Members of the Creighton University National Alumni Board (NAB)came from all over the country to discuss the future of the university as well as their experiences as alumni on Nov. 4th and 5th.
The board consists of 18 official members who are undergraduate, graduate and professional school alumni. Usually, it meets twice a year in Omaha, for a series of presentations from various university departments and branches.
There are also two unofficial members who play important roles on the board; assistant vice president for Alumni Relations Anna Scherr Nubel, who graduated with a master’s degree in 2003, and current Creighton Students Union President and senior in the Heider College of Business Kayman Nixon.
“The AB has allowed me to remain engaged with an institution I love,” said David Black, the director for Washington affairs for Union Pacific and a 2005 graduate in business administration. “My colleagues and I have a great time returning to campus twice a year for meetings with administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Father Schlegel used the phrase that Creighton was regionally dominant and nationally prominent.
“The past 10 years have surpassed our expectations and alumni are very excited to see the new era under Father Hendrickson,” Black added. “My focus will be to ensure that regardless of all the success Creighton achieves, it remains a fun and family-like environment.”
As an unofficial student member, Nixon has been able to see the board from a different perspective.
“This group of alumns truly care about Creighton University, and specifically the Creighton student experience,” Nixon said. “So they love being able to speak to current students about their experiences. Since I will be an alumni in just 6 months, I would love to come back to campus in the future and see more students and faculty of color. The more diverse our campus becomes, the more we will be able to get a holistic view of what is happening in our country and our world.”
The Nov. 4-5’s activities included the men’s basketball game against University of Missouri Kansas City, a tour of the new ambulatory center and a cocktail reception with Creighton President the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, S.J.
“I have a tremendous amount of gratitude to all of the faculty, staff and students who influenced my life during my time at Creighton and as president of the National Alumni Board I feel I am able to pay back a small portion of what I owe to the University, said NAB president Ryan Zabrowski, who graduated with a business administration degree in 2001. “I think the university does a good job with its resources, but in this competitive higher education environment it will remain important to be good stewards of our resources.”
The next board meeting will take place in Phoenix. The board has plans to visit Creighton’s alternate campus for the School of Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.