I would like to introduce myself as the newly elected QUEST Alumni Board Chair.  My name is Steve Kutchi, and I completed QUEST with Cohort 1 in 1996.  At that time the program was in its infancy and named the IBM-TQ Program.  I graduated the Clark School of Engineering in 1997 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering.  For the last 15 plus years I have been designing wireless and satellite communications equipment for a variety of markets and needs including consumer, commercial, public safety, and tactical/military.

I reconnected with QUEST in late 2011 when I joined the QUEST Alumni Board, and was immediately impressed by the growth of the program and strength of the student and alumni fellowship.  Throughout the years I always valued my QUEST experience and relied on the lessons and skills earned from QUEST, however I hadn’t stayed close with the program.  I realized after my reconnection there was so much more QUEST could offer me and my fellow alumni by being a part of the QUEST Alumni Network.  More importantly the QUEST program and students greatly benefit from the input and participation from the alumni and their companies.  This realization really hit home at the gathering of alumni and students for the 20th Anniversary Gala.

I have high hopes for QUEST in the next 20 years, and we can all benefit from gains made in the next year.  I have lots of exciting plans for this next year, and I’d like to share two that I think are key to the QUEST program’s long term course.  First, I would like to strengthen and grow the alumni network and community.  The 20th Anniversary Gala was incredible, but there are so many more alumni out there that are not tied back into the program.  The alumni network benefits every alumnus across the country professionally and personally, and brings critical insight and support back into the program.  Second, the alumni represent an untapped wealth of ideas, talents, and financial support for the program.  I would like to see the percentage of alumni contributing to the program grow to 10% in the next year.  Your contribution of time, talent, or treasure shows support for the program and helps to grow the program which are key to the student experience and education as well as maintaining and growing corporate partnerships and resources from the university.

I am looking forward to your support in this next year in any way that you can contribute.  Please help me and the rest of the QUEST Alumni Board to support the QUEST program, administration, and staff to take a big step forward into the next 20 years of QUEST so we can gather for a 40th Anniversary looking back at how much the program as grown since today.

Sincerely,

Steve Kutchi

Cohort 1