When I first contacted Lee Bishop for a telephone interview, he sounded very enthusiastic about the opportunity to talk about the Rensselaer Alumni Association, which he has been the President of since 2001. He was very relaxed and outgoing—even in the middle of his working day. Surely running a global shipping company is not a simple job. Perhaps after 38 years of experience in the naval business even this complex job can become habitual and easier to fit other things around. How else could Lee Bishop take the time to be present at all the major events at Rensselaer and coordinate the work of the Rensselaer Alumni Association?
“I have been an active member of the Alumni Association because I enjoyed my time as a student at Rensselaer,” Bishop says. “In my fraternity house, I made many friends. I also appreciate the education I got at Rensselaer. I have done well thanks to that education.”
A member of the class of 1960, Bishop holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a masters degree in science in management from Rensselaer at Hartford. He has supported Rensselaer by chairing or serving on many boards, activities, and events. He was the national chair of the Rensselaer Annual Fund from 1998 to 2000 and the president of the Rensselaer Alumni Association from 2001 to 2003. His main incentive is helping to improve the Institute for its current and future students.
“I think of the Alumni Association as a triangle between the alumni, the Office of Alumni Relations, and the campus community,” said Bishop. “The students are the most important part of the community because the Institute exists primarily to educate students. Since the students are really alumni-in-training, the focus of the Alumni Association is to improve the Institute and broaden the involvement of the future alumni.”
The Alumni Association tries to get input from alumni from as many classes as possible into improving student life, but, as Bishop points out, the most critical input comes from the current student population. In that respect, the Alumni Association has strengthened relations with the Red and White student organization. The president of Red and White now serves on the Alumni Association board and on the student life committee. Red and White students attend events organized for alumni and acquaint the board with aspects of student life relevant to the work of the Alumni Association.
There are a number of issues that currently take priority in the work of the Rensselaer Alumni Association. Last year it established a strategic plan, a five-year vision comprised of fourteen specific goals, which Bishop calls the Association’s We Wills. One of the main goals this year is the expansion of the electronic mail database, to facilitate better contact them and to keep the alumni informed about campus activities. The database, which started out with about 300 alumni, now includes about 30,000 alumni.
Currently the Alumni Association is also working on expanding the so-called affinity program. “So far we have focused on individual regional chapters,” says Bishop. “We have found, however, that there is increasing interest among alumni for groupings that are directed toward professional development.” The affinity groups are focused on a specific profession or specific interest, so that alumni with similar interests can get together to network, discuss professional issues, and share business ideas and concerns with like-minded individuals.
The re-establishing of a regular homecoming event will be the main focus for the Alumni Association in 2004. The homecoming would be specifically directed towards the young alumni. The reunion system is set up so that graduates meet for the first time five years after their graduation. According to Bishop, this time period is long enough for many connections to be lost, not only among the graduates but also between the graduates and the campus community. The Student Life Committee along with the athletics department is working on this initiative.
With all of the on-going projects, Bishop’s workload seems to be growing, yet he still finds time to participate in all the major events at RPI. At the Big Red Freakout, he welcomed alumni, students, and other guests at the Heffner Alumni House before the game. As he points out, these events are among the most rewarding experiences from working in the Alumni Association. They give him to chance to interact with students and to see how while the Institute is constantly evolving it continues to nourish some beloved traditions.
