Chapter Superlative Awards

Event/Activity: Greater-Alleghany Highlands for Blue-Gray Banquet

Community Service: N.C. Triad for First Responders Recognition

Special Collaboration Award: Peninsula, Tidewater, and Williamsburg chapters for their Tri-Chapter Sponsored Golf Tournament, which raised more than $30,000 for scholarships

Golf: Prince William

Website: Orange County.

Other chapter awards

Most Improved Chapter: Atlanta

Outstanding New Chapter: Savannah

Outstanding Volunteer

Call it a family affair: Every August, John Diering (mechanical engineering '65), along with his wife and son, can be found putting on one of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association chapters' most popular and long-standing traditions, The Baltimore Crab Feast. Known not just for the crabs but also for corn-on-the-cob and cinnamon cake, this famous event is now in its 41st year, with Diering as host every year since 1967. Diering's commitment to his chapter proves that without dedicated volunteers, our chapters would not be as successful as they are today.

Outstanding Chapter Officer

Pam McConnell (horticulture '72) was nominated for this award based on her exceptional service to the Alumni Association.

In just one year, McConnell organized the Chattanooga Chapter and assumed the role of president, with the chapter receiving that year's Outstanding New Chapter Award. The next year, the chapter was named an outstanding chapter and has since received an Outstanding Chapter Award each year, all under McConnell's guidance as president. McConnell was scheduled to step down but remained in office when the president-elect could not assume his responsibilities due to job commitments.

McConnell is not simply involved in every event for the Chattanooga Chapter, she is the leading force in most of them, coming up with such innovative activities as having alumni bring cell phones to a pizza party to contact other alumni about attending upcoming events or otherwise getting involved.

She has presented her ideas, suggestions, and advice at the Alumni Association's chapter officers meeting, and many of the other chapter presidents communicate with her directly for suggestions on how to improve their chapters.

For information on serving as a volunteer in the alumni chapter program, contact Debbie Day, associate vice president for alumni relations, at 540/231-6285.

There are 120 chapters and clubs in 41 states serving alumni. For more information concerning a chapter near you, go to www.alumni.vt.edu and click on Chapters and Clubs.