Alumni Awards Dinner, a Thanksgiving Dinner for School Alumni

At this year’s annual Alumni Awards Night, it was quite a sight to see so many RIT alumni reuniting at the Rochester Country Club, one of the oldest county clubs in the nation. Each year the School of Hospitality and Service Management holds the event, congratulating alumni in their professional accomplishments within RIT’s longest-standing alumni group of 24 years. Eight awards were presented to alumni during the evening's celebration.

Dottie Alexander, graduate of 1945 and winner of the Sarah Margaret Gillam Memorial Award in 1958, was pleased to hear that Chrys Baldwin, graduate of 1978, was presented with the award this year. Like Chrys Baldwin, each winner was nominated for their work within the community and their professional accomplishments since their departure from RIT. After speaking with many of the alumni being presented with awards, it became clear that each one was accomplished: they loved their jobs, loved their community, and their school. Each alumni works hard to balance loving families and working difficult jobs while bettering the community of Rochester.

Director of the School of Hospitality and Service Management, Dr. Francis Domoy, began by welcoming everyone to the “celebration of alumni excellence.” He called it “our Thanksgiving.” Dr. Domoy reminded everyone that they were a family working together to build their family’s excellence in the professional and local field.

Dr. Domoy ended his speech by congratulating the arrival of the school’s new dean, Dr. Fred Walker. Dr. Walker spoke to alumni and faculty, describing how impressed he was with the school and how ecstatic he was to be joining such a great union of alumni. It is clear that RIT’s longest standing alumni group is a family dedicated to one another and their community.