By Amanda Weber

Budget concerns have been part of the economic landscape for awhile now. At the University of Washington, it is critical that those who lead determine the best ways to work around these deficiencies without cutting into the mission of the University, which is “the preservation, advancement, and dissemination of knowledge.”

Eddie Pasatiempo

The UW Alumni Association plays a key role in maintaining and accomplishing these goals. At the beginning of the fall quarter, UWAA President Eddie Pasatiempo (BA, 1977) finished his one-year term, and in stepped Colleen Fukui-Sketchley (BA, 1994). This was the first time in the history of the association that two consecutive presidents are alumni of the Department of Communication. UWAA board members are elected volunteers.

Colleen Fukui-Sketchley

Pasatiempo served as president of the UWAA when revenue for the association was cut by 25 percent. “It came in two flavors; one in budget and one in a credit card affinity that expired,” said Pasatiempo. As president it was his job to figure out how to sustain activities with fewer resources.

The UW Alumni Association is involved with many important entities that engage the UW community including the lecture series, travel program, and fundraisers for student scholarships. Funding for the UWAA also goes toward athletics, the Career Center, and the publication of the Columns and Viewpoints magazines that reach hundreds of thousands of people.

When faced with budget issues, Pasatiempo planned a strategy of attack. “There were three tenets in terms of leadership direction that I challenged everyone with: As leaders we need to make sure that we’re creative enough to ignite higher possibilities for this organization, ensure the viability of the organization, and create an alignment in order to do both,” said Pasatiempo. “So we had to align with the institution, membership, staff, and volunteers.”

Pasatiempo says that everyone went above and beyond what was expected to sustain the activity of the UWAA, despite the challenges. The Board of Trustees invested seven times as many hours last year than in the history of the board. “Paul Rucker, the new Executive Director last year, assumed a tremendous amount of responsibility. Connie Kravas did everything in her power to make sure the cuts were as minimal as they could be,” he said. “That’s a testament to the board of trustees, not calculating the extra hours staff put in.”

As Pasatiempo moves into the final annual rotation of his voluntary service as immediate past president, Colleen Fukui-Sketchley vows to continue down the path that was set for the association and for the UW community. Fukui-Sketchley is determined to persevere, as did Pasatiempo, and contends that the budget issues are really an opportunity to look at the association from a new perspective, and streamline its actions to make sure it’s relevant and sustainable in the long term.

“We’re putting it against a litmus test to ensure the viability of those particular programs,” said Fukui-Sketchley. “This is our time to evaluate and make sure we’re doing things that are meaningful for our constituents, and we’re asking them about our viability, and what we do, and what’s relevant to them.”

One initiative the Alumni Association is focusing on this year is legislative advocacy. “The UWAA voted, for the first time in the history of UW, to get involved in civic engagement and legislative advocacy,” said Pasatiempo. Last January, the UWImpact.org website was launched as a means of providing information on issues affecting the viability of the UW. It offers efficient ways for alumni to identify and contact elected officials regarding legislation affecting the UW. “We’re spending a lot of time on this, to make this a robust initiative and one that is systemic,” said Fukui-Sketchley. “We will grow and utilize it in many ways to mobilize our alumni in meaningful ways that will help the UW.”

Pasatiempo acknowledges there are still obstacles to overcome, but is certain that the excellence of the University supersedes anything that can be thrown its way. “The University is rich with talented individuals across the board. It makes me proud. Having served as the UWAA president, I got to see the University in action at multiple levels, and that’s the one thing I really enjoyed,” said Pasatiempo.

Nearing the end of her first quarter, Fukui-Sketchley said she has found joy in working as the President of the UWAA and she looks forward to what’s to come for the UW community as a whole. “It’s really fun work. I understand the value of membership and having that kind of relationship with an association like this. I’m really honored to serve.”