Letter from Lee Reynolds
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I am excited to update you about the new JayMac.
Our college’s alumni association was formed in 1983 with two objectives:
- To promote esprit de corps for Gaylord College and its faculty, students and alumni
- To encourage the pursuit of excellence within the college and among the practitioners in the profession
Since 2016, with the vision and generous help of JayMac President Hannah Rieger, we have re-organized and re-energized JayMac and have discovered a multitude of journalism alumni talent along the way. It has been wonderful reconnecting with our alumni and hearing their stories. Our more than 11,000 living alumni are using their talents and degrees in media settings, in corporate and not-for-profit positions and in interesting entrepreneurial endeavors. It just underscores our belief that a J-school/Gaylord College degree is the best degree on the OU campus because it provides a strong foundation for any employment opportunity.
The JayMac Board - an incredible working Board - today consists of 25 alumni who are sharing Gaylord College news and achievements all over the country. We have Regional Alumni Representatives in New York City, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Washington, DC who are planning alumni events and serving as essential alumni ambassadors. As a result, we are finding alumni who want to come back to campus to share their stories and professional wisdom or help deliver admissions boxes to high school seniors. Great momentum is in place and I cannot thank this Board enough for their commitment and time.
JayMac has also become a key partner in organizing and guiding the Dean’s Leadership Class, a new initiative that was started last semester for 30 freshmen who we heavily recruited to come to OU and Gaylord College. I appreciate all the help of Hannah Franklin, Rebecca Howe and Chelsey Kraft on the Dean’s Leadership Class activities.
This November 7, the JayMac Board will be helping with the first reunion of the Gaylord Ambassadors, a program which began in 2006. The new JayMac now has a website, a quarterly e-newsletter, monthly alumni profiles and regular social media postings. We are very excited to share our new JayMac logo with you with big thanks to Enxhi Mustafaraj, a Gaylord College Advertising senior who designed it for us.
The momentum continues! We unveiled new and improved JayMac by-laws at our February 14 JayMac Board meeting. Kudos to Katy Koontz or her good work on amending these new by-laws.
Honestly, I owe the entire JayMac Board a debt of gratitude because the new JayMac is a reflection of this working Board’s efforts.
On July 1, Katy Koontz, will be taking over as JayMac’s President as Hannah Rieger’s term will expire. We welcome Katy’s talents as we continue to improve JayMac.
If you have interest in getting involved or want to share your story, please let me know.
Thank you for your support and know the doors at Gaylord College are always open for you to visit.
Lee Reynolds
Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Class of 1977