"We're all very aware that it's a potentially competitive situation," Beilenson says. "We just have to be sensitive to the needs of PBHA student leadership."

He says he views the organization as a clearinghouse for administrative paperwork and a networking hub. But for now, the alumni association will avoid one task that commonly falls to alums: raising money.

Beilenson says the alumni association will not launch any fundraising efforts in the near future in order to not interfere with the Centennial Campaign.

"Increased alumni organization is a byproduct of the campaign, but the Centennial Campaign is the first priority," Cox says.

David B. Crowley '91, CEO of the Boston non-profit Generations, Inc., an organization that brings together local students and senior citizens, serves on the alumni association task force and says the opportunities PBHAAA provides will fill an important void.

"There's such a strong presence of the corporate world recruiting on campus. There really wasn't a parallel set of opportunities to find out what was out there in the public service world," he says.

Crowley jokes that the PBHA alumni association probably will never be able to wine and dine students like the consulting firm McKinsey can, but that the group will make students aware of service related jobs and opportunities available after graduation.