Page 22 - NJC Newsletter 2014-Spring

Message From the
Philip Chambers, Alumni President
Alumni President
Dear NJC Alumni,
It is indeed both an honour and a pleasure to introduce myself to you as the incoming NJC Alumni Association President. I have been involved on an informal volunteer basis from time to time over the years, so I am thrilled to be able to get much more involved with NJC, hit the ground running and, with the support of the Canadian Advisory Committee and fellow alums, to move forward in creating a strong and sustainable alumni network.
Admittedly many of you are likely asking yourselves what the Alumni Association is? As first mentioned in NJC e-News last spring, the NJC Alumni Association is a new initiative to, first and foremost, reconnect alumni to the school in a more proactive and tangible way. This will, in time, involve social gatherings, an improved alumni website, and much more. But of course, the Alumni Association has many other objectives. We aim to connect alums to each other, both within and between years; the networking potential, from both personal and professional standpoints, is significant, and this is an asset to both current and future alumni alike. We also know that NJC alums are really themselves the best promoters of the school, and the statistics show that, time and time again, a majority of the student body still becomes aware of the College through a personal connection. Above all, a connected alumni community helps to ensure the long-term sustainability of NJC.
In 2013, a strategic framework was created in order to better set in motion a clear and consistent trajectory for NJC alumni affairs going forward. It is with this framework as our compass that the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association will take next steps in 2014 and beyond. I look forward to keeping you informed about our progress and how you can reconnect with your class, the wider alumni network, the school and its initiatives.
Best regards,
Philip Chambers
Alumni President
please contact nJC at alumni@neuchatel.org to express your interest in volunteering for the Alumni Executive or one of its committees.
20 Neuchâtel Junior College Magazine
Introducing the newest member of the CAC and Alumni Association President, Philip Chambers, Class of 2000.
A Torontonian growing up, Phil embarked on the NJC adventure to gain some international experience and has never managed to shake off the travel bug. After completing studies at Queen’s University and the London School of Economics, Phil worked for periods at the Canadian Embassy in Washington and Barclays Bank in London, England. He subsequently spent a few months improving his Arabic-language skills in Damascus, Syria, before moving to Ottawa to begin a career transition into law. Having completed common and civil law degrees there, Phil is currently working at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in the Middle East. An avid traveller, Phil is always keen to meet NJC alums around the world to share stories and solicit their engagement to assist the school and in continuing to make NJC a unique experience for the next generation.