Georgia Magazine

Vic Sullivan

Special photo

For many of us, the University of Georgia is a big part of our families. The prospect of visiting campus, especially on a football Saturday, brings with it thrilling anticipation. I’ll never forget my first Georgia football game as a child when an old man sitting in front of me yelled to the team, “Are you dogs or puppies?” then proceeded to bark with all his might.

Like many of you, UGA graduates are scattered throughout my family, starting with my dad who has a ’51 BS and ’59 MBA, and my mother’s ’56 BFA. Uncles, aunts, brothers, cousins and a new sister-in-law are proud UGA alumni as well. But I probably take the most pride in saying that I’m also a Georgia parent with my son, Victor, having just graduated last spring from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and my daughter, Margaret, in the same college and enjoying her junior year.

The friends I made while at UGA and the ones I’ve made through staying involved with the university are among the blessings I hold dear, with the UGA Alumni Association being a big part of that. I am truly humbled to have the opportunity now to lead the Alumni Association as president, especially considering the outstanding legacies of the leaders who came before me. Special thanks to immediate past president Trey Paris ’84, ’85 as he helped lay the groundwork for some of the Association’s greatest efforts, including the opening of our new Atlanta Alumni Center location and the upcoming inaugural recognition of the 100 Best Bulldogs Businesses which will be held January 30, 2010. For information about this exciting new program, including nominations and sponsorships, please visit http://www.uga.edu/alumni/100bbb.

The Alumni Association is not only your conduit for ties to college days past, but a network of benefits—both social and tangible—for today and in the future. The collective voice of more than 250,000 living graduates is something special, and your membership in the UGA Alumni Association can assure that the bonds of being a Georgia Bulldog will never be broken. If you are not a member, I hope you will consider joining. Our web site address is http://www.uga.edu/alumni.

“Are you dogs or puppies?” the old man asked. I’ll answer with “Bulldogs!” and proud to say it.

—Vic Sullivan (BBA ’80), President UGA Alumni Association