Edina Residents Dominate University of Minnesota Alumni Association

For the last 15 years, Edina residents have dominated the leadership of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA), increasing the organization’s efforts and impact throughout the Twin Cities metro community and making the University of Minnesota a better place to attend.  While Edina residents and former UMAA national presidents Denny Schulstad and Dave Mona are quick to distinguish the organization from a fundraising entity, they do not downplay the association’s importance to the university. Alumni who are part of the UMAA are responsible for promoting and connecting others to the University of Minnesota.Founded in 1904, the association primarily serves as an advocate for the university and offers a window into campus news. According to Mona, the university has no greater advocate than its alumni association. Lobbying by the UMAA has increased government funding, which has allowed university programs and research centers to continue their expansion.Of the University of Minnesota’s 435,000 living alumni, 260,000 live in Minnesota. That’s a 60 percent retention rate, which is 2 percent higher than fellow Big 10 university Ohio State. Edina is home to 4,801 of the University of Minnesota alumni. The only other Minnesota city that hosts more Gopher alumni is Eden Prairie, with 5,444. While not all of these alumni belong to UMAA, many of them, such as Schulstad and Mona, joined to give back to the place that offered them so much.“You can get a good education anywhere, but the University of Minnesota is so much more than that,” Mona says. “If you do it right, you’ll make friendships and connections that will serve you well for the rest of their life.”Schulstad agrees with Mona. They grew up in the same south Minneapolis neighborhood; Mona graduated from the U in 1965 and Schulstad in 1966. They remain friends and credit a great deal of their professional success to networking through the UMAA. Schulstad, a retired brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, also served on the Minneapolis City Council. Mona, a former reporter for the Minneapolis Tribune, became a local public relations pioneer and retired from Weber Shandwick, the region’s largest public relations firm, this summer.Thanks in part to the UMAA’s ability to promote its school’s academic prowess, the University of Minnesota consistently ranks among the nation’s top 100 colleges in U.S. News & World Report, recently ranking #25.  Last year, Times Higher Education ranked the U 47th out of the top 400 research universities in the world.“People are passionate about this university and all that it does,” Schulstad says. “A lot of places can teach math and physics, but if there is going to be a cure for cancer, a new ‘Apple,’ a new medical procedure, etc., it’s going to come from the U and its incredible research centers. And we’re proud of that.”The Alumni Association’s recent milestones include the building and grand opening of the McNamara Alumni Center and TCF Bank Stadium. Mona was president when the alumni center opened in 2000, while Schulstad was at the helm for the dedication of the new Gopher football stadium in 2009. Schulstad was responsible for bringing notable alums back for this special moment in Gopher football and marching band history. Approximately 10,000 people attended the event, which, thanks to Schulstad, featured speakers such as Indianapolis Colts’ coach and former Minnesota quarterback Tony Dungy and world-renowned tuba player and former Edina resident Stan Freese.That got the UMAA thinking: Why don’t more alums come to campus to speak? This question sparked the organization’s recent mentoring and guest speaker initiatives.“We are working on getting successful grads to come and speak in classes, and inspire current students,” Mona says. “Mentors are so important, and who’s to make that program happen other than the alumni association?”From a new football stadium dedication to the opening of the McNamara Alumni Center, Schulstad, Mona and other Edina residents who are part of the UMAA share similar landmark memories. But the greatest factor that unites Schulstad, Mona and 60,000 other members of the alumni association isn’t just pride in what they’ve accomplished, but love for their alma mater.They consider the University of Minnesota to be one of the best and most innovative campuses in the country. To learn more about how to get involved with the UMAA, visit minnesotaalumni.org.