The San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Chapter organised a happy hour get-together in August to celebrate Head of the Alumni Office, Carine Leu's passage through its home city. Now almost a year old, the chapter is about 30-members strong, and has significantly increased its size and attendance to its yearly events.

Much of the discussion at the event focused on the impact that the Institute has had on our lives - from rigorous professors to intellectual challenges, from exam questions to hours spent in the former library under the World Trade Organization, we alumni related to each other regardless of our graduation year. The positive memories that the Institute has left in our minds allowed us to make new connections. More than 9000+ kilometers away from Geneva, we have become a small community thanks to our common experiences and the power of the Institute's "glue".

The success of our chapter and our recent get-together demonstrates that one needs a conductor to lead an orchestra. The night was truly a reunion of good friends, even though some alumni were meeting for the first time. This is the result of months of continuous efforts by the chapter's leadership, Philippe Sion and Loytavian Harrell, in reaching out to individuals, and keeping the network alive. Carine Leu's presence, as the networker-in-chief that she is, provided a boost of support to the chapter. Her visit and her description of the Institute’s new Campus de la paix generated strong interest among the group in the upcoming International Alumni Reunion in Geneva on November 8-10.
Finally, there was a sense of pride in seeing the burgeoning of alumni chapters around the world at a quick pace, clearly demonstrating the global nature of the Institute. We, in San Francisco, are honored to keep the spirit of the Villa Barton alive, sittin' on the dock of the Bay, the same way we used to sit on the dock of the Lac Leman.