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McGILL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT
2014 – 2015
PRESENTED ON THE OCCASION OF THE
158TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
HOTEL OMNI MONT-ROYAL, MONTREAL
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
Welcome to the McGill Alumni Association’s
158th Annual General Meeting
May 11, 2015, 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Hotel Omni Mont-Royal, 1050 Sherbrooke St. W.
AGENDA
Call to Order ..............................................................President, Alan Desnoyers, BCom’85
Notice of Meeting and
Minutes of the 157th Annual General Meeting ..........Secretary, Luciano D’Iorio, BA’99
President’s Report .....................................................Alan Desnoyers
Executive Director’s Report .....................................Gabrielle Korn
Treasurer’s Report and
Appointment of Auditors ...........................................Inez Jabalpurwala, BA’89, MA’91, MBA’01
Report of the Nominating Committee and
Election of Members of the Board of Directors.........Tina Hobday, BA’88, BCL’93, LLB’93
By-Law Amendments ................................................Tina Hobday
Termination of Meeting ............................................Alan Desnoyers
Sponsored in part by:
Official provider of the McGill Alumni Association
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
OF THE McGILL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
This past year was marked by a difficult financial environment for the entire higher education
network in Quebec. McGill was not spared by the government’s attempts to achieve a zero deficit
for the fiscal year.
For a fourth consecutive year, McGill felt the pinch of a substantial decrease in its funding
allocation. In April, the government announced a cut for universities of approximately $70 million
of which McGill’s share was estimated at close to $11 million. While the University had already
made provisions for substantial cuts to the FY16 budget, the announcement of additional cuts
part way through the fiscal year made the exercise all the more challenging.
Only later in April did McGill learn that its projected $7 million deficit in FY15 would take a slight
turn for the better when Quebec admitted that it owed McGill over $12 million following a
reassessment of the University’s full-time-equivalent student count from the previous year. As a
result, the modest $4.3 million surplus will be automatically used to help pay down McGill’s
accumulated deficit that stands at just less than $100 million.
… the role and leadership of McGill’s global community of
more than 250,000 alumni, parents, friends and
supporters is more important than ever.
With further cuts on the horizon, the role and leadership of McGill’s global community of more
than 250,000 alumni, parents, friends and supporters is more important than ever. Alumni are
an invaluable resource in helping McGill achieve its strategic objectives, and can play a vital role
in helping the University enrich the student experience, offering an education that will prepare
students to compete, succeed and thrive in all their future endeavours.
The McGill Alumni Association continues to refocus its efforts in line with the University’s
priorities, including an increased emphasis on the needs of students, particularly as they relate
to the McGill Commitment and opportunities to build alumni engagement therein. The MAA is
supporting University Advancement in seeking donors to support experiential learning
opportunities for students within Faculties and across the University. We are likewise developing
programs to help identify and recruit volunteers for McGill Commitment initiatives, including
advising and mentoring, creating out-of-the-classroom and international opportunities, building
career skills and nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation.
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As such, the McGill Alumni Leadership Advisory Council and the McGill Alumni-Student
Engagement Council led an active year of outreach, forging on-campus partnerships with student
leadership organizations and University student service units to develop targeted programs that
connect alumni with students. These relationships are crucial to the success of the University’s
objectives and the MAA is proud to be able to bring insight and assistance to this important area
of need.
Periods of transition provide us with the opportunity to examine questions of relevance. The
arrival of our new Executive Director, Gabrielle Korn, in late July, brought a fresh perspective on
a number of strategic issues, programs and activities. Since her arrival at McGill, Gabrielle has
been working diligently on the restructuring of the Alumni Relations unit, now merged with
Annual Giving, exploring changes to existing programs, such as the Honours & Awards Program
and Homecoming, and finding new ways to involve alumni in the life and success of McGill.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Board members and the entire team of
dedicated staff in University Advancement for your enthusiastic and faithful support. I look
forward to serving my second year alongside each of you as we continue to ensure that McGill
remains one of the best universities in the world.
Alan Desnoyers, BCom’85
President, McGill Alumni Association
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REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OF THE McGILL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
2014-2015 has been a year of transition in Alumni Relations at McGill and I’m truly delighted to
have joined such a robust program that has earned the admiration of sister institutions
throughout North America. Since my arrival last July, I have been honoured to work with so many
outstanding, committed and talented alumni volunteers, staff and campus partners.
Guided by University Advancement’s strategic plan as my road map, I have been mandated to
align the activities of the Alumni Relations and Annual Giving teams more closely with the goals
of the larger unit. Our purpose is to deepen McGill’s engagement with the communities it serves.
Together, we are laying the groundwork for a successful 200th anniversary campaign while
building the level of support that will sustain the University into the future.
It is my privilege to work side-by-side with the Board of the MAA which is governed by strong
leaders who are in sync with University Advancement’s priorities in support of McGill. We share
the point of view that engagement and fundraising are symbiotic and inseparable, that
philanthropy succeeds where there is deep engagement and that giving is a reflection of deep
and cultivated affinity. This allows us to focus on initiatives that will have maximum impact for
McGill, such as nurturing lifelong engagement among our most devoted alumni and offering
effective, targeted and strategic events. Initiatives to raise awareness of philanthropy among
students and young alumni likewise pave the path for the perpetuity of the University’s enviable
legacy of the philanthropic generosity of alumni, parents and friends of McGill.
Highlights of 2014-2015 include:
Initiatives in support of the McGill Commitment
This pillar of Principal Suzanne Fortier’s vision for the University begins with our commitment to
provide students with enriched educational opportunities beyond the classroom. This translates
into exposing students to the international dimension of the McGill experience, providing unique
and creative experiential learning opportunities, as well as rich, varied and plentiful research
opportunities in a competitive environment. The Alumni Relations and Annual Giving team,
together with the MAA and campus partners, are developing programs and engagement
opportunities that connect students to alumni and the University.
Changes to the McGill News readership
In response to shifting reading habits among younger alumni and also as a reflection of efforts to
be more strategic with printing and postage expenditures, circulation of the Fall 2014/Winter
2015 edition of the McGill News was significantly reduced among non-alumni. Savings realized
by this initiative will be invested in developing new online tools and technologies needed to
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connect with younger alumni. The addition of new Manager of Digital Strategy in the
Advancement Communications unit is addressing the need for a greater emphasis on digital
communications as part of our broader alumni engagement strategies.
Student and Young Alumni Programs
Through extensive partnerships with a variety of campus units, Student and Young Alumni
Programs are flourishing. In partnership with Campus Life & Engagement and International
Student Services, 46 regional send-offs were held last summer with 2,180 participants and 350
volunteers. With Enrollment Services, Calling Tree events took place in Toronto, New York and
Montreal where Young Alumni gathered to make calls to newly admitted students in an effort to
welcome them to McGill. Numerous Rendez-vous events that encourage students to accept their
admission to McGill were likewise held in Boston and New York where again, Young Alumni were
invited to share their campus experiences with potential students and their parents.
Parents Programming
Parents Tent was held August 22-25, 2014 and welcomed 5,305 parents and students to campus
during Residence Move-In. $18,000 was raised in sponsorships through the presence of service
providers such as banks and phone companies, while printing of a smaller-sized Parents
Handbook resulted in a 40% decrease in printing costs. Representatives of the MAA and the
McGill Women’s Alumnae Association participated as volunteers.
Women, Leadership & Philanthropy
This initiative leverages the engagement of McGill’s community of women graduates through a
collaborative and inclusive approach. Participants advocate for the balanced representation of
women in leadership and philanthropic roles at McGill and in society. Several meetings and
events were held in Montreal, Toronto and New York, featuring coaching and mentoring to help
upcoming generations of women become educated, philanthropic leaders.
Crowdfunding through Seeds of Change
This new fundraising tool introduced by the Annual Giving team allows donors to support
individual student-run philanthropic projects that do not receive funding from the University.
Projects promoted through the platform include internships, mental health and wellness
programs, equipment requests and support for student entrepreneurs and athletes. Every penny
donated through Seeds of Change goes directly to the project for which funding is intended, and
contributed in a significant way to the overall $10.5 million raised in Annual Giving this year.
Homecoming weekend, October 16-19, 2014
McGill welcomed close to 3,500 graduates and friends from 21 countries worldwide back to
campus. In all, McGill hosted 63 events at the downtown campus and 10 events at Macdonald
Campus. Graduates spanned 70 years, and Margaret Black, BSc’44, MSc’46, returned at 91 years
of age for her 70th anniversary of graduation. In January-February 2015, an intensive
reassessment of Homecoming was held and a revamped celebration will be inaugurated from
October 22-25, 2015, in partnership with McGill Open House.
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Regional Branches
Principal Suzanne Fortier and Vice-Principal Marc Weinstein visited London and Hong Kong last
fall, meeting with graduates and hosting a series of events. The Principal also met with
graduates in Quebec City and participated in a Board of Trade event with the rector of the
Université Laval. Vice-Principal Weinstein also visited alumni in Paris and Geneva, and hosted a
special alumni gala in Dubai. In Toronto, the MAA held a very successful event in partnership
with the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada featuring special guest Justin Trudeau, and a
second event will follow with Tom Mulcair in May. Young Alumni continued to be the focus of
networking events, power lunches and LinkedIn events offered in Toronto, New York, Calgary
and London.
Travel Program
In 2015, the Travel Program started strong with over 150 alumni registered for trips so far. In
2014, 279 travelers joined MAA tours in total. The host selection criteria were revised. Faculty
members will be considered as hosts since recruiting subject-matter experts enhances the
educational component for interested McGillians, and encompasses the University’s objective
of offering lifelong learning. McGill hosted the Canadian Alumni Travel Meeting in January 2015
that welcomed universities from across Canada.
Redesign of the alumni website
The purpose of the redesign is to facilitate the engagement of McGill alumni and friends in the
life of the University and with each other in a variety of ways. The site will feature networking
opportunities for personal and professional success; social and educational opportunities based
on geography and/or shared interest; volunteer opportunities for giving back as expressed
through the McGill Commitment; and requests for direct support/philanthropy. Inherent in the
redesign process will be the creation and implementation of an overall digital communications
strategy that looks at how and what we communicate with alumni via email and social media.
The project is targeted for completion by the end of the calendar year.
Gabrielle Korn
Executive Director, McGill Alumni Association
Managing Director, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving
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McGILL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015
PRESIDENT
Alan Desnoyers, BCom’85
PAST PRESIDENT
Tina Hobday, BA’88, BCL’93, LLB’93
VICE-PRESIDENT
David Reckziegel, MBA’87
SECRETARY
Luciano D’Iorio, BA’99
TREASURER
Inez Jabalpurwala, BA'89, MA'91, MBA'01
DIRECTORS
Gayle Noble, BA’91, MA’93, BCL’97, LLB’97
Bruce Hill, BA’83
Bob Babinski, BA’86
Josée Gravel, MA’79, MBA’83, BCL’83
Donald Taylor, DDS’66
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Sarah Bovaird, BSc’05
Mark Hantho, BCom’81
ALUMNI GOVERNORS
Cynthia Price, BCom’82
Tina Hobday, BA’88, BCL’93, LLB’93
Bryan Haynes, BA’90, LLB’93
EX OFFICIO
Marc Weinstein, BA’85, BCL’91, LLB’91, Vice-Principal, University Advancement
Gabrielle Korn, Executive Director, McGill Alumni Association
McGill Alumni Association
Martlet House
1430 Peel Street
Montreal, Quebec H3A 3T3
Tel: 514-398-5000
Fax: 514-398-7338
info.alumni@mcgill.ca
aoc.mcgill.ca