Ready to listen

In his role as a business school admissions officer, William Makris, Ed.M. ’00, was guided by a simple principle when interviewing candidates: listen for opportunity.

“What qualities does each person bring with them?” Makris said. “How can we continue to nurture a person’s unique strengths while supporting them as they learn and grow?”

And as he prepares to step into the role of Harvard alumni board president on July 1 — a position that leads the Harvard Alumni Association board of directors and represents alumni worldwide — he is eager to listen and learn how to support and strengthen the growth of Harvard’s global alumni community.

Throughout his career, he has helped coach and advise mid-career professionals pursuing advanced degrees by being present, open to innovative ideas, and unafraid to ask questions — qualities he honed at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Makris has worked in various leadership roles at business schools throughout New England. He served on the admissions committee and as an adviser for the MIT executive M.B.A. program at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as associate dean of M.B.A. admissions at Babson College, and as manager of part-time and executive M.B.A. programs at Northeastern University.

“When someone shares their story, I’m going to take the time to learn deeply about this person,” Makris said. “Being curious and understanding someone’s experience is very important to me and my work with alumni.”

The promise of higher education

Higher education is deeply intertwined with Makris’ family history. The grandson of Greek immigrants who moved to Cambridge with no formal education and a hope for a better life, Makris has always had a deep connection to Harvard.

His grandfather George Culolias founded The Tasty Sandwich Shop — affectionately known as “The Tasty” — a legendary one-room lunch restaurant in Harvard Square that served generations of hungry customers from 1916 until 1997. His grandmother Penio Culolias, who lived to 102, was a driving force for her children and grandchildren to pursue higher education.

As she brought her children to work, Makris’ grandmother walked with them through Harvard Yard. They would stop at the John Harvard Statue, where she would encourage them to study hard in the hopes that one day they could walk through the Yard as students.

Makris’ mother, Helen C. (Eleni) Makris ’50, graduated from Radcliffe College and became a teacher, and her brothers, Nicholas Culolias ’53 and Charles Bradford Ellis ’39, graduated from Harvard College. In a moment of serendipitous timing, Makris’ own graduation from HGSE coincided with his mother’s 50th reunion. His father, George “Moose” Makris, attended Northeastern University on a full football scholarship, where he also played baseball and hockey, returning to his alma mater after his official retirement to work in fundraising for athletic programs.

In today’s tumultuous time for higher education, Makris recognizes its value more than ever. “The opportunity for me to continue the journey that my grandmother envisioned is phenomenal,” he said. “I believe in the promise of higher education. I believe in what it’s done for me, and for generations of people here in the United States and in countries around the world.”

A home at Harvard

Makris, who arrived at Harvard later in life, thinks often of a quote from past HAA President Allyson Mendenhall ’90, M.L.A. ’99, who said: “Harvard comes to you when you’re ready, and you come to it when you’re ready.”

Makris earned his bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, followed by an M.B.A. from Northeastern University. Working in finance at a tech company, he pivoted to a career in higher education — finding an atmosphere that provided opportunities to give new ideas a chance, even for someone just starting out — and enrolled in the master’s degree program at HGSE.

He found “an incredible home” at HGSE. “Harvard gave me a new lens to see the world,” he said. “It adjusted my orbit. I learned how to dive deep into a topic, to be thoughtful, and to make decisions informed by data — skills I carry with me today.”

Shortly after his graduation, he was inspired to volunteer after attending an event at the Harvard Club of Boston, where he found a “commonality of intellectual curiosity, sharing, and community” among his fellow alumni across the University.

Makris served for three years as co-chair of the HGSE Recent Alumni Council before joining the Graduate School Alumni Council as co-chair. He was also the appointed director from HGSE to the HAA board for two terms, where he co-led a graduate school alumni engagement initiative and helped develop a training program for new board members. Additionally, he spent three years as vice president of University-wide alumni affairs, representing the graduate and professional Schools, followed by his current term as first vice president of the HAA.

‘Your voice will be heard’

As he approaches his term, Makris feels humbled by the privilege of representing alumni.

He has been working closely with current alumni president, Moitri Chowdhury Savard ’93, whose “warmth, genuine leadership style, and collaborative energy is a gift,” he said.

Makris is building on Savard’s concept of veritates, or many truths — embracing multiple truths in order to connect in dialogue across differences — a turn of phrase Tracy Moore II ’06 helped coin, with a new theme that emphasizes speaking from experience and listening with empathy.

“I want people to activate their Harvard voices,” he said. “If you share your knowledge and experience, it invites others to share their stories. Listening is fostered. Commonalities arise. Identification is discovered. You begin to hear others’ stories with greater empathy. You are motivated to engage in debate and dialogue.”

He wants to ensure that all alumni feel welcome to be part of the community. “Harvard is going to be there for you when you need it, no matter what age you are,” he said. “Whether you’re attending your first event ever or your first event in 20 years, you’ll find your community waiting for you, and your voice will be heard.”

As Savard has reflected on her tenure during a challenging time for higher education, she has appreciated hearing the views of alumni around the country and the world. “Alumni hold multiple truths, but agree on many shared values, including the importance of education and open inquiry,” Savard said.

She is excited to support Makris in his new role. “He understands the significance of alumni voice and brings various viewpoints to the table. His expertise in bringing people together and his positive outlook will be invaluable to the alumni community — we are lucky to have him at the helm.”