Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Names New Board, Officers

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants, the largest professional organization for consultants specializing in admissions consulting for graduate and professional schools, announced the election of its new board and officers for 2009. AIGAC members elected Linda Abraham (Accepted.com), Ricardo Betti (MBA Empresarial), Maxx Duffy (Maxx Associates), and Graham Richmond (Clear Admit) to return as AIGAC directors for a two-year term. They join existing AIGAC directors Jeremy Shinewald (MBA Mission), Anna Ivey (Anna Ivey Consulting), and Stacy Blackman (Stacy Blackman Consulting).

In subsequent elections for 2009 AIGAC officer positions, Graham Richmond was elected AIGAC President, Anna Ivey was elected AIGAC Vice President, Linda Abraham was elected AIGAC Treasurer, and Maxx Duffy was elected AIGAC Secretary. Chairing AIGAC's individual committees in 2009 will be Stacy Blackman (Communications Committee), Anna Ivey (Events Committee), Maxx Duffy (Governance Committee), and Jeremy Shinewald (Membership Committee).

New AIGAC President Graham Richmond commented: "I am thrilled to be taking on the role of President during such an exciting time for AIGAC." He named four major objectives for his presidency: (1) expanding AIGAC's offerings to members through conferences, special interest groups and knowledge-sharing opportunities; (2) growing its membership; (3) promoting the long-term value of graduate education to candidates; and (4) increasing AIGAC's visibility and utility to graduate admissions officers.

"I am confident that a growing and engaged AIGAC membership can provide schools with a unique view into the applicant pool," Richmond added, "and that by doing so we can continue to strengthen our relationships with the programs which our candidates target."

AIGAC

The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants promotes high ethical standards and professional development amongst graduate admissions consultants, increases public understanding of graduate admissions consulting, and enhances communication with complementary organizations and entities. Its membership now comprises fifty consultants from nine countries, including the U.S., Japan, Mexico, China, Korea, and Israel. Inspired by the collaborative spirit and camaraderie of the consultants who attended Tuck School of Business's Conferences for International Educational Consultants in 2005 and 2006, Linda Abraham of Accepted.com and Ricardo Betti of MBA Empresarial (Brazil) joined with Graham Richmond of Clear Admit and Maxx Duffy of Maxx Associates to form a not-for-profit association to set industry standards for graduate admissions consultants. In November 2006, AIGAC was officially incorporated in the State of California.