When Henry Root (BA ’75, JD ’82) attended the DU Southwest regional team’s first happy-hour event in Santa Monica, he started a conversation with lasting impact.
The music attorney expressed concerns about a client whose son was struggling during his first year at DU. Members of the regional team asked Root to connect them with his client in hopes that they could help.
After conversations among Root’s client, the DU team and key campus partners, the student’s issue came to an ideal resolution. The student’s parent, Todd Cochran, was so grateful for the assistance that he has since increased his involvement with DU, becoming a donor and volunteer at the Lamont School of Music. A prominent jazz musician who has written and produced music for television and film, Cochran credits Root and the Southwest regional team for his deep involvement with Lamont, the lives affected through his volunteering and his son’s improved DU experience.
That kind of connection is at the heart of the work conducted by the DU regional teams. For about a year and a half, the teams have demonstrated the unique power of the DU “global network.” Located in New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles, they provide numerous opportunities for alumni, friends and prospective students to connect with one another and with DU. New graduates moving to the area, students (and their families) who are considering attending DU, and alums seeking social or career connections are discovering that their DU experience extends far beyond a degree.
In addition to the events and programs unique to each region, all of the regions have a series of “signature” events, including a DU night out at Major League Baseball games, welcome receptions for incoming students, Pioneering Adventures field trips, and Pioneering Conversations with thought leaders from campus and beyond.
“In the first year, the work of the regional teams has exceeded our expectations in enhancing our engagement with DU alums, parents and prospective students,” says Michael Ransom, assistant vice chancellor, development. “They are bringing DU to our regions and bringing a greater understanding of those unique communities back to DU in a way that can only happen when we have feet on the ground.”
More information: DU Regional Offices