MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends of the Mandel Center,
The excitement over our new building continues to grow as we move closer to selecting an architect. Thanks to the generous gift of $6 million from the Mandel Family through the Mandel Supporting Foundations, our new building is expected to be complete by Fall 2007. It will provide needed classrooms, common areas for students, conference rooms, and office space for administrative and academic purposes. It will also continue to serve as the home for the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council. The new building will be centrally located on Bellflower Road, close to our partner schools and it will provide a distinctive presence for nonprofit studies on campus.
I would also like to recognize the recent achievements of two Mandel Center faculty members. David Hammack has been elected President of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), a national organization of people dedicated to fostering through research the creation, application and dissemination of knowledge on voluntary action, nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. Dennis Young has been named in the Nonprofit Times annual list of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector. In addition, Dr. Young received the ARNOVA 2004 Award for Distinguished Achievement and Leadership in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research.
We welcomed 52 students in our new classes this year between the fall and spring semesters. The caliber of our students continues to grow each year and this year is no exception! I am very excited about the potential and diversity of our new class as well as the enthusiasm of our Student Leadership Council, led by Stephanie Raufman.
We would like to welcome two staff members to the Mandel Center. Patricia "Pat" Heilbron joined us as the Director of the Treu-Mart Youth Development Fellowship Program. The Fellowship Program is a new initiative that has been jointly developed by the Treu-Mart Fund and the Mandel Center to enhance the leadership skills of youth development professionals working with middle school youth. The concept of this program is truly visionary and Pat's exceptional leadership skills will bring our vision of creating an exemplary program for youth development professionals to life.
Additionally, we are pleased to announce that Robyn Sandys Roche is the Mandel Center's new Director of Development and Marketing. Robyn has over 20 years of marketing, development and community relations experience in a wide variety of organizations, which include public television and radio stations in multiple markets, a regional newspaper chain, neighborhood development organizations, and a convention and visitors bureau.
We are very fortunate to have two such wonderful additions to the Mandel Center staff!
Sincerely,
Susan Lajoie Eagan
Executive Director
