From our Advisory Board Chair

Dear Hart School community,

Happy Spring! I hope that as you read this you are enjoying a taste of all this season has to offer. My name is Doug Levy, and I am the chair of the advisory board, happily entering my second year in this role. I am excited to have this platform to reach out to you all and share some news from the board.

The last year has been quite a year for the Hart School. When I agreed to take over as the board chair in late 2019, I had no idea what lay ahead. Through many of the challenges that we all faced, some incredible accomplishments and truly amazing feats have taken place. None of this could have been done without the efforts of the faculty and staff, led by Stephanie, and the incredible colleagues I have the privilege to work with on the board.

For me, the greatest accomplishment of 2020 was Le Gourmet. As a group we were able to create a virtual event that surpassed our goals and expectations, and most importantly, benefitted the students. All of this began at one of our monthly coffee chats, an initiative that we added this year in response to our new virtual environment.

At our spring meeting we passed bylaws to help govern and organize the board, which will provide guidance for us moving forward. We have newly formed committees that will help with fundraising, experiential education, professional development, our spring and summer activities, and Le Gourmet. Through these groups our goal is to enhance each area of the Hart School and give our board members a chance to impact students in a more direct way.

We are looking forward to a busy spring and summer ahead and hope to see all of you participating in the second annual “We Hart Racial Equality 5K.” This Women in Sport and Recreation Management initiative is very close to endowing a scholarship for underrepresented students studying sport and recreation management at JMU. After that event we will be focused on Le Gourmet 2021, to be held on December 3 at Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia.

That is all for now. Thank you to each and every member of the Hart School family, and I look forward to connecting with you soon. Go Dukes!

Doug Levy ('05)
General Manager, Old Dominion Boat Club, Alexandria, Va.