Webb alumni, students, family members and corporate friends in Southern California enjoyed an evening with President Bob Olsen on January 13th at Tom Ham’s Lighthouse in San Diego.

The reception  provided an opportunity for alums to renew friendships, for students and parents to interact with local alums and some of the major employers in the area, and for President Olsen to get to know more alums on a personal basis – all while taking in the bay front view of the San Diego skyline and the Coronado Bridge.

The 29 attendees enjoyed a terrific surf-and-turf buffet dinner (hosted by Webb trustee Jay Carson ’73) that was accompanied by a slide show of campus photos.  Trustee John Malone ’71 served as emcee for the after-dinner program, which began with Jay Carson speaking of recent activities of the Trustees’ Planning and Fine Arts Committees, and Joe Luckard giving an overview of employment opportunities in shipboard integration at General Atomics.

The main event was President Olsen’s highlights of recent developments at Webb, which sparked lively dialogue with alums and students on a wide range of subjects including Webb’s financial health and fundraising efforts, admissions and student retention, international student exchange, and internship opportunities. It’s fair to say that a good time was had by all, and there is significant interest in holding such events in San Diego more frequently.