Get To Know the Smith Alumni Board

The Smith Alumni Board (SAB) is a dedicated group of volunteers committed to enhancing the lifelong connection between alumni and the Robert H. Smith School of Business. As ambassadors of the school, SAB members work closely with the Office of Alumni Relations to create meaningful experiences, foster relationships and advocate for fellow alumni. Together, we promote the school’s mission and strategic goals, ensuring a vibrant, engaged community that supports the continued success of the Smith School and its graduates.

There are five committees under the SAB:

• B1G (Big Ten) Peer Engagement Committee
• Career Services Committee
• Nominations Committee
• Philanthropy & Membership Committee
• Social & Community Engagement Committee

This month, committee chairs from the Nominations Committee, Career Services Committee and the Philanthropy & Membership Committee share more about what each group aims to achieve and what it means to them to give back to the Smith community.

Nominations Committee:

“Getting people excited about remembering their experiences and where it has taken their career,” is one way SAB Vice Chair and Nominations Committee Co-Chair John Lewington, PTMBA ‘06, hopes to connect with Smith Alumni. The Nominations Committee’s mission is to expand the pool of Smith alumni who want to get engaged with the Smith community. Lewington, a Partner in IBM Consulting's Adobe Practice said, "The more engaged alumni members creates a flywheel effect that enables more programing, events, and career opportunities for Terps."  For this Smith alumnus, serving on the SAB is an opportunity to give back and provide both personal and career experiences, and gain exposure to the Terp network across a variety of industries. Lewington is always amazed to hear about the interesting lives our alumni are leading and career success.

Career Services Committee:

The committee’s mission is to connect students with alumni to create networking and learning opportunities. These alumni work closely with Smith’s Office of Career Services to bring alumni and students together through events and initiatives like career fairs, TNT, panel discussions and mock interviews. The committee also works with the Office of Experiential Learning to encourage alumni to create classroom learning opportunities for students through their organizations.

“As someone deeply passionate about mentoring students, I serve on the alumni board's Career Services Committee to inspire and guide the next generation of professionals,” said Committee Co-Chair Kabir Mulchandani, EMBA ’21 and managing director at Praetorian. Mulchandani said joining a committee or the SAB “offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact by shaping the careers and lives of students and fellow alumni.” The Smith Terp said it is also a meaningful way to give back “to the community that has contributed to your success while also gaining fresh perspectives and fulfilling the shared goal of strengthening our alumni network.”

The Philanthropy and Alumni Membership Committee:

Now in her fourth year serving on the SAB, Evette Lewis ’93, an employee benefits consultant, is the current SAB secretary and co-chair of the Philanthropy and Alumni Membership committee. The committee works with the Smith School’s advancement team to execute outreach programs, increase alumni membership, formulate fundraising campaigns and promote giving opportunities. “There are some exciting fundraising programs scheduled for 2025,” Lewis said. Programs include a monthly breakfast club, an exclusive cognac tasting event for CEOs, a Super Car display event for alumni engagement and panel discussions with Terps from various industries.

“My involvement with the Philanthropy and Alumni Membership Committee stems from my gratitude for the opportunities my University of Maryland (UMD) degree has provided me,” Lewis said. “Serving on this committee is the perfect way to combine my passion for giving back with my commitment to fostering lasting connections among UMD alumni.”