Following the sudden December death of Joseph Fernandez '85, George Billings '72 has taken on the responsibility of maintaining connections with nearly 100,000 alums as president of the Brown Alumni Association. Billings, who is also the newest trustee of the Corporation, said he plans to continue Fernandez' work in building relations between current students and alums.
"If you're in class with very interesting, competent people, all of those competent, good, committed and interesting people go on and use all those adjectives when they graduate," Billings said. "The 93,000 (alums) are a community that you as an undergraduate are a part of. So how could I not want to make it possible for more people to connect?"
Future plans
Billings said he will continue to strengthen the association's existing programs, in part by better integrating the student and alumni populations. He said the association's Alumni Schools Committee currently interviews more than 90 percent of applicants, the first step in establishing a bond between alums and the next generation of undergraduates. He also mentioned BRUnet, a job networking website that connects students to alums who are established in prospective career fields. Currently, about 5,000 alums list their contact information and work experience in a directory students can access on the site.
Billings said the association will also work to maintain international connections through social networking initiatives and by continuing to support Brown clubs and reunions.
"I figured the best way we can honor Joe is to continue the good works that he and others started over the decades," Billings said. "That's one part of it. I hope we can broaden our outreach and appeal to more members of the Brown community."
The Corporation approved Billings as a new trustee Feb. 12, filling the slot reserved for the association's president. While Billings said he is still learning about his new role, he believes the University's highest governing body is aware of the challenges it must address in the upcoming years. "Brown, like all institutions, is adapting to maintain its relevance on the global stage," he said. "One of Brown's challenges is determining what resources need to be raised and what resources need to be applied in carrying on Brown's strength into the future."
Billings said he believes his expertise as a management consultant provides the skills necessary to fulfill his role as a trustee. He currently serves as president of consulting firm Billings and Company.
"My work in the past has involved fixing organizations that were profoundly broken and, in some cases, working with organizations that were very healthy but had a lot of opportunities," he said."I would put Brown absolutely in the latter category — healthy, relevant enterprise with great opportunities facing it."
Billings added that his experiences in consulting have given him the ability to develop long-term solutions for organizations.
Leadership experience
Billings' leadership history extends back to his days as president of the Class of 1972. Since then, Billings has stayed involved with the Brown community.
Prior to becoming president of the alumni association, he served on its board of governors. He was also a vice-chair for the Campaign for Academic Enrichment, the University's largest fundraising initiative, which topped off at $1.61 billion when it came to a close Dec. 31.
"Thanks to the campaign for academic enrichment, there are even more dedicated faculty and of course a lot of new programs and new initiatives," Billings said.
"George was one of the active members soliciting gifts and outreaching to alumni around the country," said Jerome Vascellaro, co-chair of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment. "I think he is a very special person."
Billings said he has seen Brown change over the years. "Brown is a much more cohesive place now than it was when I was there," he said. "I was at Brown during the height of the Vietnam War, and that was a period of unsettlement throughout the world."
But at its heart, the University remains the same, he said. "Brown then, as now, had an extraordinary, dedicated faculty with the continuing commitment to teaching at the undergraduate level," he said. "That's one thing that's really important. I think it goes to the foundation of Brown's relevance and strength."