After a successful four-year tenure as
President of the GS Alumni Association (GSAA), Philip Ehrlich (GS‘88) is stepping
down, handing the gavel over to Steven Helmholz (GS‘91)
Ehrlich says his involvement with the
Association began “almost by accident” about ten years ago; upon registering for
a lecture offered by the Association, Ehrlich was approached by Lucille Roussin,
then-President of the GSAA. Saying she needed
a “recent graduate,” she invited him to join the Board of Directors.
“A few months later, when the need
for a new Treasurer arose, Lucille drafted me in that straightforward manner so
wonderfully typical of her, saying: ‘You work on Wall Street – you’re our
new Treasurer’,” Ehrlich recalls. He
was left with no option but to accept.
After serving as Treasurer for five years,
in 1993 Ehrlich became Vice President. Halfway
through that year, however, Lawrence Platt resigned as President, asking Ehrlich to take
his place. Although he was reluctant at
first, it was Ehrlich’s gratitude to the School – a feeling not uncommon among
GS Alumni – that made him accept the new role. He
recalls, “my involvement with the Association grew as I was asked to take on
additional leadership. I’m very glad I
did what I did; I had a wonderful experience.”
On his responsibilities as President,
Ehrlich says, “I always felt it was a privilege to represent all the talented people
who graduated from GS. Over the course of the
years, I tried to keep in mind that I wasn’t doing this only for myself, but on
behalf of all alumni.”
Ehrlich considers his greatest
contribution as President to be the transformation of the Alumni Association, born more
than forty years ago as an independently incorporated organization, into a fully
integrated organ of the School of General Studies. Until
a few years ago, GS did not have the resources to support a fully developed Alumni
Relations Department. “Although
independent,” Philip recalls, “the Alumni Association served as the alumni
relations program of the School, organizing and financing many of the alumni-related
special events, lectures, and newsletters for the School.”
As GS reorganized under Dean Gillian
Lindt, it became apparent that Alumni Relations should
not remain an independent entity. Lindt and
the GSAA Board of Directors had the opportunity to combine their alumni relations
resources. Working closely with Dean Lindt, a
team consisting of Ehrlich, Fred Seigel, GSAA Treasurer, and Kate Mellor, Executive Vice
President, took on the difficult task of drafting an agreement enabling the Association to
become integrated with the School while at the same time maintaining its influence and
identity. After almost a year of negotiating
and garnering support, Philip presented a proposal that was unanimously accepted by the
Board of Directors. (Please see related story
“Alumni Association Endows Scholarship.”)
Last June, at the final Board meeting over
which Ehrlich presided, the Board presented
him with a gavel engraved with his years of service in recognition of his dedication,
generosity, and vision for the School and its Alumni.
