As we ring in the new year, the Georgia College J. Whitney Bunting College of Business would like to introduce you to our new Alumni Council. The Alumni Council was formed in 2021 and is led by an executive team of myself, Kyle Aldridge, president (BBA, ’99), Fred Koeck, vice president (MLSCM, ’17) and Lori Hamilton, secretary/events (MMIS, ’09). The executive team has been busy at work putting together a mission and goals for their upcoming two-year service term. 

The executive team created the mission to reconnect, foster new and maintain existing relationships with business school alumni and friends and to support the personal and professional growth of current and former business students through communication, fundraising and events.

The initial goals of the organization consist of the following:

1. Connecting “experts” (alumni and friends) back to the classroom to assist professors in guiding current students.

2. Creating a network of alumni and friends for current students to assist them in job searches, industry mentoring, etc.

3. Fundraising and scholarship development.

4. Reconnecting alumni and friends back to Georgia College. 

While these goals may sound momentous, let me tell you a bit about alumni from the College of Business. Currently, we consist of some 13,000-plus strong alumni and friends. We represent each state in the U.S. except North Dakota. We also have alumni and friends in the Virgin Islands, Canada, Netherlands and those serving in the military. In addition, we are represented by those graduating in the 1930’s all the way up to the 2020’s. The collective knowledge and ability in this group is outstanding … it’s our job to harness it and use it for the best of Georgia College.

How can you help?  Thanks for asking.

1. Please send us an email to (COB_Alumni@gcsu.edu) with your name, contact information, company, title, degree and year, industry expertise and your willingness to speak to a class or mentor a student.

2. Support your local GC business school alumni events. Follow this link (http://alumni.gcsu.edu/alumni-hc2022) to register for the College of Business homecoming alumni social coming up Feb. 25 at Atkinson Hall, as well as additional alumni events scheduled for Homecoming weekend.

3. Contribute to the business school or let us help you create your own scholarship.

These goals may sound considerable for one of us individually, but if we band together, we can move mountains. Each of us had someone along the way who gave us a chance, mentored and helped guide us. Be that person for a current GC business student.

-Kyle Aldridge, president
 Georgia College J. Whitney Bunting College of Business Alumni Council