On behalf of more than 30,000 alumni around the world, congratulations again on your acceptance to Williams! Though it’s been over 20 years, it doesn’t seem like long ago that I was excitedly reading my own acceptance letter.

I grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and as a first-generation college student, found my way to Williamstown in the fall of 2001, where I majored in English and History. Like many alumni I know, I had a full life at Williams: in addition to double majoring, I served as co-president of the Black Student Union, competed as a 800m runner on the track team, worked as a student intern in the Alumni Relations office, and had the chance to study abroad in India, South Africa and Brazil. Though my studies and extracurriculars took me across the country and the world, it was the special intellectual community in Williamstown that prepared me for seemingly anything. Attending Williams has richly influenced so many facets of my personal and professional life that I continue to be amazed by the dividends of my four short years there. 

After Williams, I went back to school to earn my MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and began my career in media and business strategy. I'm now a Strategic Partner Lead within Google's Media, Entertainment and Sports team, where I work with the world’s most influential media companies and sports leagues to structure partnerships that leverage Google’s programmatic advertising technology. Prior to Google, I spent six years at Bloomberg Media and CNN in roles broadly focused on strategy and business development, before moving to Twitter where I managed U.S. News partnerships, executing deals that brought best-in-class content to the platform. In all that I have accomplished, I bring with me what I learned in the Purple Valley. 

Of course, a community, no matter how strong, can only take you so far (though I’d argue ours will take you farther than most). It’s what you learn, who you live alongside, and how you grow within that community that matters most. All of the alumni I have been fortunate to call colleagues and friends—including, most importantly, the person who introduced me to my wife, Roxanne!—have the rare abilities to approach problems creatively, ask the right questions, build impactful relationships, and combine good analysis with effective communication. It’s these same traits that make me eager to host Williams students learning about media careers at Google, and to serve Williams alongside other alumni as a trustee. 

While I’ve shared a bit about my own journey to and since Williams, my story is just one of many in the oldest and most devoted alumni society in North America (since 1821). We’re as diverse as the 150 countries we inhabit, but united in our love for the college, respect for each other, and dedication to Williams students. We believe in you because we know what you can achieve in the world. 

Congratulations, again!

Jeff Delaney ‘05
Strategic Partner Lead, Google