Hello, dear fellow alums!
This is a time of celebration, not only because spring is upon us, but also because the Vassar campaign is on the road. We have had wonderful celebrations in Miami and San Francisco, and a special evening with young alums in Brooklyn. We also have record turnouts scheduled for Washington, DC, NYC, and Los Angeles in coming months, and are thrilled that you are caught up in the excitement of this Fearlessly Consequential Campaign. And, of course, there are many other cities on the agenda for later this year and 2024. Please join us!
The AAVC and our board have had a very full winter, with board committees and our amazing staff leads working on creative ways to get you involved.
Perhaps some of you had the chance to participate in Vassar Serves, the AAVC’s second annual Founder’s Day call to action celebrating Matthew Vassar and his spirit of service. The Clubs Committee of the AAVC Board, working with our clubs around the world, developed many wonderful options for community engagement focused on the theme of Climate Action, and we had a fabulous turnout. In the words of the redoubtable Cage Ames ’69, a colleague on the board, it’s fun to be “partners in grime.”
In this issue you will also see the work of our Career Networking Committee, which surveyed our alums and heard a great deal of interest in Age and Stage as it relates to careers. This led the committee to propose the concept of Wisdom Circles. Board colleague Maybelle Bennett, who has pioneered this for us, poses the first question that we will ask our alum and campus community. We would love to have your responses! (See the next page for more.)
The Alumnae House Committee has been combing the archives in preparation for the 100th celebration of Alumnae House in 2024, which will be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what the House has meant for our community. If you have any photos, anecdotes, or other materials you would like to share, please do let us know by writing to Martha Barry ’86, Alumnae House Manager, at mabarry@vassar.edu.
There is lots more, and I hope you will always feel free to reach out to me at aavc@ vassar.edu with thoughts and suggestions for alum programs or activities. I know that the cadence of life can divert or even overwhelm us at times, so please know that Vassar, and all of us at the AAVC, are here for you. Keep in touch!
My very best,
Monica Vachheraavcpresident@vassar.edu
Alumnae House161 College Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603vassar.edu/alums
2022–2023 AAVC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Monica Vachher ’77, Pennsylvania President and AAVC Trustee
Brian Farkas ’10, New York Vice President and AAVC Trustee
Tyrone Forman ’92, Illinois Vice President and AAVC Trustee
Anne Green ’93, New York Nominating and Governance Committee Chair
Katrine “Cage” Ames ’69, New York
Gail Becker ’64, New Jersey
Maybelle Taylor Bennett ’70, Washington, DC
Alexandria Dempsey ’09, California Class Engagement Committee Chair
Patrick DeYoung ’18, Washington AAVC Trustee
AC Dumlao ’13, New York
James Estrada ’13, Michigan Alumnae House Committee Chair
Arthur Seiji Hayashi ’91, Maryland AAVC Trustee
Justin Hergianto ’04, New YorkCommunications Advisory Committee Chair
Delia Cheung Hom ’00, MassachusettsDiversity, Equity, and InclusionAd Hoc Committee Chair
Peggy Ann Nagae ’73, Oregon
Natalie Nixon ’91, PennsylvaniaAAVC TrusteeCareer Networking Committee Chair
Katherine “Kat” Mills Polys ’93, VirginiaVassar Fund Committee Chair
Amy Pullman ’71, VirginiaAlumnae/i Recognition Committee Chair
Chip Reid ’77, Washington, DC
Sheryl Smikle ’81, Georgia
Andrew Solum ’89, United KingdomClubs Committee Chair
Keith St. John ’81, New York
Carlos Hernandez Tellez ’14, Brazil
Ellie Winter ’18, Rhode IslandStudent and Young Alumnae/i EngagementAd Hoc Committee Chair
Lisa TesslerAssociate Vice President and Executive Director of the AAVC
Patricia LamarkProgram Associate, Alumnae/i Engagement