Fred Sweeney To Lead Cal Poly Alumni Association

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Fred Sweeney, a Cal Poly architecture graduate and principal with PMSM Architects in Santa Barbara, is the new president of the 14,000-member Cal Poly Alumni Association, the voice of more than 144,000 living university alumni.

Sweeney received his bachelor's degree in architecture from Cal Poly in 1974. He is currently a member of the Dean's Leadership Council for the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. He led the $1.5 million fundraising campaign for the George Hasslein Endowed Chair in the college.

Sweeney has more than 20 years experience designing higher education projects and is a member of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Achievement Council and the Santa Barbara Art Museum’s Collectors Council. He is the founding president of the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara and has served as past president of the Santa Barbara Chapter AIA and past director of the California Council AIA.

He will serve as the CPAA president until June 2012. He took the reins from outgoing CPAA president John Sweeney (B.S., Civil Engineering, 1989), who served from 2008-10. (The two are not related.)

In serving as president of the Cal Poly Alumni Association, Fred Sweeney will also lead its 22-member board of directors. Sweeney said his goals for his term on the board include putting the university's alumni association on par with those of other top national and international universities, making the CPAA board more reflective of Cal Poly's six colleges and all of its alumni, and developing a financially sustainable association.

The Cal Poly Alumni Association is moving toward a model of all-inclusive membership for all 144,000 living alumni, he said. "We want to increase our presence among alumni, students, faculty, staff and university leadership at Cal Poly," he said. "We've worked to reorganize the entire board during the past two years from 44 members to 22 members, making us much more agile when we need to move quickly."

"Now we want to move our alumni association into a level that is commensurate with our status as one of the top universities in the nation -- and internationally."

Cal Poly Alumni Relations Director Kim Gannon said Sweeney has been a hard working volunteer in his previous years on the CPAA board. "Fred Sweeney is a wonderful example of someone who is passionate about Cal Poly and really wants to reach out and engage others. During this time of leadership change at Cal Poly, I can't think of a better person to serve in this capacity," she said. "Fred will work tirelessly to keep alumni informed and connected and realizes the important role they serve as ambassadors and advocates."

Sweeney and his wife, Jane (B.S., Child Development, 1972) live in Santa Barbara. When not working or volunteering, Sweeney is an avid watercolor artist with works in both private and public collections, including reproductions throughout the Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara.

For details on the Cal Poly Alumni Association, visit www.alumni.calpoly.edu.

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