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Concordians connect in Toronto and New York

Alumni take advantage of vibrant chapters to grow their professional networks — and have some fun along the way
May 2, 2011
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By Liz Crompton

Source: Concordia Journal

Members of the Alumni Association’s New York chapter at a recent event. In the photo are chapter co-presidents Russ Makofsky (centre, wearing dark suit and tie) and Alexandra Wong (far right). Lina Uberti, Alumni Officer responsible for Geographic Chapters, stands just to the left of Makofsky. | Photo courtesy of Alumni Relations
Members of the Alumni Association’s New York chapter at a recent event. In the photo are chapter co-presidents Russ Makofsky (centre, wearing dark suit and tie) and Alexandra Wong (far right). Lina Uberti, Alumni Officer responsible for Geographic Chapters, stands just to the left of Makofsky. | Photo courtesy of Alumni Relations

New York City, June 2: John Parisella, the Quebec government’s top-ranking official in the U.S., will speak to Concordia alumni at an exclusive reception hosted by his office. Oh, and the university’s president, Fred Lowy, will be introducing him.

Not shabby connections for alumni to be rubbing shoulders with. The event with the Quebec Delegate General is happening thanks in large part to the New York chapter of the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA), which with its local volunteers organizes events at which members can network with each other — and with highprofile leaders such as Parisella, himself an alumnus and one-time special communications advisor to Lowy.

Connecting its alumni is one of the main objectives of the CUAA, which has 21 alumni groups around the world. Supported by the CUAA and the Advancement and Alumni Relations office, volunteers organize events and activities in their area to foster fellowship among grads, provide networking forums, and encourage alumni to think of themselves as ambassadors of the university.

The biggest concentrations of alumni in Canada and the U.S. are found in, respectively, Toronto and New York.

Russ Makofsky, the New York co-president, says alumni living there generally put business first. “At the end of the day, Manhattan is a fast city, a competitive city. People are looking for connections, business friends, and the number 1 priority is to meet people in their respective fields,” says Makofsky (BComm ’07).

That doesn’t mean people can’t enjoy the get-togethers. A staple on the New York calendar, for example, is the annual Canadian Universities Alumni Reception — a massive social event that attracts hundreds — which the Concordia chapter follows with an exclusive function for its own alumni.

“It’s very easy to relate to people who went to Concordia,” says Makofsky, a native of Long Island, N.Y. “Alumni from all walks of life can share similar experiences due to the rich and distinct culture of Montreal.”

Toronto, May 18: Closer to home, some of the 9,000-plus Concordia alumni in Toronto will take in the English-language premiere run of Forests, the latest play by Wajdi Mouawad. He wrote Incendies, the film version of which was a finalist at this year’s Oscars.

With about eight events a year, the Toronto chapter is among the most active. Chapter president Ian Garmaise says alumni there are attracted by a variety of events.

“We’ve tried to diversify the range of events we offer,” says Garmaise (BA ’84), citing wine tasting, pub nights and theatre outings among its activities. “Each one attracts a different set of people.”

While the Toronto crowd likes its culture and its fun, Garmaise senses a growing interest in making business connections. The chapter drew a sell-out crowd to an upscale pub night last winter that featured alumnus Joe Mardini, a Bell Canada vice-president, as its guest speaker. The interest prompted plans for further such networking and career events, which appeal to young graduates and those in transition.

Concordia alumni in Toronto and New York City may have somewhat different goals, but one thing is clear: They enjoy keeping in touch with those who walked the same university halls in those formative years of young adulthood.

“A group of seven or eight of us went to a Canadian bar in Manhattan last night to watch the game,” says Makofsky. “We had poutine, and chanted ‘Go Habs go!’”

Related link:
•   Geographic chapters for Concordia Alumni
•   Concordia's Alumni Relations



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