First alumni couple leads Parents Council

"If there's one message that we'd like to send to other JMU parents, it is: Get involved."
- Sally Duff ('03)

For Jo Ann ('78) and Joe Converse ('77), JMU is more than just an alma mater; it's family. With nearly 200 legacy students entering JMU each fall, the family keeps growing; and it has finally matured to the point where the Converses have become the first-ever alumni/parents to chair the JMU Parents Council.

"The Parents Council has allowed us to come back home to a special place in our lives," Jo Ann says. "We've enjoyed the chance to share our love for JMU with other parents and re-connect with old friends. It gives us the opportunity to give back to JMU in a small way for all that the university has done for us and continues to do for our family."

Along with their alumni experiences, the Converses bring three years of Parents Council expertise to the helm. They joined the council when their daughter, Jennifer Lee Converse ('04), enrolled as a freshman in 2000. Jennifer is a music education major.

"We've had the good fortune to experience JMU as students, alumni and parents and we've come to realize what a treasure JMU has become to our family," says Joe.

Jo Ann graduated summa cum laude with a degree in special education in 1978, the same year that the school's name changed from Madison College to James Madison University. Joe graduated with a degree in biology a year earlier, making him part of the last graduating class of Madison College. Both Dukes were active outside the classroom. Jo Ann was a member of the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, as well as a resident adviser in Eagle Hall for two years. Joe was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity and was also a resident adviser and hall director for White Hall. One of his residents included Mark Warner, current vice president of student affairs. Joe was also a colleague of President Linwood Rose while working with residence life early in his career at Madison.

Both Converses earned master's degrees at West Virginia University. Jo Ann went on to teach for 11 years and now is an active volunteer for several organizations. Joe went on to medical school and later established Williamsburg Gastroenterology.

"Our daughter has grown in many ways as a JMU student, and our son, Joey, a high school senior, has expressed a strong interest in continuing the family tradition," says Joe. "If there's one message that we'd like to send to other JMU parents, it is: Get involved. The university staff truly want parents to be as involved as they are able to be. There are numerous opportunities available and each helps strengthen the connection with
our students."

www.jmu.edu/parents