Fall Newsletter 2021

Dear Class Leaders,

After a year unlike any other in Brown’s 257-year history, we’re excited to be looking ahead to this new year of class engagement. Most of the world had come to a screeching halt in March of 2020; people everywhere were sheltering at home and avoiding in-person gatherings in the hope of slowing the spread of the coronavirus. Unable to offer our usual in-person events, the Association of Class Leaders (ACL) made the adjustment to virtual programs. Thank you to all of you who joined us on our virtual training sessions and our virtual end-of-year Annual Meeting. As we begin the 2021-22 academic year, we are still offering virtual events to support class leaders and are anticipating a return to in-person programming by March 10, 2022 at the Volunteer Summit in New York City. This is an exciting time of year for the ACL as we welcome new board members, establish new ACL committee goals, and enhance our virtual events by using the lessons we’ve learned over the past 18 months.

To our new Alumni Class Leaders — welcome! Starting with this newsletter, please consider the ACL Board your at-the-ready resource and check out the section below just for new class leaders.

The ACL Board of Advisors is here to support the class leader community through:

• engaging alumni through class affiliation,
• recruiting, training, and supporting class volunteer leaders, and
• communicating with class leaders.

This year, we will be supporting class leaders through the use of digital resources, collaboration with Alumni Relations staff, virtual training and in-person events, and sharing tips and advice on our ACL Facebook page and the new ACL Instagram account.

Ever true,

Meet the new 2021-22 ACL Board members

This year, we have six new board members joining us from all over the country and representing classes ranging from 1964 to 2011. Please join us in welcoming this exciting group to the ACL Board!

Returning Board Members for 2021-22

Harry Holt, Jr. '84, P'16, president
Sarah H. Gomel '06, vice president
Petros Perselis '10, treasurer
Barbara Langworthy ’63, secretary

Committees — the ACL Board at work

Every year the ACL Board reviews its committee structure to ensure that they are set up to support the board’s mission. Then, it is off to the races! All of the committees have met several times, established committee goals, and are moving forward with their work.

COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH COMMITTEE

Chair: Jennie Kerson Pritzker ’00
Members: Barbara Langworthy ’63, Berit Muh ’64, P’94, Bill Tanenbaum ’76, Krista Bradley ’86, Jim Moody ’58, ScM’65, P’97
Committee goals: Collaborate with the other ACL Board committees to provide relevant content for class leaders in support of their class engagement efforts. The committee will continue to publish a robust newsletter four times per year and will expand its presence on social media (ACL Facebook page and the new ACL Instagram account) as a way to disseminate information about upcoming events to alumni class leaders.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE

Chair: Zack Langway ’09
Members: Harry Holt ’84, Marco Martinez ’08, Gabby Napolitano ’03, Michelle Frea ’14, Stephanie Vasquez ’13
Committee goals: The committee will continue its work in the year ahead with two main focus areas. First, the committee will develop additional class leader resources to support class leaders and class DEI officers in taking action towards greater diversity, inclusion, and equity in class activities. Second, the committee will support diverse recruitment for class leadership succession planning to strengthen a leadership pipeline that reflects a broad range of lived experiences.

ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Chair: Jade Palomino ’07
Members: Salsa Ahmed ’11, Steve Owens ’78, P’17, Petros Perselis ’10, Mike Mancuso ’98, Josh Spector ’96
Committee goals: The Engagement Committee will work to align with the Communications and Outreach Committee on social media and general communications strategies. We will expand our social media presence through the new ACL Instagram account and work to add followers for both Instagram and Facebook through cross-communication (Facebook, Instagram, and ACL Newsletters) and engaging followers with a regular cadence of posts. Additionally, we will promote the work of the Training and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees across all communications channels.

TRAINING COMMITTEE

Chair: Sarah Gomel ’06
Members: Miriam Gonzales ’87, P’20, Haru Okuda ’94, Bob Sherman ’69, P’98, Terri Sevilla ’82, Didier Jean-Baptiste ’90, Bill Taylor ’75
Committee goals: The Training Committee is dedicated to creating engaging and useful resources for class leaders. This year, we're focusing on live programming (including webinars and in-person training) and on expanding the online class leader content library.

Welcome new class leaders!

“Thank you for agreeing to serve your fellow classmates in such an important and fun way. As a newly-elected leader, you are now also a member of the Association of Class Leaders, a group designed to provide you with the resources and support you need to be successful in your new role. We are here to help and inspire you along the way. There are a host of resources available to class leaders and we encourage you to take advantage of them. You can find training materials and webinars on the ACL page on the Brown Alumni and Friends website.”

—Krista Bradley, Class of 1986 co-president and ACL Board member

Why Should We Ask For Class Dues?

The Class of 2000 president and treasurer weigh in.

“As class leaders, it is our job to help our classmates understand that a healthier class treasury (funded by class dues contributions) leads to more engaging and affordable class events — either during or in-between reunions. We know that there is a direct correlation between the cost to attend an event and attendance. Therefore, the lower the cost, the more people will attend, which just adds to the fun!”

—Jennie Kerson Pritzker, Class of 2000 president and ACL Board member

“To me, giving is very personal. That said, I give because I believe in service. I give because of the lessons I learned and the friendships I made in TWTP and my freshman year in Keeney Quad. I give because I want to support Brown on its journey to becoming a more diverse and inclusive community. I give because I loved Funk Nights, Rites and Reason Theatre, WBRU, and Josiah’s Pizza to name a few. I give because I want to remind the institution AND current Black and brown students and alumni that we matter and we can make a difference.”

—Nii-Ama Akuete, Class of 2000 treasurer

Class of the Year Nominations

FY 2019/2020 and FY 2020/2021

Since 1979, the ACL has given the annual Class of the Year award to classes who have done an exceptional job engaging their classmates in alumni and class activities. The criteria for the Class of the Year award are the quality, variety, and creativity in class communications; the type and range of class activities; and strong class leadership. The winner(s) of the award is selected each year by a committee composed of ACL Board members and Alumni Relations staff.

The ACL is now accepting nominations for BOTH the FY 2019/2020 and FY 2020/2021 Class of the Year awards. We encourage you to submit a nomination before the deadline on November 22, 2021.

You can see previous Class of the Year award winners on the Alumni and Friends website.

Important Upcoming Events

• Giving Tuesday — November 30, 2021
• Nan Tracy ’46 Award nominations survey released — January 12, 2022
• Volunteer Summit in New York City — March 10, 2022
• Reunion — May 27-30, 2022

Stay current with alumni news and Brown events

The ACL utilizes its Facebook page and Instagram account to share important information and current events for class leaders to share. Please join us and keep an eye out for class leader tips and upcoming Brown and ACL-sponsored events that may interest your classmates.

Looking for Brown-related news to share in your class newsletter or social media? Brown Alumni and Friends is an excellent resource! There are alumni stories, news about what’s happening on campus, and a host of resources for Brunonians (career resources, free access to Rosetta Stone, and more). And check out the recent story about ACL Board member Zack Langway ’09, who shares his personal inspirations and why he is dedicated to volunteering for Brown.

News from Campus

• New center and residence hall realizes Brown’s vision for integrated student wellness experience
• President Paxson, Sangeeta Bhatia ’90, mark 130 years of women at Brown
• National, global education rankings place Brown among world’s top universities
• Brown Athletics launches new mobile app
• New Military Fellows program bridges the academic and military worlds
• School of Engineering inaugural dean to step down
• Dr. Ashish Jha: It’s time to ‘turn a public health moment into a public health movement’
• Brown’s newest students, by the numbers

About the ACL

If you’re one of Brown’s 600+ elected or appointed class leaders, you’re automatically a member of the Association of Class Leaders (ACL). The ACL Board of Advisors is here to help by recruiting, engaging, training, and supporting class volunteers, so feel free to reach out to classleaders@brown.edu with questions or suggestions.