Welcome to The Greater IBM Connection, an exclusive IBM alumni program that brings current and former IBMers together.

We've got a great line-up of activities on tap for June.

On June 4th, Greater IBMers old and new can learn or refresh their grasp of the features and benefits offered on our Community Site. There will be an overview followed by tips and tools for enriching your Greater IBM experience.

On June 18th, you are invited to join a conversation with Ron Glover, IBM Vice President, Diversity and Workforce Programs. The discussion will focus on “LEADERSHIP and DIVERSITY in a Changing Economy”.

On June 19th, we share suggestions on "How to Build an Audience" for your ideas using the Greater IBM forums and news platforms. The event will be hosted by Flor Estevez, Greater IBM manager of Operations and Strategy, and feature the experiences of on-line media veteran Lynn Wheeler, a former IBMer and independent software professional who was an early and on-going adopter of on-line community discussion tools.

On June 24th, Washington-based alumni are invited to meet for a live event: "A Smarter, Safer Food Supply: What's Next?" where a roundtable of experts will take a look at the current level of risk in our food system and then discuss advances that are possible using today's technology. Special guest for the event is Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette, who is vice chair of the House committee on energy and commerce. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. in the Rayburn Building, Washington, DC. To see how IBM is setting the table for a smarter food supply system, visit http://www.ibm.com/ibm/ideasfromibm/us/smartplanet/topics/fo...

We hope you'll take advantage of these events – and check the Events calendar on the Greater IBM Community Site (access requires one-time registration at www.greateribm.com) often for new offerings in the months to come.

And while you're checking out the activities, we hope you'll spend a little more time looking around and getting involved. You'll find us on Xing, LinkedIn, Facebook - and now in our new gated community site where you can:

• Create and comment on News and Forums;
• Discover, coordinate and host Events;
• Search IBM and alumni posted Jobs in the Career Center;
• Keep your Resume updated and in reach of Greater IBMers;
• Post Classifieds;
• Read feature about Greater IBM alumni;
• Suggest new Resources for members;
• Read Highlights special only to Greater IBM;
• Stay in touch with IBM thought leadership;
• and more.

One-time registration is required. Sign up now at: www.greateribm.com.