Greetings fellow Fordies,
The Ford School Alumni Board convened in Ann Arbor on Friday, September 13 for our twice-annual meeting. It was a particularly exciting weekend to convene, not only because it was Homecoming, but also the Ford School Reunion which happens just once every five years!
Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes updated the board on the state of the Ford School, including faculty hiring and curriculum updates. We heard from Quanda Hunter, director of marketing and communications, about the Ford School's MPA program as well as from Sue Johnson, chief development officer regarding the launch of the Look to Michigan campaign.
Alumni Board Members had lunch with Megan Pfohl, BA '26 and Om Shah, BA '25, both of whom received internship support funded in part by donations from the Alumni Board. We learned about Megan and Om's summer experiences as well as their interests post-graduation.
The day ended with the kickoff of the Ford School Reunion, including the Staebler Award recognition. This year, the Staebler Award was awarded to the late Jim McIntire, MPP '78, a career public servant who served in the State of Washington's House of Representatives as well as State Treasurer, among other influential roles. Following the recognition was the headlining panel for the kickoff of the Ford School Reunion, An Assessment of the Nixon Pardon. Alumni Board Members then joined other alumni in a casual event to interact with current students from Ford School organizations, including Students of Color in Public Policy, Out in Public, and other groups.
Please reach out if you would like to discuss anything related to our most recent meeting and/or the Alumni Board.
Best,
Grace Evans Pedanou, MPP ‘16
Alumni Board chair