Alumni Chapter leaders from across the country gathered at Alumni House in March for the Cal Alumni Association’s Alumni Chapter Leadership Conference, a convening focused on sustaining the Berkeley community beyond campus. Across two days of discussion, leaders came together to deepen their understanding of the university’s current challenges, share what is working in their own regions, and consider how Alumni Chapters can continue to serve graduates, students, and the university itself.
Some of the weekend’s most urgent conversations centered on what is changing at Berkeley now. Dr. Fabrizio Mejia, Interim Vice Chancellor of Equity and Inclusion, spoke about access in admissions and the responsibility to keep widening opportunity for students across California. He described an approach that considers the context of a student’s life, including the support they had, the barriers they faced, and the circumstances they navigated before applying. He also pointed to a critical gap between admission and enrollment, especially for lower income students who may turn away from Berkeley without enough clarity about financial aid or available support. In that space, alums can make a real difference. A conversation, an introduction, or a personal reflection from someone who once stood where they stand can turn uncertainty into possibility.
Athletics offered another window into Berkeley’s changing landscape. Jenny Simon-O’Neill, Co-Director of Athletics, discussed the university’s move to the ACC after the collapse of the Pac-12 and the pressures that came with that decision. The travel is demanding and the costs are real, but the shift has also opened a broader national platform for recruiting and visibility. For alumni leaders in the room, the conversation quickly became local. When Cal teams travel, Chapters often turn a game into a gathering place. Simon-O’Neill described a Boston trip where hundreds joined a tailgate and thousands of tickets were sold for the game. That kind of turnout does more than fill seats. It shows student athletes that their community travels with them. It shows prospective students what belonging looks like in real life.
(Keep an eye on upcoming tailgates and other events in your region here.)
Outside the formal sessions, a different kind of insight surfaced in the stories leaders told about their Chapters. Victor Chan, B.A. ’97, co-president of the Chinese Chapter, spoke about the pride of helping lead a Chapter more than a century old. Its legacy can be measured in longstanding connection, but also in what it has given back to campus through fundraising for the East Asian Library and more than 30 scholarships each year. His focus now is to ensure younger alums feel that same sense of welcome and responsibility.
In Reno/Lake Tahoe, Navgeet King Zed, B.S. ’16, described a Chapter that has raised scholarship support for students while building a culture that depends not on titles, but on people showing up for one another. In Washington, D.C., Susan Escallier, B.A. ’88, reflected on the power of bringing students and alums into the same orbit, where sharp minds with different perspectives can still work together toward something better.
Perhaps the clearest expression of the weekend came from Cheryl Wright, president of the Black Alumni Association, who described leadership as community and service. She spoke about the responsibility to be what was missing when she was at Cal and defined her chapter through three guiding qualities: joy, Black excellence, and support for the community.
The Chapters may be spread across states, generations, and professions, but the work at the center of them is remarkably close to the heart. It is the work of calling someone in, making a place for them, and keeping Berkeley alive wherever Golden Bears gather.
For more information on our Alumni Chapters, please visit us here, or check out our many events.
Photo Credit: Don Collier
