Guide Dog Class Lecture: Alumni Association

Congratulations on your graduation!

Guide Dogs for the Blind is proud to be the first guide dog school to establish a formal Alumni Association. As a graduate of GDB — whether our Guide Dog, Orientation and Mobility Immersion (OMI), or K9 Buddy programs — you are now officially enrolled!

GDB’s Alumni Association (AA) will use our power of partnering to improve quality of life by building a strong, sustainable community of support among our 2,200 alumni. We will work to support alumni successes with their guides, in building relationships with others, and contributing to the GDB community.

Many exciting programs are offered to you through the Alumni Association. Since its establishment in 2005, several GDB grads have developed geographical and interest-based chapters. Most Alumni chapters meet virtually, providing an opportunity to participate regardless of location. Your association also offers alumni reunions, web-based seminars and discussion groups, networking opportunities, fundraising and client outreach activities, and the quarterly newsletter, Alumni News.

Our Alumni Association is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of GDB alumni with a wide spectrum of talents and interests. The Board also serves in an advisory capacity to GDB staff and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Corporate Board of Directors. AA Board Directors can serve up to two 3-year terms — and those terms are staggered, so be sure to watch out every year in your Alumni News for information on how to apply.

Please feel free to contact any of the AA Board members with your concerns or suggestions regarding GDB. The list of Board

members and their e-mail addresses can be found on GDB’s website. If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, or assisting with one of its projects, please contact us at [email protected].

Annually, the Alumni Association Board also identifies various topics that are of interest to fellow GDB Alumni, to develop goals and working project teams. Standing project teams include:

· Alumni Chapters Team

· Communications Team

· Nominations Team

The GDB Alumni Association plays a vital role in creating community and building peer support. We look forward to your participation!

You can stream the audio of the class lecture here via a Soundcloud widget. If you are using a screen reader, please select the "Play" option below.