2003-04 Outstanding Club Award Winners

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The Outstanding Club Award Winner for the Metro region, comprised of clubs in areas with more than 6,000 alumni, is the U of M Club of Greater Chicago.

The Chicago club had another active and diverse programming schedule this past year, which included speakers, happy hours, monthly dinners, museum tours and sports teams. The club is also a model for all clubs in the areas of scholarship, student recruitment, and membership recruitment and retention efforts. The club’s extensive use of Alumni Association resources is a testament to its efforts to enhance the visibility of not only the club, but also the University of Michigan and the Alumni Association.

The Outstanding Club Award Winner for Region 5, comprised of clubs in areas with 3,000 to 6,000 area alumni, is the U of M Club of Twin Cities.

The club has devoted its energy to connecting Michigan alumni from all over the Twin Cities area by providing a wide range of activities that appeal to alumni of all ages. The club regularly uses the communication tools provided by the Alumni Association and has increased its visibility and attendance at events. The club’s leadership succession plan and commitment to having new members on its board can serve as a model for all clubs looking to develop new leaders.

For Region 4, comprised of clubs with 2,000 to 3,000 area alumni, the Outstanding Club Award goes to the U of M Club of Miami-Fort Lauderdale.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale club excelled in the programming area by working with local vendors and alumni business owners to bring new and interesting events to area alumni. The club’s events engage a wide range of alumni with different interests and serves as a model to other clubs to plan events for all alumni, men and women, young and old. The club uses Alumni Association resources to target specific events at specific segments of its alumni population. The club has a strong commitment to having new leadership on their board, ensuring fresh ideas and enthusiasm.

The U of M Club of Holland is the Outstanding Club Award winner for Region 3, comprised of clubs with 1,000-2,000 area alumni.

The club is being recognized for a number of reasons. First it made impressive strides toward developing a solid succession plan. Second, the club’s activities in the areas of scholarship and student recruitment were outstanding. The Holland club has also made impressive strides toward improving its marketing efforts and utilizing Alumni Association resources. And lastly, the club was able to add new, interesting events to its calendar while still keeping attendance steady at all of its annual events.

The Outstanding Club Award winner for Region 2, comprised of clubs with 500 to 1,000 alumni in their area, is the U of M Club of Bay City.

The Bay City club excelled in the programming area by planning social and cultural events that engage a wide range of alumni with different interests. Its activities in the areas of scholarship and student recruitment were outstanding. The Bay City club has also done an impressive job utilizing Alumni Association communication resources, in addition to many other special event direct mailings, to reach out to local members and alumni.

In Region 1, comprised of clubs in areas with fewer than 500 local alumni, the Outstanding Club Award goes to the U of M Club of Hillsdale County.

The club’s programs include a variety of speakers, entertainment and outings. This has resulted in high attendance and enthusiastic participation among club members. The club’s efforts to improve its marketing and utilizing Alumni Association resources have been very successful. Additionally, the Hillsdale County club’s commitment to scholarship fundraising and student recruiting has been exceptional.

2003-04 Awards of Excellence Winners

Programming: U of M Club of Washington, DC
Scholarship & Student Recruitment: U of M Club of Grand Rapids
Membership: U of M Club of Denver
Public Relations & Promotion: U of M Club of Seattle
Leadership Development & Continuity: U of M Club of Orange County
Innovation: U of M Club of Los Angeles

2002-03 Winners
2001-02 Winners
2000-01 Winners