Keith Ellis '12 | UCMAA Board Immediate Past President
Why did you apply for the UC Merced Alumni Association Board of Directors?
I applied to the UCMAA Board to give back to the community that gave so much to me beyond the education and degree. I wanted to continue the legacy I had started as student and make a difference. I want to pay forward for the next generations of students and alumni. I knew that money would be needed to do the many ambitious ideas, and while I couldn't contribute much in terms of the dollars I knew I could leverage my network to provide support through a culture of philanthropy and pay it forward. Later on my purpose for being on the Board to providing leadership and supporting Board members in achieving their goals as alumni leaders.
How do you balance being on the UCMAA Board with your personal and professional committees?
The time commitment for serving on the Board is emance given all the meetings and events, but I always keep in mine that I am a volunteer and that I have to frame my contributions based on what is realistic. Given my skills and experience, where is it most meaningful for me to contribute and how best to contribute. There are times of the year where I contribute a lot of my time like in Spring around Bobcat Day and Commencement in particular, and there are times like the Summer and Winter/Holidays that I contribute very little of my time. If something is important enough to me, I will make the time for it.
