About the CAA

Lanny A. Breuer ’80CC, ’84SIPA, ’85LAW, P: ’23BUS

Named by the National Law Journal as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America, Lanny A. Breuer is the vice chair of the law firm Covington and one of the leading trial and white-collar defense attorneys in the United States. He specializes in helping clients navigate financial fraud, anti-corruption, money laundering, securities enforcement, congressional, environmental, and other criminal and civil investigations, presenting complex regulatory, political, and public relations risks.

Breuer is a recipient of the Columbia College 2020 John Jay Award, the Columbia Law School Distinguished Alumni Award, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, master emeritus of the Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. 

He has been recognized by numerous national publications as one of the country's premier defense lawyers, including by Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500 and Ethisphere, and has successfully defended dozens of institutions and individuals in high-stakes criminal and civil cases.

From 2009 to 2013, Breuer served as assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was widely acknowledged as a thought leader in the area of criminal law enforcement.

For his work as the longest-serving leader of the Criminal Division in recent history, Breuer received the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service, as well as numerous other accolades

Committees provide the infrastructure to support CAA alumni leaders and clubs with the resources needed to engage with Columbians around the world. There are committees that address Columbia Alumni Leaders Weekend planning, associations and clubs, digital marketing, programming, honors and prizes, recent alumni, and student relations. 

Associations and Clubs Committee

The Associations and Clubs Committee fosters relationships among the CAA's 100+ global clubs and alumni groups, supports leadership training for alumni leaders, and provides operational models and best practices for the benefit of all Columbia alumni groups and committees. 

Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee

Since 1908, the alumni of Columbia University have been responsible for nominating six of the 24 University Trustees. The Alumni Trustee Nominating Committee (ATNC) represents alumni in the process. It is composed of one representative from each School. Representatives serve four-year terms and can be re-appointed once. Committee chairs serve for two-year terms, rotating among the Schools in alphabetical order.

CAA Scholarship Committee

The CAA Scholarship Committee is charged with the management of the CAA Scholarship program, which develops University citizens and future alumni leaders from the ground up through financial support, alumni mentorship, and regular community-building events and programs. Committee members drive fundraising, mentorship, and programming efforts, in addition to providing strategic guidance regarding the development of the program, which officially launched in 2022.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee revisits the CAA bylaws and other governing documents on a periodic basis to ensure that they reflect the goals and objectives of the organization. Formed and convened only as required.

Honors & Prizes Committee

The Honors and Prizes Committee is composed of former Alumni Medal recipients, making it especially qualified for nominating and selecting the newest CAA Alumni Medalists and Campbell Awardees each year. 

Leaders Experience

The Leaders Experience Steering Committee is composed of appointed alumni members representing a broad cross-section of Schools as well as international and domestic alumni constituencies. They are tasked with planning the annual Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience.

Marketing and Virtual Engagement Committee

The Marketing and Virtual Engagement Committee is an advisory group of senior volunteers responsible for strategy and initiatives relating to CAA branding and messaging, and driving engagement through digital communications and platforms such as the CAA website, social media, the CAA newsletter, the CAA Store, the alumni book club, the Online Alumni Community, and more.

Mentorship & Networking Committee

The Mentorship and Networking Committee works to enhance current CAA student initiatives around mentoring and networking through strategic professional development programs, targeted mentorship opportunities, and expanded industry-based volunteers to support students and recent alumni. It also seeks to collaborate with and leverage the expertise of career offices across the University.

Recent Alumni & Student Relations Committee

The Recent Alumni & Student Relations Committee advises the CAA on programming to facilitate the engagement of recent Columbia alumni. The Committee works to create meaningful bonds between current students and recent graduates and works closely with School-based recent alumni and student leaders to build a larger sense of community.

She Opened the Door 

She Opened the Door (SOTD) unites and amplifies the Columbia University community, creating a vibrant network that celebrates the achievements and potential of Columbia women. Through educational programs and social gatherings, we bring Columbians together to spark personal growth and collective impact.

Strategic Planning Committee

The Strategic Planning Committee is charged with developing strategies to connect all of Columbia’s various School alumni with the CAA, and create engagement between alumni and their respective Schools. The Committee is an advisory group for the strategic planning process and the annual review of progress toward the goals.

University Senate Alumni Relations Committee

Established as a means of giving the Columbia community a voice in Columbia’s operations, the Senate is the policy-making body of the University. Overseen by the President, the Senate meets monthly during the academic year to hear committee reports, discuss issues, and vote on resolutions. The CAA Board selects two Senators from the Board who co-chair this committee and are representatives on several Senate committees.

Developed by the Task Force on Belonging, the Community Standard helps define the environment expected when engaging with the alumni community and the standard to which we hope all Columbians aspire.

Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) Community Standard

The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) commits to supporting and maintaining an accessible and visible community where diversity of identity and thought is respected and celebrated. The participants in all CAA programs, activities, and volunteer opportunities, are charged with creating environments where alumni, students, families, faculty, staff, and friends of the University treat each individual and group with collegiality, inclusivity, and respect.

Read the full report 

The Columbia Alumni Association's (CAA) mission is to cultivate a global community of Columbia alums, students, faculty, and staff to explore interests, exchange ideas, and take actions that enrich one another, the University, and the world.

The CAA's vision statement is: Where every Columbian can build, belong, and go beyond.

The CAA's purpose is to deepen connections, volunteerism, giving, and inclusivity for every Columbian, everywhere.

Read the full list of the Columbia Alumni Association Bylaws here.

View the full five-year plan here.

2002: President Lee C. Bollinger ’71LAW launches a sustained effort to transform and increase alumni engagement into a partnership among volunteer leaders, staff, and all alums. 

2003-04: The University mobilizes alumni from all its Schools as part of planning and executing Columbia’s 250^th Anniversary celebration. It marks the first time that alumni of all Columbia Schools are offered a sustained set of programs and communications, in-person, in print, and electronically. Columbia 250 commences with Homecoming 2003 and continues in events on campus in New York, online, and around the world through Homecoming 2004.

2005: The commitment of the President, the University Trustees, and other highly engaged alumni and University leaders leads to the creation of the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA). Its purpose as stated in the constitution is: The CAA is hereby established to provide an organization and to allow the University’s worldwide alumni community to strengthen their bonds of fellowship; to sustain the connection between them and the University; to act as a means through which they can contribute their collective knowledge and perspective to the life of the University, and to develop from their ranks effective and responsive leadership.

The first volunteer leaders training conference, CAA Assembly, is held in the fall to bring together volunteers across the University and the first University-wide online alumni directory is created.

2006: Columbia announces its fourth and largest campaign with a goal of $4 billion. The Columbia Campaign focuses on core academic and research areas. Significant and measurable improvement in alumni engagement is included as a top-line goal of the campaign for the first time.

2009: The Columbia Alumni Center, located at 622 West 113^th, opens and is the first “official” home for alumni of the University.

2011: After six years of rapid growth and significant gains, President Bollinger initiates a presidential task force to define the vision and mission of the CAA.

2012: Trustees approve the Toward a Culture of Engagement and Collaboration task force report and signal the formation of the CAA Strategic Planning Committee to develop the CAA’s first five-year plan.

2013: The Big Tent: A Five-Year Strategic Plan launches, focusing on these five overarching goals: the relationship between the CAA and the Schools, establishing the CAA as the repository of best practices, volunteerism and University citizenship, communications, and increased awareness of the CAA.

2014: The annual Columbia Alumni Leaders Weekend tops 500 attendees for the first time.

2015: The CAA celebrates ten years at the annual Columbia Alumni Leaders Weekend. Its founders: President Bollinger, Susan Feagin ’74GS, Trustees Bill Campbell ’62CC, ’64TC (Chair Emeritus) and Richard Witten ’75CC and CAA chairs Steve Case ’64CC, ’68LAW, James Harden ’78BUS, ’83PH, George Van Amson ’74CC, and Brian Krisberg ’81CC, ’84LAW were among those recognized for their vision and work to create the CAA legacy. A major rewrite of the CAA governance documents reflects the evolution of the CAA and its structure and accomplishments.

2016: Trustees and the CAA Board established The Campbell Award, presented by the CAA to a graduating student at each School who shows exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit as exemplified by the late Bill Campbell.  

A new campaign, The Columbia Commitment, launches with a goal of engaging 150k alums across the University as well as setting the most ambitious year over year goal of raising $5 billion in five years. 

2017: The second five-year strategic planning process gets underway with the convening of a CAA 2023 task force.

2018: The second five-year strategic plan with a vision of Build. Belong. Bond. We are Columbia. We are the CAA. commences focusing on internal/external partnerships, targeted alumni experiences, creation of a value exchange between alumni and students, virtual engagement, and the elevation of volunteerism.

2019: The CAA launches the Student Leadership Advisory Council (SLAC) to serve as the “student version” of the CAA Board. The group undertakes several initiatives focused on creating pathways from student life to engagement as alumni. Only five years after hitting the 500-attendee mark, Columbia Alumni Leaders Experience tops 1,000 registrants.

2020: The CAA commissions Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony award winner, Tom Kitt ’96CC, to write a new song, “Oh, Columbia,” as a gift for the Class of 2020 from the Columbia alumni community. It is performed virtually by Tony, Grammy, and Obie award winner Ben Platt, a member of the School of General Studies community.

2021: The CAA addresses the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic by launching a strategic planning process a year earlier than originally planned. Its first fundraising initiative launches to respond to University calls for student support resulting in the creation of the CAA Scholars Program, and its first co-chairs are elected to reflect the hybrid approach to engagement, the sustained recognition of our global community, and closer alignment with the Columbia University Irving Medical Campus.  

2022: The Columbia Commitment campaign concludes with 159,886 engaged alums, exceeding its goal of 150K, and also raising $5.6 billion far exceeding the $5 billion fundraising goal. 

A new vision, Where every Columbian can build, belong, and go beyond, launches the CAA’s third five-year strategic plan, CAA 2027. Along with this new vision comes an updated mission: To cultivate a global community of Columbia alums, students, faculty, and staff to explore interests, exchange ideas, and take actions that enrich one another, the University, and the world.  A brand/logo refresh, the permeation of a sense of belonging throughout all aspects of the CAA experience, and the individual and collective engagement journeys through every Columbian's life are all tied to the CAA purpose statement: Deepening connections, volunteerism, giving, and inclusivity for every Columbian, everywhere. 

2024: The CAA embarks on a pilot program, Transitioning Experiences into Traditions and Rebuilding Community, focused on establishing University-wide traditions.

CAA Chairs

2005 -2007  Stephen Case ’64CC, ’68LAW, P: ’91CC, ’02BUS

2007-2011 James Harden ’78BUS, ’83PH

2011-2015 George Van Amson ’74CC, P: ’13CC, ’15CC, ’17CC, ’25BUS

2015-2017 Brian Krisberg ’81CC, ’84LAW, P: ’17CC, ’22CC

2017-2019  Rita Pietropinto Kitt ’93CC, ’96SOA, P: ’28CC

2019-2021 Keith Goggin ’91JRN

2021-2023  Michelle Estilo Kaiser ’87CC, ’92PH, ’97VPS, ’20CC, ’25CC and Mary Kuo ’92CC P: ’20CC, ’21CC, ’25CC

2023-2025 Lisa Landau Carnoy ’89CC, P: ’26CC, ’28AT, ’28CC

2025-present Lanny Breuer ’80CC, ’84SIPA, ’85LAW, P: ’23BUS

622 West 113th Street
New York, NY 10025
212-851-7800
[email protected]

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Nominations for the 2026 alumni medals are now closed.

In 2016, the Columbia University Trustees and the CAA established The Campbell Award, which is presented to a graduating student at each School who shows exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit as exemplified by the late Bill Campbell '62CC, '64TC, Chair Emeritus, University Trustee and CAA co-founder. Meet the 2024 recipients.