Trustee Candidate: John H. de Jong, D.V.M.
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If you have not received an email with a link to the ballot, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@tufts.edu or 1-800-THE-ALUM (800-843-2586). There will also be a ballot in the winter issue of Tufts Magazine.
Election deadline: April 2, 2012, 11 pm EDT
Weston, Mass.
B.S., International Relations and Biopsychology, 1978
D.V.M., Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, 1985
B.A., Political Science, Tufts, 1981
Occupation:
owner/operator, Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic; CEO and director of Veterinary Medicine, Boston Animal Hospital
Tufts Activities:
Undergraduate: Tufts Alumni Council 1990–2010, emeritus member since 2010, served as vice president, Executive Committee director, chair of Development, Audit, Nominating, Homecoming, Traditions Committees; co-chair, Class of 1978 reunions (1983–present); TAAP; Internship/Wintership host; Senior Dinners host
Veterinary: Veterinary Alumni Association 1985–present—class representative, former vice president; chair, Class of 1985 reunions (1990–present); chair of Veterinary Alumni Fund
Non-Tufts Activities:
Executive Board, American Veterinary Medical Association; weekly columnist, Boston Herald; featured monthly guest, WRKO’s Howie Carr Show; chief surgeon, Merwin Memorial Clinic Low Cost Spay/Neuter program; class agent, Choate School; co-chair, Ushers Committee, Church of the Redeemer; coach youth football and lacrosse sports programs; past president, New England Veterinary Medical Association; past president, Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association; past president, American Association of Housecall Veterinarians; past president, Boston Rugby Football Club; former chair, Boston Finance Commission
Statement:
I am humbled and honored to be nominated to serve Tufts as a trustee; a university that gave me the privilege of being the first international relations major and the first undergraduate to go to the veterinary school. Currently, there is no veterinary alumnus on the Board of Trustees and I believe that there is a need for diverse representation from all of the schools in our university on the Board.
A Tufts trustee today has the opportunity to shepherd the university under new leadership facing multiple challenges. Today, more than ever, education and economics are inextricably linked as students and their families face the difficult task of finding ways to pay for college and postgraduate degrees while not bankrupting themselves in the process. The biggest challenge facing the trustees and the new president is to continue to provide excellence while not necessarily being compromised by economic limitations. This holds true for attracting and maintaining exceptional faculty, providing the physical plant and structure needed to remain relevant and at the forefront of our nation’s premier educational institutions, and most importantly to continue to bring the best and the brightest students from across the country and the world to Tufts.
I believe in the philosophy of servant leadership, and I have been able to give back to Tufts in many ways over the years. Serving as a trustee will allow me to make an even more substantive contribution and provide me the opportunity to mentor others to serve, including the future alumni that will be among the leaders of the world. I believe that I can provide valuable insight and assistance in the areas that trustees are responsible for, including fundraising, public relations, policy, curricula and programming, investments, and growth. I look forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.
