Dear fellow member of the Columbia community:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Donna MacPhee, a 1989 alumna of Columbia College, as vice president for alumni relations and president of the Columbia Alumni Association, effective October 6, 2008.  Along with a deep commitment to her University, Donna brings two decades of experience in events, marketing, and financial management to her new position.

After earning her Bachelor's degree from Columbia College as one of the College's first female graduates, Donna went on to earn an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and then dedicated her career to companies related to professional athletics, including managing finances for various departments of the National Hockey League. For the past 10 years she served as co-founder and manager of Event Management Associates, a company that provided event and meeting planning services to a broad range of both not-for-profit and corporate clients.

Donna was a member of the Varsity tennis team as an undergraduate, and she has remained involved in Columbia athletics over the years as an alumna, serving on numerous committees and co-founding the Women's Leadership Council. This year Donna was chosen as one of Columbia's 25 most influential athletic alumnae.

Donna joins the Columbia Alumni Association at a promising time. Now in its fourth year, the Association continues to develop as an organization representing alumni from all of Columbia's schools worldwide. We also are poised to welcome alumni to a brand new Columbia Alumni Center opening in early 2009.

Donna's leadership will steward the great talent and engagement of our global alumni community as its reach continues to grow both locally and internationally.   Please join me in welcoming Donna back to Columbia.

Sincerely,
Lee C. Bollinger
President