Chair's Record
Communications & Events, FY26

Kicking Off a New Board Term (and a New Era for TCU)

Day one of the new term. First email as Chair — welcomed new board members, connected the start of the term to Chancellor Pullin's first official day, and set a tone of energy and purpose.

• Welcomed new board members to the 2025–26 term; confirmed October 3 fall meeting date
• Framed the moment: new chancellor, new board, same mission to advance TCU
• Shared five links covering Chancellor Boschini's departure, Pullin's arrival, the campus master plan, and the Clark Society's giving spirit feature in TCU Magazine

Quick Board Update — Looking Ahead

Action-oriented second send: solicited committee co-chair interest, previewed the board photo roster project, and gave the first signal that revising the Operational Plan would be the centerpiece of October.

• Announced committee co-chair interest form via Beth; all four committees open — Leadership, Connection, Scholarship, Faculty Fund
• Flagged work to add photos to the board roster so members recognize each other at events
• First mention of the Operational Plan review as the main agenda item for October 3; tied to LEAD ON and University Advancement alignment

Starting the Year with Purpose

The longest email of the year by design. Recapped the Big 3 Summit, announced all four committee co-chair pairs, previewed the Big 3 Playbook, and built genuine anticipation for October.

• Big 3 Summit recap: Clark Society, Alumni, and Frog Club leadership aligned around Go, Give, Help, Connect under Chancellor Pullin's strategic vision
• Committee co-chairs announced — Leadership: Mooney & Kiesel; Connection: Taylor & McDonald; Scholarship: Gibbons & Hoefs; Faculty Fund: Early & Curtis
• Big 3 Playbook previewed as evergreen, actionable, and aligned to LEAD ON; full version coming before committee meetings
• Three resources shared: LEAD ON executive summary, campus master plan, and TCU for Texans scholarship program

September Update

Sent on Labor Day and TCU football's season opener. Updated the board on the Playbook taking shape, encouraged TCU Today sign-ups, and previewed the joint Big 3 structure for October 3.

• Playbook update: built around Go, Give, Help, Connect with measurable challenges and an evergreen design
• Encouraged board to subscribe to TCU Today for weekly campus news
• October 3 structure previewed: all Big 3 boards together to open the day, individual board meetings midday, reconvene as one group in the afternoon
• Clark Society Tailgate (October 4, TCU vs. Colorado) announced alongside fall meeting date

(Pre)October Update

Eight days before the fall meeting. Final logistics send: shared the Big 3 Playbook, introduced the "Why TCU" meeting opener exercise, and dropped action items for Gives Day and Tailgate RSVP.

• Shared the Big 3 Playbook as the board's guide to "speak with one voice" on TCU's mission and priorities
• Asked board to submit their "Why TCU" moment via form before the meeting — first use of this exercise
• TCU back in U.S. News top 100 for the 15th time — ranked 97th nationally, 6th in Texas for 2025–26
• TCU Gives Day (Oct 7–8): board challenge set at 20 donors to the Clark Endowed Faculty Fund to unlock a matching gift

November Update

First post-meeting update. Recapped the Fall Board Meeting, Clark Society Tailgate, and TCU Gives Day — and set the tone for committee and planning work through the spring.

• Thanked board for fall meeting participation; previewed post-meeting survey and committee initiative mapping work ahead
• Clark Society Tailgate on October 4 was a strong success at the Kelly Center; flagged TCU vs. UNC game in Dublin, Ireland
• Recognized board members who participated in TCU Gives Day and gave to the Clark Endowed Faculty Fund
• Chancellor Pullin officially inaugurated as TCU's 11th Chancellor; $40M alumni naming gift for the College of Science and Engineering announced

December Update & Year-End Notes

Intentionally delayed to include the Big 3 year-end check-in. Clark Society's committee mapping work stood out among peer boards, and the email closed the year with a concrete call to action and holiday well-wishes.

• Big 3 mid-year meeting recap: Clark Society's initiative-to-playbook mapping approach drew interest from all peer boards and may be adopted universally
• Operational Plan review flagged as the major priority for the new year — Executive Committee to convene in January
• Shared TCU's Top 25 of '25 year-in-review roundup
• Called the board to action: Alamo Bowl support, men's and women's basketball tickets, continued Playbook engagement

February Update: Looking Ahead to April

First send of 2026 (January skipped). Put April 24 on the calendar, previewed the Executive Committee pre-planning session, and signaled that spring committee work was about to begin in earnest.

• Spring board meeting confirmed: Friday, April 24 — "82 days out, but who's counting"
• Executive Committee meeting that week: reviewing fall outcomes, aligning initiatives to FY26 Playbook plays, shaping the Operational Plan draft
• Spring committee meeting invites flagged as coming soon
• TCU launches a "Landman"-inspired energy law course; Alamo Bowl aftermath story; podcast on TCU's growth position

March Update: A Busy Week and a Big April Ahead

Packed update after an intense week of committee activity. CSEFF completed its faculty selection, Scholarship orientation kicked off with 45 applications, and the Executive Committee held a major strategic session.

• Celebration of Philanthropy: Chancellor Pullin and Provost Wormley recognized donors and new endowed chairs; research showcase highlighted cancer biomarker work, NASA innovation, VR fitness, and the new Natural Resources Research Initiative
• CSEFF committee completed faculty award selection for 2025–26; new process improvement adopted — faculty now estimate costs with a cap upfront
• Clark Scholarship orientation with Tim Gibbons and Richard Hoefs; 45 applications received; final selection meeting March 23
• Executive Committee held its major pre-spring session — aligned to LEAD ON, shaped Operational Plan direction for the full board
• April 24 day structure shared for the first time; fall board meeting (October 2, 2026) announced

April Update: See You on the 24th

The pre-meeting send. Clark Scholars selected (12 total, record single-scholar award amount), Operational Plan ready for board review, and April 24 registration officially open with full day details.

• Clark Society Scholars selected: 12 total — 7 monetary awards, 5 distinction honors; largest single award in program history
• Operational Plan draft complete; April 24 session designed as an interactive working conversation, not a one-way presentation
• April 24 registration and full-day schedule links shared; day includes board meeting, Leadership Awards Luncheon with all Big 3, and Arnold Hall tour
• Roach Foundation commits $10M to TCU for research and the LEAD ON strategic plan
• Women's Basketball wins undisputed Big 12 Championship; Dr. Kayla Green named Big 12 Faculty of the Year; Olivia Wales '21 joins White House press team