We would like to recognize a few of our council members for their outstanding work:

Katha Diddel-Warren '79, P'13 continues to train and compete in a variety of endurance sports.  Last year she participated in the Ironman in Louisville, Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco, and the New York City Marathon, just to name a few!  In addition to competing, Ms. Diddel-Warren coordinates fundraising campaigns in conjunction with her races.

Sarah M. G. Francois-Poncet '80, P'11 was recently awarded  the "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur", France's highest decoration.  Created in l802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honor Award is given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France.  Ms. Francois-Poncet will be presented with the medal at a ceremony in Paris.

Pamela F. Lenehan '74 AM'74, P'03, P'06 has been appointed to the Board of Directors for American Super-conductor Corp. (AMSC). Ms. Lenehan currently serves as president of Ridge Hill Consulting, a strategy consulting firm.  She brings 30+ years of strategic planning and financial management experience in corporate, investment banking and public board environments to AMSC.

Chandra Reddy Metzler '95 has helped coordinate the recruiting efforts of Brown students at Bank of America. Ms. Metzler was proud to report that several Brown students were hired for summer internships and plans have been made to return to campus to interview 25 more students. Ms. Metzler is director of emerging markets at Bank of America.

Teri Williams '79, president and chief operating officer of One United Bank, has written a children's book to serve as the centerpiece of One United's new initiative to promote financial literacy among urban youth. I Got Bank! (Beckham Publishing Group, Inc.) is targeted to kids between 8 and 12 years old and covers important topics such as bank accounts, credit scores, and interest rates. Ms. Williams is planning a series of speaking engagements and readings to promote the book, which is being offered by One United for free to any public library or middle school upon request.

Lauren J. Zucker '91 recently began a new position as associate vice president, director of New Haven Affairs at Yale University. In her role, she will focus on continuing to make New Haven a better place to live, work and study. Her responsibilities include working with non-profit and grassroots organizations to strengthen the community; helping out with the University's ownership, management and development of real estate; focusing on educational reform and initiatives for the New Haven public schools;  and working with the city and with Yale to bring jobs and economic development to New Haven.  

Women: a Powerful Force for Philanthropy
Nowadays, women are controlling more assets (recent IRS data states that 43% of the country's wealthiest individuals are female), mentoring other women, and earning seats at the decision-making table.  And – as a consequence—they are giving in record numbers to causes they hold dear to their hearts. Brown is no exception.  WLC Executive Committee members Nancy Fuld Neff '76, P'06, P'14 and Shelley Fidler '68, P'09 share their stories.

Former Mentee Mariya Petkova '09 Blogs from Egypt
Much like the Vatican in Rome, the state of Tahrir has taken possession of a square and has established itself regardless of what the (illegitimate) government of the rest of the country thinks about that." So begins a recent blog post from Egypt by Mariya Petkova '09, a Brown alumna with a degree in international relations.

In her blog, "A Bulgarian in Egypt" she has been posting images and descriptions of her experiences at Tahrir Square since January 25, including her arrest, and providing general observations on the political situation in Egypt. Petkova has been working as a journalist in Egypt and is also covering events there for local and Bulgarian media outlets.

Celebrating 120 Years of Brown Women and the 30th anniversary of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women
A campus-coordinated "Celebration of Brown Women" beginning in fall 2011 and extending through 2012 has been proposed to commemorate two important milestones in Brown's history: the 120th anniversary of the admittance of women to the University and the 30th anniversary of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women.

More information will be available in the months to come!

Mentor Reflections: Deb Mills-Scofield '82
Deb Mills-Scofield talks about her experience as a mentor in the Women's Launch Pad (WLP) mentoring program. Mentors focus on helping senior women prepare for "life after Brown", but as Ms. Mills-Scofield discovered, the experience is incredibly rewarding.

Mentor News: Congratulations to Mary Jo Kaplan '82
Mary Jo Kaplan has been recognized by the Providence Business News for her role as a mentor to business women. She was one of 14 women to be honored by the publication as part of their year-long initiative recognizing women in the Rhode Island Business community. The announcement mentions the Women's Launch Pad!

Commencement/Reunion Weekend

May 27-29, 2011
The WLC Congratulates the Class of 2011! If you are celebrating a reunion, don't forget to register!



The WLC has once again collaborated with Alumni Relations to co-sponsor an Alumni Forum during Reunion/Commencement Weekend. This year's panel will be moderated by WLC Co-Chair Nancy Fuld Neff '76, P'06, P'14 and will feature alumnae talking about the role of athletics in their lives.

May 5, 2011
Women's Launch Pad Mentoring Program, Year-End Celebration
Members of the Women's Leadership Council, mentors, mentees, and current students will gather in Providence to celebrate another successful year of the Women's Launch Pad mentoring program.  Alumnae Meaghan Casey '08, Senior Consultant, US Department of Agriculture at Dynamics Research, Anna Hidalgo '09, Research & Behavioral Surveyist, AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Phoebe Lapine '07, Co-Founder & Author, Big Girls, Small Kitchens, Kathleen Nishimoto '09, Literary Assistant, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, and Valerie Sherry '09, Assistant Project Manager, Hamel Green Construction, will be participating in a panel discussion entitled "Alumnae Perspectives from Former Mentees: "What I Know Now That I Wish I Knew at Graduation".

May 5-6, 2011
Women's Leadership Council Spring Meeting
The Women's Leadership Council will host their 8th meeting on College Hill on May 5-6th. Typically held only once a year, the Council added a second meeting to the calendar to more adequately address Council initiative and to ensure more consistent contact among members. The Council will be joined by specials guests Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, and Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations.

Washington, DC: A Mirror on International Development and Humanitarianism
The Pembroke Center Associates and the Women's Leadership Council joined forces for the first time on Wednesday, April 27th, to host an intellectually stimulating evening with Kay Warren, The Charles C. Tillinghast Jr. '32 Professor of International Studies and Professor of Anthropology, and Director of the Pembroke Center; David Waskow '88, Program Director for Oxfam America; and moderator Jasmine Waddell '99, Visiting Lecturer of Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. There was a wonderful turnout of alumnae from all decades who actively participated in an interesting discussion about international development and humanitarianism. This event was co-hosted by Nancy L. Buc '65, LLD'94, hon., Shelley N. Fidler '68, P'09, and Claudia Schechter '66.

San Francisco, CA: Women & Technology
On March 3rd, WLC Executive Committee Member Mary Vascellaro '74, P'07 hosted 50 women from the San Francisco area in her home. The panel was outstanding! Theresia Ranzetta '90 was masterful at moderating. The panelists—Gayln Susman '86 of Pixar, Claire Johnson '94 of Google, and Leah Pearlman '04, who recently left Facebook—spoke eloquently on how Brown shaped their lives, being a woman in Silicon Valley, and the always present challenges of balancing child-rearing and the corporate life.

The WLC would like to thank all those who participated in this wonderful event and we are grateful to Mary for being such a gracious host.

Providence, RI:  Women's Leadership Council Meeting
On October 21, 2010, the Women's Leadership Council convened in Providence for the 7th Annual meeting where members discussed various topics including a WLC sponsored Brown Annual Fund Challenge, Council communications, regional events, partnering with women's athletics, and most importantly, the spring 2012 women's conference to be held on campus as part of the celebration of 120 years of Women at Brown. This was an incredibly productive meeting, but it was clear that more time was needed.  As a result, the Council decided to move to two meetings per year to provide more regular contact with members and to allow for increased social time.  The second meeting will take place in spring 2011 (scheduled for May 5-6, 2011).

The WLC is comprised of accomplished University alumnae and parents that believe in promoting women's philanthropy, volunteerism, and mentoring of young women. WLC members commit their time, energy and talents to advance the mission of Brown University and optimize the collective strength of Brown women and their impact on University life.