Unknown Speaker 0:00
Hello, this is Bill beakman, Vice President and athletic director here at Michigan State. And we are joined on MSU today by George Johnson, who is our new head of the varsity s club and our Director of Alumni Engagement in the MSU. Athletic Department. And so, George, welcome to the program. Thank you. Thank you for having me on the program. And thanks for having me a part of your team. So George, tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, how you how you came to be a Spartan and your your passion for working with alumni.

Unknown Speaker 0:36
Oh, going back many, many years ago, I was a student manager under Jed Heath Co. And it was a great experience. And Judd preached, supporting the program. And I was fortunate enough to be around a great group of guys from Scott Skiles to Kevin was in such and I just loved everything that I was exposed to at that time in my life. And through the end of my years of being a manager. Unfortunately, I was addicted and I never left. So I've always come back to maybe sporting events throughout my years. And I had an opportunity probably about nine years ago, eight years ago, where I got a chance to join the Alumni Board for the university. And I was able to serve under your leadership for a few of those years. And just I've always come back to sporting events, and has always felt like Michigan State was my home. Even though I worked in industry as an HR professional, I've always felt close. And I've had a 20 year runway, I've never missed a at least a single home football game the last 20 years, including last year in the pandemic. So I've got a 20 year record of at least tending one game. So I take pride in industry, and all that industry has done for me and my family.

Unknown Speaker 1:52
So tell us a little bit about how you're going to translate that passion into your new role and what you expect to be doing. Okay, well, thank you. Well,

Unknown Speaker 2:02
I think part of part of the part of the job is of course, as you mentioned, the varsity s club. Now that was established in 1915. And we have I guess, an estimated nearly 15,000 former athletes that are we represent, and it's connecting and engaging with them and making sure they feel welcome whenever they come back to him issue. And as they have left him issue, how we can extend an arm to them in their life journey. And so my job right now is working with all of our, our coaches and trying to find out how I can do a better job at connecting with their former athletes and making sure that we come available to them. Then working one more step further that bill, trying to work in the community to see what we can do with our current student athletes to make sure we're engaging in our community, we have a lot of fans that support our programs. And we want to make sure we're connecting with them as well. And so I'll be working closely with the Spartan fun, I'll be working closely with all of our coaches, I'll be working very active in house with our own current student athletes in the engagement team with that organization as well. And it's working with our regional clubs across the country. I just had an experience with Orange County, and I got a chance to meet some former sparks from the 60s and 80s. And it was a great experience and learning from them. What can MSU do to make sure they still know that we're there for them.

Unknown Speaker 3:27
Yes, it was. So well, I was I was pleased to have the opportunity to join you and, and spend some time for example with Clinton Jones, one of our great, great pioneers in our football program and, and it is always such a such a joy to to be able to spend time with folks like Glenn and hear about some of those memories from his past and how how Michigan State impacted his life. And really, that holds true from for so many people, each bringing his or her unique perspective. But those those guys that played for Duffy, back in the 60s were a very special group and and spending time with with Clinton in you was was a real honor this this past weekend. And so I'm hopeful that as the as the pandemic subsides, we can we can find ourselves in more of those really great conversations with with Spartans, not only of the 60s but but of all generations and learning more about their experience and how MSU has impacted their lives. So how do you see the your your job as as the head of Alumni Engagement and I think that, you know, the word engagement there is is important. It's a it's a it's an important way to look at it building that connection. How do you see the importance of Alumni Engagement fitting into the larger athletic department

Unknown Speaker 5:04
we just built a couple of days ago, I was fortunate enough to be on a zoom call with all of our coaches and one of our coaches said on the phone call or the zoom call, he said the most important thing isn't just with his current student athletes is getting the former athletes to come back. And that was important, because that's a tradition that he doesn't want to lose. And it brought such joy to know that our coaches care. And this culture wasn't with us 60 years ago, but he cares about the student athletes who participated in that sport over the last 60 years. I just learned last night that there's an opportunity that we're going to recognize some of our champions that we had in the 60s and in the 70s, this year to our celebration programs. And it's just trying to create an atmosphere where MSU is there in their life journey, one of the part of our mission is that we want to be there for our students when they're here, but we want to be in connected with them when they leave the university and keep that relationship ongoing. You know, for me, I've been very, very fortunate that up until a few years ago, co Chico passing, I had my yearly conversation all the five minutes for us. But I had my yearly conversations with him, where he would ask about me ask about my, my wife and my son, and he made me feel special. He's part of who I am. And he's made me continue to love the university the way that I do, just because of relation that I had

Unknown Speaker 6:29
it those are special relationships, not only between the alumni and the university, but really, between the alumni and each other, and the alumni and our current students. And those connections are really, really important. You

Unknown Speaker 6:43
know, and I will say the I mean, I've been fortunate, you know, I think we may have heard Tom say this, but you know, coaches will has been around the university now, since 1983. So that's what 38 years if my math is accurate, he's been around that long, and that 38 years of time, you know, he had a great connection with geneious, when would Gus canac is, and so he has, you know, guys, I come back from, from the from the 40s. I mean, excuse me, from the 50s 60s and 70s 80s. And when they all come together, I mean, it's my opportunity to come and join you in a team. Now, I've received great support from guys like Brett kelser, who I was down with when I was here as a student manager, but because of the program and the tradition that we had, you know, he was ecstatic and willing to reach out however he could, to me and to the program. So it's been a great reception from all and everybody wants to keep that going. And so I'm just, I'm just humbled and honored that we have that kind of relationships with our student athletes that they want to stay connected, they're looking forward to so I'm looking forward to our first tailgate this fall when we can unmask hopefully a mask. And we can laugh and shake hands and go back and tell the stories what it was like and get ready to bring on football this year. And just and just celebrate each other because it's been a tough year. But it's I look forward to hopefully a joyous occasion, we'll be back together this fall.

Unknown Speaker 8:09
Now it is particularly fun sometimes to spend time with. With some of the older alumni I remember being at a two years ago at the basketball reunion, and in time, so so kindly invites back as many basketball players as he can possibly find, and talking with, with an older gentleman who who played basketball, I think in in dem Hall. And you know, and it's just a very different environment. And, you know, many many decades ago and it's a meeting alarms. As we did this weekend, I was talking to an older hockey alum, who remembers playing hockey and dem Hall and commenting that the the ice was harder and they liked they liked the demo ice. And I'm not as sophisticated enough skater to tell the difference between harder ice and softer ice but but but there are some fun old stories there about about the demo Hall ice and, and bringing those those people back to campus and, and keeping our younger alarms and older alarms connected. And all of them connected to our students is really, I think so much of what we are at MSU that that brings brings great value to everyone.

Unknown Speaker 9:31
I think you hit the nail on the head with that one because when I had a chance to talk with him myself as well, the first question he asked is how can I help? You know? And I said, Just hearing about you and learning about you? is fantastic. And then there was young lady who was a cheerleader and 2016 2015 and she says, Hey, are you that guy that always walked with the basketball players that said yes. And she says, Who are you and I introduced myself and she said hey, you Anything I can do, I'm willing to help. And she was a cheerleader. So we have a rich tradition here. And and I'm humbled by this opportunity. But I do need to truly, I'm going to work hard as a servant to all of our former athletes to making sure we're doing the best that we can and being a good arm and a support with them. That's the goal.

Unknown Speaker 10:18
So what makes you well suited for this role other than your what our listeners I think could pick up is a pretty effusive personality.

Unknown Speaker 10:26
Well, I would like to think that bill, you know, from an external standpoint, I had a chance to spend the last 30 plus years I won't tell my age. in corporate America, I had a chance to work with probably six of the prominent employers in Michigan, from Ford Motor Company to General Motors, Dow Chemicals Steelcase spectrum, health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and in my journey of working in all these places, I've been in human resources. And one of the areas I got some certification is, isn't team building and working with teams and, and knowing how to help people reach their goals. And so for me, I had an opportunity. And this is story you may not know, but I had an opportunity. But 20 or 20 years ago, with Ford Motor Company, I teamed up with Rebecca at the time she was in, she was in the spiring. For me, she is in the fund organization that she is in now. And I was able to bring him back over 500, alongside Ford Motor Company to spend a day and we had a tailgate party, here at the university. And so I've always had great passion and pride for the university. But I've also have a passion with people. I always tried to do my best to make sure that program was always in front. And I like to think I've had a lot of great mentors along my life journey to help me when it comes to connecting and working and trying to help

Unknown Speaker 11:49
others that certainly you're George, who you are and what you've become. And, and and many of the reasons that that we're excited to have you have you joined Spartan athletics as our as our Director of Alumni Engagement. So, any anything so far in your relatively short tenure? That's, that's been a big surprise.

Unknown Speaker 12:12
I think the the outreach of former Spartans reaching out to me asking how they can help. We have a lot of individuals who care about this university, and they all want to help, they all want to be involved. I hate to say it, you know, we don't think about us probably as much as I probably do. But people love to come back for football games, they love to come back for other sporting events as well. But because football can house so many people in our facility, they look they're looking forward to coming back. This has been a tough year. You know, and but people are looking forward to coming back. And I'm just looking forward to that Saturday, when we can laugh, hands, throw football, hopefully I get a hamburger from somebody. But that whole enthusiasm of coming back is what everyone's looking forward to and supporting our current athletes. I've had a chance for me selfishly, I pinched myself, I walked across campus, and I get to say, I'm hearing them issue. I'm more than just a fan. I'm hearing me shoot. And then I asked how can I help and that's where my enthusiasm and passion and desires come from? I want to help. So you

Unknown Speaker 13:22
mentioned work working for for co chief code as a manager. And and and Judd had quite a personality. Any any funny judge stories you're willing to share?

Unknown Speaker 13:35
I can tell one hopefully, you know, I won't get in trouble. But this one, so it was in 1985 I think it was we had we had a home game. We're playing against Ohio State. And at the time, we're getting ready to have Richard Mudd going the game. It's a double overtime game. And Richard's going again. And we had these jerseys. They had snaps in the front. I mean, the jackets and Richard had his own should have had it off at halftime, but he did. So he gets called to go into the game. And my job as a manager was to grab the uniform and take it back to the bitch well, so in my eagerness to grab a uniform, I grabbed the jacket off him and didn't realize Jen was standing behind me and my elbow connected with Jen in the face. And he suffered a bloody nose. I was scared to death. I won't lie. We did win the game. We didn't win the game. And that night, I did not go in the locker room after the game. I went back to Brody where I was resigning, because I was too afraid to come back to face coach. And the next day. He told me that I should be thankful we won the game.

Unknown Speaker 14:47
GEORGE We usually try and wrap up these conversations with a couple of fun questions. And so as a as a longtime MSU sports fan I'll ask you Do you have a favorite MSU moments favorite game or play or experience that that you've had at MSU?

Unknown Speaker 15:11
Well, selfishly as a student manager, we had many great games many great battles, but the game that probably, you know, shocked me or shocked America was going back to once again was 86. When we played Georgetown in NC to a tournament, Scott Skiles was our leading spore. Everyone knew him super guy, great friend. And we're playing against Georgetown, we were definitely not the favorite to win the game. And Scott had come down to court, he has the ball, he hits Larry Pollack, who was a small Ford on the wing, and he gave him a behind the back, no look, pass. And Larry made the shot. We win the game. I run out on the court. I'm trying to shake anybody's hand and I'm so excited. And that by far was probably, for me, selfishly, probably my greatest issue moment. But as a dad, I didn't tell you this. My son is a student manager for Tom Izzo today, and he'll be a senior this fall. But in 2019, the game when Michigan State was playing in DC against Duke and once again, we went not to failure. And Kenny go on makes the shot, we win the game. And my son was looking for somebody to run to run to me, and he hugged me, that's probably the first time my son hugged me in public in 20 years. And that was probably my most proudest game just because he was so happy. Of course, I was happy because I was fired. But that was probably one of my most exciting moments for him. how happy he was when we beat Duke and he gets to let everybody know we did coach's chest.

Unknown Speaker 16:50
Yeah, that was that was an awesome awesome game I I was sort of in the tunnel as the as the clock tick down and hit zero and I remember doing the I ran out on the floor looking down on somebody and high five somebody and I first person I ran into was was loopy as Oh, and so she got my first dog and then and then there were a few more after that. But that was just a joyous game that propelled us into the Final Four against a freeze pretty sturdy, tough Duke opponents and and and it was the that was a that was definitely a great moment. So in for so many, for so many different reasons. But yes, a special MSU moment. Well, George, it's a you know, it's been a real real joy to to have you on on our show today. And for you to share a little bit about what our Alumni Engagement operations are and how they're impacting not only our alarms, but but our current student athletes and our coaches as well. And tying and knitting together the fabric of the the MSU athletics community is a is a really important job and I don't think we could have a better person doing that than us. So thanks so much for for, for being with us today. And and on the program. But really, more importantly, thanks for being with us every day as you as you knit the fabric of our community together. It's It's an honor bill,

Unknown Speaker 18:33
and I thank you and I would tell all of our smart fans are Spartan alarms, and our student athletes. However, I could be a support, please reach out we I would like to hear from you and like to support you however I can. So thank you for your time today.

Unknown Speaker 18:48
Thanks so much George and go green. Go away.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai