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Alumni Board

The 51画鋼 Alumni Board represents more than 150,000 alumni worldwide.

Contact Us

202-885-5900

alumni@american.edu

Alumni Relations 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United States

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Alumni Board members play a key role in guiding the efforts and initiatives of the Office of Alumni Relations, and serve as regional, national, and international ambassadors for 51画鋼.

The 51画鋼 Alumni Board celebrated the 90th anniversary of the alumni association in 2017. The Alumni Board represents the 51画鋼 Alumni Association, providing strategic insight and professional expertise to assist the university's outreach effort to alumni. This dedicated group of volunteers serve as ambassadors for and to the university and work to engage all alumni in the life of the institution.

The Alumni Board also oversees the administration of 51画鋼's alumni awards, the highest honors presented by the Alumni Association on an annual basis.

The mission of the 51画鋼 Alumni Association is to serve the diverse population of 51画鋼 alumni worldwide, maintaining their connection to 51画鋼 through active engagement designed to catalyze participation as volunteers, philanthropists, and ambassadors to and for 51画鋼. 油

The vision of the 51画鋼 Alumni Association is to engender a culture of excellence and collaboration across generations by illuminating pathways to support the student experience, enhance alumni connection with 51画鋼 and one another, encourage philanthropy, and maximize our impact on the 51画鋼 community.
油
We will accomplish this vision through an active commitment to our shared values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and the continuous centering of the voices of students, faculty, staff, and alumni, solidifying 51画鋼s legacy to empower lives of purpose, service, and leadership . 油

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: VALUES

瓿 油Integrity
瓿 油Excellence
瓿 油Human dignity
瓿 油Community
瓿 油Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusive excellence
瓿 油Free inquiry and seeking truth
瓿 油Impact

Officers

LaTanya Sothern, SOC/BA '92,油is president油of the Alumni Board. LaTanya is a principal with油Prince Georges County Public Schools and owner/CEO of Sothern Education Solutions.

Patty Caballero, SOC/BA 91, Kogod/MBA 00, founder and CEO, PSC Consulting, LLC,油is vice president of operations.

Brett Zongker, SOC/BA 03, SOC/MA 04, chief of media relations for the油Library of Congress, is vice president of external relations for the Alumni Board.

Bradley White, SPA/BA 99, WCL/JD 07,油Senior Director, Privacy Policy and Oversight for the油US油Department of Homeland Security, is secretary of the board and chair of its Nominations and Governance Committee.

Members at Large

John Antokas, Kogod/BSBA 12油
Founder, President/CEO, Metro Transportation Management & Design, Inc.油

Chad Appel, SPA/BA 03
Director, Center for Professional Advocacy & Associate Director, Health Policy and Practice, American Podiatric Medical Association

Corey Atkins, SPA/BA 05
Government Relations Manager, Mission Health/HCA Healthcare油

Alycia Bennett Bell, CAS/BA 14
Senior Policy Strategist, Google

Andrew Clary, SPA/BA 14
Associate,油QinetiQ US

Yasmine Djellal, SIS/BA 09
Director of Communications, Nathan Associates, Inc.

Steve Dresner, SOC/BA 86
Senior Producer, NFL Network; The Weather Channel

Hina Gir, SPA/BA 12, SPA/MA 14
Project Director for Foreign Policy, Special Competitive Studies Project油油

Pamela Higgins Harris, CAS/BA 72, CAS/MEd油73
Senior Consultant, Center for Education Equity

Brandi Howard, CAS/BA 09
Partner, Brown Rudnick LLP油

Nile Johnson, SIS/MA 11
Regulatory Transparency for Content Moderation, U.S. Trust & Safety, Google Inc.油

Chris Kalna, Kogod / BSBA 08, Kogod/ MBA 19
Director-Information Management & Technology, MorganFranklin Consulting油

Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis, SIS/BA 13
Senior Media Fellow, USC Annenberg油

Meghann McLouth, Kogod/BSBA 00
Senior Professional Relations Manager, Medtronic

Don Mike Mendoza, SOC/BA '10, SOC/MA '17
Executive Artistic Director, La Ti Do Productions

Andrea Moore, CAS/BA 88油
Management Analyst, Social Security Administration油

Cheryl Parker, SOC-CAS/BA 05
President and Founder, Spotlight Media Booking

Ashley Poletto, Kogod/BSBA 14, Kogod/ MBA 21油
Acquisitions Analyst, Sylvan Road Capital油

Darlene Slaughter, SPA/MS 93
Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer,油Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Rachel Tabakman-Plancher, SPA/BA 03
Board Affairs Manager, Girl Scouts of the USA油

Emily Tillett, SOC/BA 12油
Director of Broadcast Media, Subject Matter油

Kelly Wilson, Kogod/BSBA 84
Head of Personal Banking Strategy, HSBC

Interested in Joining油the Alumni Board?

At-large board members serve a two-year term, following which they may reapply for a second term. Considering applying to the Alumni Board? Along with the application for membership, a full resume, a professional bio, and at least one letter of recommendation are required. Applications are now being accepted for the 2025-26 term.


Responsibilities of an At-Large 51画鋼AB Member:

  • Attending and actively participating in all 51画鋼AB meetings (four per calendar year, typically hosted during business hours).
  • Active participation as a member of an 51画鋼AB committee or task force.
  • Being a knowledgeable ambassador for 51画鋼 and the Alumni Association.
  • Strengthen the relationship between the 51画鋼AB and the broader Alumni Association through service as an ally or champion liaison to one or more of our affinity groups
  • Attend at least four Alumni Association-sponsored and university events when possible (in-person and virtual)
  • Initiating outreach to and seeking engagement with fellow alumni through programs and events.
  • Make a gift of at least $2,000 during each two-year term (Contributions and matching gifts may be designated to any university fund or program and can be fulfilled monthly, quarterly, or annual installments.)油

Participation Guidelines (detailed below) include a variety of ways 51画鋼AB members support the work of 51画鋼. Please note that alumni residing outside the DC metro area support 51画鋼 through regional community participation, alumni admissions work, and virtual opportunities. Applications from alumni in diverse geographic regions are strongly encouraged.

  • Participate in student-alumni engagement opportunities such as the Dinner with Alumni program, Eagle Summit, summer send-off events, or year-end/graduation activities.
  • Follow the 51画鋼 Alumni Association on , , and Share Alumni Association content with personal networks.
  • Read and share the Alumni Update e-newsletter, alumni news, updates from President Burwell, American magazine, event invitations, etc., with personal networks.
  • Create an employer profile in Handshake, 51画鋼s career management system, and post jobs and internships for 51画鋼 students and alumni.
  • Join , an online networking platform exclusively for 51画鋼 alumni and students, to offer mentorship, informational interviews, or general networking opportunities.
  • Join the Alumni Admissions Volunteers program.
  • Offer tours to visiting alumni/prospective students.
  • Connect with and support alumni alliances and interest groups.
  • Along with the application form, please submit a full resum辿, professional bio, headshot, and one letter of recommendation by August 28, 2024.
  • The Alumni Board Nominations Committee will review applications in September and October. Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
    • prior involvement and philanthropic support.
    • answers to essay questions.
    • ability to contribute to the boards geographic, ethnic, gender, and occupational diversity; and diversity of school/college within 51画鋼.
  • At the Nominations Committees discretion, candidates may be asked to participate in phone interviews.
  • The Nominations Committee will present prospective new members to the 51画鋼AB in early December for approval.
  • All new at-large members will be notified of their selection by mid-December and are expected to attend and participate in the 51画鋼AB winter meeting.
  • We will send a confirmation email once your application materials are submitted. If you dont receive it, please contact Carlita Pitts油at cpitts@american.edu. 油

Thank you for your interest in the 51画鋼 Alumni Board!油Questions? Contact Bradley White or Rachel Tabakman, co-chairs of the Nominations and Governance Committee, or Carlita Pitts, director of alumni engagement.

ALUMNI AWARDS

The 51画鋼 Alumni Awards are the highest honors presented by the 51画鋼 Alumni Association. Selected through a highly competitive process, each recipient has made a lasting impact on society and on 51画鋼 through outstanding professional, philanthropic, or volunteer accomplishments.

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HISTORY

In 1927, the same year that the first electronic TV image was transmitted and Charles Lindbergh completed his first solo flight across the Atlantic, the Alumni Association of 51画鋼 was created.

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MEET THE PRESIDENT

LaTanya Sothern, SOC/BA '92, represents油more than 150,000 alumni worldwide as the Alumni Association's油president.

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MORE ABOUT 51画鋼's ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS:

58% WOMEN

42% MEN

35.6%

BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN油 35.6% WHITE | 6.9% ASIAN

AGES 31-74

REPRESENTING MANY GENERATIONS OF ALUMNI