Naval Academy Shipmates and Friends,
I hope this email finds you well and that you enjoyed the holiday season. I am writing to provide you an Alumni Association update from our semi-annual meeting last month, as well as pass along other Naval Academy related information. In case you have not received or noticed my emails before, I am the representative of the Eastern Region of our Alumni Association (which includes the Eastern seaboard states and points East to the 61
st meridian, but does not include Maryland, Virginia, or DC.)
Naval Academy Notes
Hoops: If you are a basketball fan, you can take advantage of inexpensive Navy tickets for both Men’s and Women’s Basketball home games. For $3 a person you can see the men play Colgate on January 26
th or Lafayette on February 9
th. Or see the women play Bucknell on February 2
nd. Also, on February 16
th you can see the Army-Navy Doubleheader for just $5. All games are Saturday games. Click on this
link, type promo code
USNAAA and choose your game
. You can
call
410-293-8785 if you have any questions.
Passing of Bo Coppedge: We lost a career servant of the Naval Academy last month, Bo Coppedge. I encourage you to read
this article for information on his life and service. CAPT. Coppedge was the first civilian Athletic Director of the NAAA after retiring from the same job as a Navy Captain. He believed the role needed more continuity than an active duty billet would allow for. Interestingly, during his time as AD he encouraged one of his top deputies to take the AD job at West Point in order to make the football program more competitive with Navy (could it be time for a similar move?)
Honor Weekend: At the home football game on November 3
rd, the Naval Academy Superintendent and the Alumni Association welcomed the families of shipmates whose names grace Memorial Hall in the inaugural “Honor Weekend”. About thirty family members representing fallen graduates from five decades of classes participated in the weekend’s events. The families were recognized on the field during the football game and were joined by the Superintendent, SECNAV, the Athletic Director, and the CEO of the Alumni Association. The families were thrilled and similar plans are being made for 2013. If you are in touch with any family members of shipmates who were lost in combat or training operations, please contact me if you would like to help get them involved.
Trident Newsletter: If you want to keep abreast of current events at the Naval Academy, check out the electronic version of the
Trident newsletter. (Heads up: You might find that the page loaded a bit slowly.
Alumni Association December Meeting Notes
Alumni Communications: Trustees and other Alumni volunteers serve on various committees that help guide Alumni Association (AA) staff members. I serve on both the Communication and Investment Committees. Because the Communications Committee has several new members, we met the staff and reviewed the many ways that the AA communicates. While Shipmate remains the core publication, the AA uses multiple forms of electronic communication to stay connected to members. This includes Wavetops (e-newsletter), Facebook, and the revamped USNA.com.
Superintendent’s Remarks:
It was again a pleasure to hear from VADM Miller, the current Superintendent. I don’t say that just to be polite. His energy, enthusiasm, and drive to make the institution better are always on display.
He highlighted achievements of the Brigade in the areas academics, athletics, and leadership / ethics. He also updated us on certain programs and strategic priorities.
Here are a few high points:
- He opened his remarks by affirming that the Naval Academy builds officers and leaders who someday might be called upon to defend our Nation.
- From the Brigade this year came 2 Rhodes scholars, 1 Mitchell scholar, and 2 Marshall scholars.
- Forty-four Midshipmen were sent overseas this year as part of an International Immersion program. Providing overseas experiences and experiential learning in general is a high priority for this Superintendent.
- The cyber security curriculum is now in its second year. All plebes take an introductory course and a course for 2/C is being beta tested this fall.
- Women’s golf was added to the Varsity sport roster, bringing the Naval Academy total to 33. Our programs are growing, not contracting like at other schools. He emphasized the importance of football revenue in supporting the low and no revenue sports.
- He discussed the activities of the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership and told us about two recent Lawrence Ethics Essay Award winners. One Midshipman was recognized for his analysis of the intervention in Libya, and the other for his writings on the role of contractors in combat.
Finances: I will share a few high level numbers with you and then direct you to several presentations that provide financial information on the Alumni Association and Foundation in varying levels of detail. As of June 2012 the Association and Foundation had combined assets of $198 million and total liabilities of $28 million. For the 12 months ending June 2012, the combined enterprise brought in approximately $22 million of revenue (excluding investment income.) Approximately $11.5 million was expended in direct support of the Naval Academy and $5.5 million spent on programs and services for Alumni.
Further Detail:
I will be back in touch in the late Spring / early Summer. I welcome any input on how to make these updates more useful. Thank you for your interest and please let me know if I can be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Jeff Webb, ‘95
The next USNAAAA Chapter event will be the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Game Viewing (Navy vs. Arizona State) on Saturday, December 29, 2012, at 4 p.m. at Smyrna American Legion Post 160. Please spread the word and RSVP / register by Sunday, 12/23/2012, at: