For Stella Ho ’97, CMC has always been about relationships. Now, as the new president of the Claremont McKenna College Alumni Association (CMCAA), she aims to strengthen connections across generations of alumni and create more opportunities for alumni to support and mentor students.
In her role as CMCAA President, Ho serves as an ex officio Trustee on CMC’s Board of Trustees (she also was previously an Alumna Trustee). Currently the CFO and COO at CFT Capital Partners in Los Angeles, she has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
In this Q&A, Ho discusses her goals for the Alumni Association, why staying connected matters, and the enduring value of her CMC experience.
When you were asked to take on this role as president, what excited you the most?
So many things. At the forefront is being able to make an impact on both students and alumni on a more personal basis.
I feel such an attachment to CMC because of the very close relationships I have built over the years, whether with professors, staff members, alumni, friends, or students that I've mentored and helped with their career progression over the years. I love feeling like I made a difference in a student’s life because I connected with them, or introduced them to someone, or helped them prepare for a job interview and it works well in their favor. That’s where I think I can have a real impact. The hope is that these people then pay it forward and support the community and those coming up behind them.
I also want to focus on initiatives with greater reach to engage alums that look back on their CMC experience fondly but aren’t actively involved. CMC has evolved so much, especially over the last 10 years, so some alums may not realize how much has changed at the school, and in so many amazing ways. I’m excited to find creative ways to reconnect them with CMC in some form or fashion.
What’s one way the CMCAA plans to make an even greater impact on students and alumni?
Everyone on the CMCAA Board has committed to at least one coffee chat this year, whether that’s in person or virtual, and to make one introduction, whether that’s alumni-to-alumni or alumni-to-student. That may seem small, but when multiplied by the more-than-50 people that will be doing this, real things can happen that build our network and impact the lives of a lot of alumni and students.
Recently, the Alumni Association voted to merge with CMC, whereas it previously operated as its own corporate entity. What opportunities do you anticipate this new structure will yield?
The CMCAA Board has historically worked in collaboration with the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement to accomplish its goals. This merger formalizes our partnership with the College, from a governance perspective, but it does not change the core ways we operate as a Board. The Alumni Association is already so closely integrated with the folks on campus—the students, the staff, the faculty, the administration, and especially the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement—this restructuring should only enhance our ability to collaborate and make an impact.
I see this merger as a way to preserve alumni involvement in the life of the College, and add substantively to the student experience. The voice of the alumni will continue to play a meaningful role in the the future of the school, its culture, its identity. Alumni help the College achieve its mission, and the CMCAA should take pride in that responsibility by providing input and creating community. Overall, I see this as a path for even more active collaboration and a closer connection between the CMCAA and CMC.
CMC alumni span generations, industries, and countries. How can the CMCAA can create a sense of connection across such a diverse community?
We are making a conscious effort to ensure that the CMCAA Board members represent a diverse cross section of the alumni—diversity in class year, yes, but also diversity of perspective, because the things that people in their 40s and 50s value may be different than what those in their 20s and 30s, or 70s and 80s, value, and we want to make sure that we're representing and connecting with all audiences. We’re also thinking strategically about the best ways to reach out and stay connected because different generations communicate in different ways.
As we become more and more global, we’re evaluating programming that helps us stay in touch with our international students and alumni who have moved overseas. We want to reinforce the idea that we are a community-minded school, very personal in nature, and we look out for each other no matter where in the world our people are.
What has compelled you, personally, to stay engaged?
Most people who know me know that so much of my involvement with CMC stems from my relationship with Professor [Marc] Massoud [Robert A. Day Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Accounting]. My friendship with him now spans 30 years. I have such a special fondness for him. Anything he asked me to do, my immediate response was yes, of course. Over time, my involvement with CMC has evolved: attending the Annual Accounting Banquet and sitting on career panels morphed into serving on the Board of the Robert Day School [of Economics and Finance], which morphed into being on the FEI [Financial Economics Institute] Board, which morphed into being part of CMCAA.
My investment banking and private equity firms actively recruited at CMC, and I have spent more than 20 years working with the Soll Center [for Student Opportunity], speaking at corporate presentations and interviewing students for internships. I even got my husband to start hiring summer interns for his company!
Looking back, what experiences at CMC most shaped the person and leader you are today?
When I was a student, if you asked me what I wanted to do, I don’t think I would have said CFO of a private equity firm, but the networking and relationships I’ve built within the CMC finance community have been huge and led me to where I am today.
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The other major influence, which is maybe little bit more fun, was serving as an RA. I was always like the big sister, taking care of everyone, trying to impart words of wisdom to younger students about how to best navigate their college experience. Coincidentally, a big portion of my career has been looking after the junior ranks—managing the analysts, associates, and summer interns and making sure everyone had good experience. In so many ways, the skills I developed as an RA became very useful in managing people and dealing with challenging situations in my career.
What’s one CMC tradition, place, or memory that still makes you smile?
Green Beach! I was the RA in Green. My room looked out onto Green Beach and I shared a suite with people, some of whom are still my best friends today. Our friendships started there and have continued to be a huge part of my life. Three of my four bridesmaids—Julie Chen ’97, Joyce (Chen) Shen ’97, and Diane McGimsey ’99—were CMC grads! While I have so many special memories from CMC, my experience at Green, specifically, was such a defining part of my life back then, and that carries on today in the relationships that I’ve maintained ever since, so it’s a very special place for me.
Beyond service, you’re also a generous supporter of the College. What inspires your philanthropy?
When I look back on the most transformative stages of my life, CMC is one of the most significant periods, so I feel a deep appreciation and loyalty to the school. I feel confident that my contributions are going to have an impact, and it makes me happy to contribute. It feels important. I want to make some sort of mark at CMC, not only with my dollars, but also with my time and my service. I got so much out of it and I hope that I can help other students and alumni form lifelong relationships like I did.
And I’m still getting so much out of CMC. I was recently on campus for ImpactCMC and the 50 Years of Co-Education Celebration Kickoff. It was so inspiring to hear stories from Jack Stark ’57 GP’11, Jil Stark ’58 GP’11, and the first female students. I wonder if I would have been so bold and brave to make the choices they made back then. They are the embodiment of responsible leadership. I hope I am doing my part to continue their legacy.
Besides financial support, what are some of the most meaningful ways alumni can stay engaged with CMC?
The most important thing is a willingness to maintain a personal connection with the people that you’ve met over the years and connect the dots when opportunities arise. Be willing to pick up the phone or respond to someone’s email or do that 30-minute interview to share your words of wisdom. If you don’t think you can help the student or the alum with the specific ask, but know someone who could, you could make that introduction. That’s not hard to do! It can be a five-minute thing that could make a huge difference in someone’s life.
My goal as CMCAA President is for students and alumni to view the CMC community as a useful resource, both personally and professionally. But it’s not just about what you can offer to the community. It’s also about what you can get out of the community. It goes both ways.
Listen to Stella Ho ’97, along with fellow guest Miles Bird ’12, discuss what keeps alumni coming back to CMC, the mentors and opportunities that shaped their paths, and what they hope for the College’s next 50 years on a special episode of CMC Conversations recorded live at ImpactCMC.