Office of Alumni Engagement

San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Club

The Oberlin Club of San Francisco Bay Area is the newest chartered member of the Oberlin Alumni Association. Comprising over 2,000 Obies from 11 counties in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Alumni Club and its leadership are responsible for hosting events primarily throughout Silicon Valley, East Bay, and San Francisco.

San Francisco Bay Area Alumni Club

Normally over 24 events a year take place, providing networking opportunities and social engagement. Typical events include interviews with on-campus leaders, happy hours, monthly hikes, book group meetings, concerts, sports nights at the Giants' and Warriors' games, community service and the annual summer picnic celebrating both incoming freshmen and recent graduates as well as alumni. We have also developed career networking focus groups: Obies in the Arts, Obies in Non-Profits, and Obies in Tech.   

If you will be visiting the SF Bay Area and want to participate in our events, please email us at ocsfba@gmail.com to be included in the event e-invites.

Startup Model & Committee at Large:

The Leadership Committee is composed of five Obies: the Chair, Vice Chair, and three additional committee members. Organized on a lean startup model, our goal is that nearly 100% of our volunteers' energy is focused on the events they host. Each member of the small core group carries multiple responsibilities and supports our informal entrepreneurial structure. 

While the core leadership committee provides continuity, our "Committee at Large" is the entire alumni group. Our goal is to facilitate an open and easy creative diversity to stimulate ideas, interest and connections. We encourage every alumni member to initiate events.     

Many SF Bay Area alumni volunteer to host a new or special event. Alumni are also encouraged to be co-hosts helping meet and greet at the larger events, such as the Annual Summer Picnic and Spring and Fall Happy Hours. These co-hosts help the event go smoothly and provide diversity -- representing a range of graduation years, interests, and the different geographic areas around the Bay. This "Committee at Large" is very fluid and informal, so that alumni can come and go as their schedules allow and as the events rotate around the main geographic areas.  

SF Bay Area alumni can also volunteer as mentors, either at our Career Networking Workshops or working individually with recent graduates who are interested in informational interviews and advice.  

Historically the SF Bay Area Oberlin Book Group has been coordinated independently by two exceptionally dedicated volunteers, Michael Bank '54 and Adrianne Fine Bank '54, who are responsible for its success and longevity. It meets six times a year.

  • Chair: Sandy Miller '63San Francisco
  • Vice Chair & Community Service Coordinator: Joanna Sacks '85; San Francisco
  • Newsletter Editor & Career Networking Coordinator: Tom Breunig '79 (focus groups: Non-Profit & Tech); East Bay
  • Event Coordinator: Ed Milner '79  (monthly hikes, sports nights, on-campus interviews, concerts)
  • Event Coordinator: Amy X Neuburg '85 (focus group: Obies in the Arts)

Get Involved!

New volunteers are always a welcome! Contact any member of the Leadership Committee at ocsfba@gmail.com to get involved or share your ideas.

New to the area? Be sure to update your address (both e-mail and physical) with the Office of Alumni Engagement so you can begin to receive all Oberlin Club of San Francisco Bay Area communications.

Questions?

Contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at 440.775.8692 or via email at alumni@oberlin.edu.