Letter to Our Fellow PAAC Alumni – State of the Chapter

February 2005

In last year's State of the Chapter, we talked of three goals that PAAC would emphasize – Membership Recruitment , Greater Visibility within Community , and the Grace Asuncion Endowment Scholarship . 2004 was truly a landmark year for PAAC and its associated members, marked by significant achievement and visibility in all these goals.

• The first PAAC/Grace Asuncion Scholarship recipient (Jovy Estremos, 2 nd year) in September
• A sold-out “Nipa Hut in the Vineyards” Wine Tasting event presented by Elaine Villamin (class of 1996) in November
• An inspirational “Call to Service” speech by Robyn Rodriguez (MA, Ph.D., 2004) at the PAAC Student Alumni Mentorship Dinner in March
• Record attendance at our happy hours in San Francisco , LA Metro, and NY Metro
• Recruitment of new members through active outreach in the alumni and student communities
• A new “web look” and infrastructure for future growth

Ask your fellow alumni who have attended PAAC events throughout the year, and they can attest to the enthusiasm and commitment of our alumni. The current students (i.e. “our future alumni”) recognize it. The extended community recognizes it. The California Alumni Association, as a whole, recognizes it.

As I shared at the Wine Tasting event in November, it's a great time to be a Cal alum . Yet, PAAC itself is at a critical crossroads. It goes without saying the burden the University faces amidst our state's budget crisis. PAAC has also suffered because of this budget crisis. For PAAC, 2005 will be a year of continued growth and membership expansion despite increasingly limited resources.

Today, PAAC needs your financial support to continue providing the community activities and events that you all have enjoyed in the past few years. PAAC is an independently run, 501(c)(3), non-profit organization that operates through the generosity of its members and extended community. PAAC does not have membership dues. PAAC does not get direct financial support from the University or the CAA. Yet, all the events in the past year did not magically appear without the commitment of financial resources and fellow members' volunteer time.

In the next six months, PAAC will launch a fundraising campaign for operating expenses – logistics for future events and resources for membership recruitment. You will be contacted by mail or phone call by a PAAC leader. However, I ask you to be proactive as a PAAC member by not waiting for a letter or a phone call but by offering your contribution by contacting us directly. To fulfill PAAC's potential, your shared resources of time and money is critical. As in all efforts, no contribution is too small.

You are an essential part of this community. We hope that you will play an active part in it. 2005 will be an ambitious year for PAAC with future events already being planned. Only with your active involvement and contributions can we achieve these goals. I look forward to you being an integral part of PAAC's success this year.

For updated news and coming events, please check www.paac.com . We look forward to a great 2005! Go Bears!

Sincerely,
Virg Cristobal '97
President