graduates, and representing the GSMAA on the Dean's Advisory Council.

I'm proud of the work that the GSMAA accomplished over the past year, including the support and connections we have continued to provide you during the pandemic, despite the many challenges it brought us.

Leadership coach Casey Field MBA 16 helped us reduce our stress and anxiety to better cope with turbulent times with a workshop, podcast, and blog that focused on how to unlock your resiliency.

The Alumni Association sponsored a four-part webinar series called Pathways to the Boardroom in partnership with Julie Castro Abrams, founder and CEO of How Women Lead. GSM lecturer Suzy Taherian, Janette Cruz MBA 15 and I created the series, which was attended by more than 100 alumni. Many thanks to Director of Alumni Relations and Network Strategy Aysha Dinius and Event Specialist Charla Kordana for bringing it all together!

I'm so glad that the GSMAA was able to continue engaging with student representatives, the faculty, and our family of 5,000 alums—albeit virtually. We certainly are creative and resilient! And I look forward to seeing many of you in person at our reunion on October 16. To RSVP, click here >

Our next GSMAA board meeting is in October. We'll welcome newly elected members and begin planning the remainder of the year. Click here to meet your GSMAA Board of Directors >

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Many thanks to those who concluded their service on the GSMAA board this year: Abigayle Curtis MBA 14, Christa Dyck MBA 05, Mackenzie Guinon MBA 14, Bryan Johnson MBA 03, TJ Johnson MBA 12, Dylan Lee MBA 16, Mike Mike Palazzolo MBA 09 (ex officio faculty representative) and Jane You MBA 14. And a special shout out to Bryan Shepherd MBA 11, who served for five years, including two as board president.

Thank you also to Jamie Butler MBA 10 for serving as vice president for a second year in a row. During his tenure, Jamie has been promoted at Amazon Web Services and has helped guide students and alums to connect with his employer, resulting in hires. And thank you to Jim Terhey-den MBA 16 for a second consecutive year serving as secretary, and to all our board members, who share their time, energy, and passion on our important committee work.

So many in our GSM alumni community are making a positive impact in our professional fields and also finding innovative ways to give back to the School. I invite you to get involved—through financial support or a donation of your time and expertise. There are so many opportunities, from joining our new BizBridge mentor program to becoming a class ambassador, referring prospective students, supporting our current students, or serving on the GSMAA board. You can learn more here >

Together we have achieved so much. I’m excited to see where this next year will take us—together. 

Kristy Bird MaKieve MBA 15, CAE
President, GSMAA 2020-22
Founder, CEO and GME Administrator | Healthy Rural California
Executive Director | Butte-Glenn Medical Society

To get involved with the GSMAA, send us an email.