Taryn Merz Howard '79, the new Alumni Council president, says Union's alumni body is a changing entity, and she hopes that Alumni Council decisions will reflect that change.
Howard, chief of staff in The Private Bank of the Union Bank of Switzerland, says that the alumni body is becoming more diverse as women fill a larger proportion. Her biggest challenge, she says, will be to represent that diversity.
The second woman to serve as Alumni Council president (Barbara Burek '75 was the first), Howard says that she was mildly surprised four years ago when she was nominated as second vice-president. “I think I became president in the buffet line at one of our meetings,” she says, explaining that then president Joe Zolner '76 asked her if she was interested in taking a greater leadership role in the Alumni Council.
Her affirmative response that day led to a spot on the executive committee.
Howard joined the Alumni Council just after her tenth ReUnion, where she was nominated to become her class representative. Her husband, Robert Howard '78, had become involved in the leadership of his fraternity, Alpha Delta Phi, and frequently traveled to Schenectady. Since they were often so close to Union, she decided to accept the position.
“I had a great experience at Union and it's had a big impact on my life in terms of my success, and I wanted to give something back,” she says.
Howard has worked in systems marketing, client service projects, management consulting, and administration. She says she landed her first two jobs directly because of her experiences at Union.
In her current position, Howard supports the head of the Private Bank, acts as a liaison with Zurich, runs projects, and heads administration. “I'm basically a jack of all trades,” she says. “It helps that I can manage a lot of things at once.”
Howard likes the diversity of her job-it reminds her of the moves that she often made while growing up with a father who worked for NASA and the Air Force. “I think one reason I loved Union was because I
stayed there the longest time,” she says. “I got used to change, but by the time I got to college I liked the stability of being in one place for four years.”
As a class representative to the Alumni Council, she helped set up the Westchester Alumni Club and served as its president. She also was a member of the career planning committee and went on to chair that committee. Recently, she
was involved in the first Leadership Roundtable for Alumnae, held in New York City last fall.
“I like having an impact, being able to shape what happens and what's going on,” she says. “Being a woman, I think I'm part of the change that is occurring in the alumni body. I think I can help the council adapt to that new environment.”
Howard encourages alumni to get involved, helping with admissions, career development, or fundraising. “Fortunately, my impression working with alumni is that people are usually interested in one of the three,” she says, emphasizing that even the smallest effort can help: “You'll feel good about it and Union will appreciate it.”
Howard and her husband, Robert, live with their two children, Courtney and Jordan, in White Plains, N.Y.