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GIA Alumni opens 12 chapters worldwide

April 10, 2008

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Carlsbad, Calif.—The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Alumni Association has opened 12 new chapters internationally this year and plans to open about 30 more by the end of 2008.

This increase is due to changes implemented within the last 12 months from suggestions made by existing GIA alumni.

The new chapters have been opened in the following locations:

Sao Paulo, Brazil; Athens, Greece; Chennai, India; Mumbai, India; New Delhi, India; Beirut, Lebanon; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Denver; Gulf Coast, Fla.; Louisville, Ky.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Greenville, S.C.

"We instituted these changes in our alumni program because we wanted to better serve our graduates. We wanted to stay in touch with our alumni and help them further develop their careers with continuing education and networking opportunities," GIA Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Linda Ellis Harmeling said in a media release issued on Wednesday. "These changes were made after careful research to take an inventory of the unique needs of our alumni and working with GIA Education and the Alumni Executive Council."

Other changes to the GIA Alumni Association this year include:

— Expanding membership to automatically include all GIA graduates who earn a diploma or certificate.

— A "Calling All Graduates" program designed to reconnect the GIA with its more than 200,000 historic graduates, many of whom the institute had lost touch with over the years.

— Discontinued dues, which expanded its active alumni members from a known population of approximately 4,000 individuals to more than 64,000 people in the first year.

— The creation and distribution of a Quick Start Guide, both online and in hard copy, which provides a resource in setting up a new chapter.

Also central to the growth of the alumni association is a continuing education program for GIA Graduate Gemologists (G.G.) and a related recognition system.

"Graduates had been asking for a long time for post-G.G. continuing education, more affiliation with other graduates in domestic and international chapters, and an electronic newsletter," Ellis Harmeling said.

To learn more about setting up a GIA Alumni Association chapter, e-mail alumni@gia.edu or visit the GIA's Web site, GIA.edu.

To receive the electronic newsletter, go to GIA.edu/alumni/35146/alumconnect__archive.cfm.
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