Alumni Update

Tina Cafeo, MSN ’97, RN
President, JHNAA

It is with great sadness that I announce that after 21 years, Melinda Rose, our Director of Alumni Relations, is retiring in the fall. Melinda has been instrumental in sustaining the many activities supported by the Alumni Office at JHSON. Her work with the Alumni Board, Pinning Ceremony, contributions to Vigilando, alumni teas, additions to the archives, and facilitation of alumni panels for students is, as always, greatly appreciated.  Her efforts significantly contributed to the successful relationship of the Alumni Board with the School’s students and our alumni. Melinda will be sorely missed.

To plan for this transition, I recently met with Fiona Newton, Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at the School of Nursing, and Mo Baldwin, the new Executive Director of Alumni at JHU. The University Alumni Association is forming a strategic planning group to consider new ideas for the future. This seems to be the perfect time to evaluate our activities and do some strategic planning of our own. New technologies and social networking capabilities are constantly changing, and we have the opportunity to move forward in a new direction.

It is also a good time to review the stated purpose of the Johns Hopkins Nurses’ Alumni Association, which as a human network exists to:

• Promote nursing excellence in clinical practice, education, leadership, and research throughout the Johns Hopkins community.
• Perpetuate friendships and promote professional relationships among alumni.
• Encourage alumni interest in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

Think about how the Alumni Association can best serve you.  Please tell us what we can do to support nursing excellence and engage you in the Alumni Association. Is it networking opportunities, educational seminars, a speaker series, social activities, or family events? We want to hear from you.

Our goal for next year is to increase our active Alumni Association participation by 10%.  We’ll do this by recruiting alumni who are interested in helping the School by joining one of the alumni committees. We need you!!!  If you would like to make a difference in the lives of students at JHSON and help shape the future of Hopkins nursing, please contact the Alumni Office at jhnaa@son.jhmi.edu and we’ll discuss where you might want to volunteer.