To educate and to serve its community most effectively, a university requires dedication, investment, and involvement from many sources—not least of which is the community itself. That is why we rely on so many members of “Mason Nation” to guide and help build the university. They include boosters of athletics; friends of education, research, and the arts; and community leaders. Among them are alumni from every discipline. Your support for Mason takes us faster, farther—and when you volunteer, your service is vital to Mason’s success.
This is Volunteer Week. A national observance marked in the United States since 1974, the week offers an important opportunity to thank the many volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise to make the work of this university possible. From the Board of Visitors to the George Mason University Foundation trustees, I am honored to be a witness, first-hand, of the extraordinary care and prudence that volunteer leaders bring to their leadership and fiduciary responsibilities. Moreover, those volunteers are joined by advisory board members and volunteers across the university who take a keen interest in the affairs of this university across every division, school, and college.
From athletics to the arts, our need for volunteer leaders is great—and that need is matched and even exceeded by volunteer achievements. At the College of Visual and Performing Arts, for example, nearly 200 individuals across a dozen advisory boards provide a host of enrichment opportunities connecting students to the community. At the College of Education and Human Development, members of that unit’s campaign leadership committee have secured millions of dollars in private funding for the Mason LIFE program—as well as internships for CEHD students at prestigious institutions such as the FCC and World Bank. I’m especially proud of the advisory board of our Patriot Club, affiliated with Intercollegiate Athletics, which can boast 100% giving from its members. In so many ways, volunteer dedication drives this university on the move.
If you are a volunteer at Mason, I thank you; if you have a chance to serve on one of our boards or committees, I hope that I will have many chances to thank you personally. And if you simply count yourself as a member of Mason Nation, I invite you to stay involved! A suite of volunteer opportunities for alumni is available through our Alumni Association. You can also learn more about Mason from our school, college, and division advancement staff.
With appreciation, both this Volunteer Week and always,
Janet E. Bingham, PhD
Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations
President, George Mason University Foundation
April 26, 2017
