For the second consecutive year, Elon’s Washington, D.C., Alumni Chapter has won the Capital Alumni Network’s 2014 Outstanding Networking/Social Development Award.
The award is one of several recognizing alumni chapters that define the mission of the Capital Alumni Network, or CAN for short, whose 250 chapters represent more than one million individual college and university alumni living in the D.C. metropolitan area.
“We are honored to be recognized by our peers,” said Nick Palatiello ’06, the chapter’s CAN sports chair since 2007. “To be selected as the top chapter—in a network of 200 chapters in the Washington, D.C., region—is the result of our dedicated volunteers who strive to provide diverse and exceptional programming for our chapter members.”
In the nomination for the award, Jennifer Heilman ’07, who served as the chapter’s president during 2012-14, listed all of the professional and personal development events that the D.C. Chapter has held since the 2013 CAN Awards, including:
- The chapter’s continued growth of its “Lifelong Learning” series with the first Personal Finance Seminar in spring 2013 hosted by Bennett Whitlock ’88, who provided advice on paying for college, investing and saving for retirement; its second Home Buying Seminar with real estate agent Thomas Snow ’08 in September 2013, followed in November by an Exclusive Networking Dinner, hosted by four experienced alumni who have been developing their careers during the past 15-20 years in the political and digital media fields; and other networking events as part of Elon’s National Networking Event Series in January.
- Hosting at least one social event per month, such as its “In Your Neighborhood Social” series and its annual Summer Intern Social in June with regional YAC members to connect students interning in the region with local alumni for networking and mentoring opportunities.
CAN is a community that fosters intercollegiate spirit and camaraderie among Washington, D.C., metro area college and university alumni chapters. It offers activities and resources that satisfy the athletic, social, educational, networking and community service goals.