Messages

From the UBAA President

Embrace youth culture for a vital alumni association

Marc A. Adler
President, UB Alumni Association

WHILE IT’S OFTEN SAID that “youth is wasted on the young,” in my mind, nothing could be further from the truth.

As a UB alumnus and adjunct professor of marketing, a partner in a local marketing communication agency and the father of two college-age sons, I am surrounded by youth culture. It is a culture of technology as much as a culture of giving back. My sons’ interests lie in getting ahead as well as helping others to achieve. Networking is an important component, and they are eager to make the right connections—many of the people they wish to meet are UB alumni.

We at the UB Alumni Association are taking our cues from this younger generation. Although it can be challenging to keep up with rapidly changing trends, it’s more important than ever to stay current if we are to forge better and more meaningful relationships with UB students and with our young alumni. For example, I’ve modified my teaching and communication style over the years to meet students’ needs, and I make sure to learn the latest technology (I’m an avid Facebook user), television (I applied to be a contestant on Survivor, but didn’t even get a callback), music (I love Coldplay) and recreation (I’m pretty good at Wii bowling and am looking forward to using my virtual skills on the actual lanes this winter).

Given this openness to youth culture, it’s only fitting that the newest UBAA initiative for younger alumni is Graduates of the Last Decade, or GOLD. The GOLD group promises to provide leadership and career development opportunities, encourage community service and social networking programs to cultivate the next generation of UB leaders both at the university and in their communities.

I have many ideas on what we can do to make the UB experience more fulfilling for students and alumni—I’d love to have your input as well. Feel free to e-mail me (marc@flynnandfriends.com), add me as a friend at Facebook (I’m in the SUNY Buffalo section), text message me (716-523-1957), or even snail-mail me (c/o Flynn & Friends, 437 Franklin Street, Buffalo, New York 14202).

Tell me about what made your time at UB a success, or let me know what you might have changed. I look forward to hearing from you and am honored to serve as your president.

Marc A. Adler, MA ’83, MBA ’82 & BA ’79

President, UB Alumni Association

Marc A. Adler, MA ’83, MBA ’82 & BA ’79, partner, Flynn and Friends, was elected to a two-year term as president of the UB Alumni Association in May 2007.