Summer Newsletter 2022

Dear Class Leaders,

Greetings from the Association of Class Leaders (ACL) Board!

As we bring this fiscal year to a close, we thank all our class leaders for being engaged and supporting fellow alumni. We were excited to see in-person alumni activities restart again even as we continued the virtual events that were able to reach a wider audience. The board’s mission is to engage and train class leaders, and we believe that the engagement of our alumni community is vitally important.

Over this past year, we have supported class leaders by providing virtual engagement ideas, collaborated with Alumni Relations staff to deliver virtual training sessions, and gathered for in-person training at the Volunteer Summit in New York City and the annual meeting in Providence. Read on in this newsletter for more details from these events!

Our ACL committees are where a lot of the real work is done. Included below are reports from each committee on their 2021-22 accomplishments and plans for the coming year. We invite you to take advantage of the resources developed by the ACL committees, view the ACL’s class leader training videos, and keep an eye out during the course of the next year as we share other creative ways to keep your classmates engaged. The ACL page on the Brown Alumni & Friends website is your go-to resource for class leader materials.

Finally, I would like to thank two ACL Board members who are stepping off the board this year:

• Zack Langway ’09 served just shy of six years on the ACL Board and only stepped down in March after accepting the position of Vice President for Alumni Relations at Brown. We are so proud of Zack and look forward to working with him in his new role!
• Mike Mancuso ’98 has served as a board member for five years, and his many contributions and insights have been invaluable. We wish him the best and expect to continue to hear from Mike in his role as broadcaster for many of Brown’s athletic teams.

We look forward to collaborating with you and thank you for your service to Brown and the alumni community!

Ever true,

Welcome new ACL Board members

We are pleased to have two new members joining the ACL Board. Ryan Grubbs ’10 and Ruth Neighbors ’95 will each serve a three-year term after being selected by the nominating committee and approved by the board this June.

ACL Training at the Volunteer Summit

After two long years, the ACL convened at the Connect / Learn Volunteer Summit in New York City on March 10, 2022. For many class officers, a highlight of the Summit was the morning training session conducted by the ACL Training Committee. ACL Advisory Board member Bill Taylor ’75 led the audience through the key steps to engaging a more diverse group of classmates by soliciting their help in program development, event attendance, and class communications, and by utilizing the resources available in Alumni Relations and on the ACL Advisory Board.

The program featured a panel discussion on engaging your class moderated by Krista Bradley ’86. Liza Boyajian ’82, Didier Jean-Baptiste ’90, Joan Winter Skerritt ’84, and Bill Taylor ’75 shared their classes’ successes in effectively communicating during years leading up to a Reunion and engaging a broad base of the class in program development.

Joan Winter Skerritt ’84 led the group in an interactive game of trivia, testing the knowledge of this dedicated and “Ever True to Brown” group of volunteers. The program closed with small-group, focused discussions on topics such as communications, events, Reunions, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) —giving attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and learn best practices from others.

The program was so well received that a virtual follow-up session was conducted on June 21, 2022. “Be Bold: DE&I as a Tool for Class Engagement” was a 45-minute program which provided specific suggestions to class leaders for improving alumni engagement at events by thinking and acting boldly about diversity, equity, and inclusion. Bill Taylor ’75 shared our need to be genuine and intentional, and to not keep DE&I a secret. The robust discussion was a good reminder that we all need to be purposeful in trying to increase DE&I engagement in our class work, communications, events, and leadership. “We might not be perfect, but we should keep trying,” noted Taylor.

For more information on how you can improve alumni engagement at your events by thinking and acting boldly about diversity, equity, and inclusion, please view the recording of the session on the ACL resources page.

ACL 2022 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony

By Barbara Langworthy

On April 30, the ACL held its first in-person annual meeting since April 2019. The meeting included a virtual component for those who could not come to Providence. ACL president Harry Holt ’84, P’16 opened the meeting with an inspirational quote from Dr. Seuss: “You’ll never get bored when you try something new. There’s really no limit to what you can do.” With Dr. Seuss books distributed around the room and additional quotes shared with those joining remotely, class leaders shared Dr. Seuss’s (and others) words of wisdom throughout the meeting.

During the meeting, the ACL business for 2021-22 was reviewed including the ACL charter (Harry Holt), the treasurer’s report and the budget for 2022-2023 (Petros Perselis ’00, ACL treasurer), and ACL committee reports and 2022-23 goals were presented by Sarah Gomel ’06 (ACL vice president and chair of the training committee), Harry Holt (DE&I committee) and Jennie Pritzker ’00 (communications committee chair).

Zack Langway ’09, Brown’s new Vice President for Alumni Relations, spoke to the class leaders about his experiences as a Brown student, class leader, and alumni volunteer, as well as his excitement for serving the alumni community in his new role.

Paul Muite, Brown’s Assistant Vice President for Advancement, reported on the highlights of Brown’s fundraising. The Brown Together campaign has raised $353.1 million and endowed 114 professorships. The Brown Promise, which removed loans from Brown’s financial aid packages, has received $86.6 million toward its $100 million goal and Brown’s Pay It Forward Day raised $2.6 million. Paul closed by thanking ACL members for supporting Brown’s fundraising efforts.

Class of the Year Awards

This year, the ACL presented Class of the Year Awards for 2020 and 2021.

The Class of the Year Award for 2020 went to the Class of 1975. Zack Langway presented the award, congratulating the class for their flexibility and creativity in the face of repeated pandemic-related Reunion changes and cancellations. Gail McCann, president of the class of ’75, accepted the award, thanking her class committee. Gail provided some sage Reunion planning advice for other class leaders and emphasized the importance of creating a dedicated committee for Reunion planning and class engagement between Reunions.

The Class of the Year Award for 2021 went to the Class of 1991 for their creative class engagement. Andi Meyer, the class communications co-chair, accepted the award and thanked class programs liaison Amy Haughey for her support and expressed her appreciation for the Virtual Engagement Toolkit.

Nan Tracy ’46 Award

Harry Holt presented the Nan Tracy ’46 award, which is given to a class leader for outstanding service to their class. The 2020 award (delayed due to the pandemic) was presented to Jim Moody ’58 ScM’65, P’97, commemorating his engagement as an alumni volunteer over more than 60 years.

Jim credited his classmates and fellow board members, including some who have passed away, and thanked his wife Donna for allowing him to give time to Brown. He attributed his success in leading his class to making use of the talents of his classmates.

ACL Committees — A Year in Review and Looking Forward

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DE&I)
By Harry Holt ’84, P’16

The DE&I committee developed a DE&I calendar that will launch this fall. The calendar will include DE&I events and resources for class leaders as they plan class activities and communications. We also started to work on a DE&I assessment tool (launching in 2022-23) that will help classes assess where they are with regards to DE&I. The ACL DE&I committee will be available to provide ideas to class leaders who are seeking DE&I-related guidance. Finally, the committee partnered with the Alumni Relations team and training committee in rewriting and expanding the class leader role descriptions, ensuring that the descriptions included a DE&I lens.

Training Committee
By Sarah Gomel ’06

Our highlights this year include “Inspired Class Leadership,” our fall webinar about bridging the transition from virtual to hybrid to in-person class engagement, and a training on engaging alumni classes at the Volunteer Summit. At the summit, we gave a presentation on the ACL Board, DE&I, and engagement; hosted a panel discussion; and facilitated conversations on topics of interest for the attendees. The class leader job descriptions we worked on last year went live on the Alumni & Friends website this February. On June 21, we brought the training from the Volunteer Summit to a virtual audience — “Be Bold: DE&I as a Tool for Class Engagement” can be found on the ACL resources page.

Communications Committee
By Jennie Pritzker ’00

This was a great year for the communications committee. We seek to reach as many class leaders as possible and we are using various modes of communication to do this. We put out a newsletter each quarter, keeping class leaders updated on what is going on in the ACL and on campus. We made moves towards an increased presence on social media, and we plan to continue with this. We shared more posts on our Facebook page and Instagram account and we plan to increase this in the upcoming year. We encourage class leaders to follow our social media and use them as tools for populating their own social media pages. Over the next year, the committee will be developing and sharing a resource guide for class communications leaders.

Reunion 2022: Insights from the 10th and 50th Reunions

Katherine Haves Malitzky ’12 — 10th Reunion

How was your Reunion?

Our 10-year Reunion was such a joyous celebration! Starting Friday evening, it was so great to reunite with old friends and catch up on classmates' latest adventures before heading to the ever-amazing Campus Dance. The Main Green sparkled under the lights as the bands brought alums of all classes to the dance floor. For many, it was the first time back to campus in five years. With so many new upgrades to campus, we had opportunities to explore throughout the day on Saturday, leading us to a relaxing afternoon at Field Day. On Saturday night, the Class of 2012 danced the night away and made the Quiet Green not so quiet. But no Reunion is complete without the best celebration of the graduates: the Commencement Procession. Commencement this year was even more special as we got to welcome both the classes of 2020 and 2022 to the alumni family in person.

What makes for a successful Reunion?

The key to a successful Reunion is creating opportunities for classmates to reconnect. Whether it is singing “The Fast Food Song” with Dave Binder or sitting on the Main Green with friends (old and new), just seeing everyone makes the weekend perfect.

What was your favorite memory from Reunion Weekend?

My favorite memory of the Reunion was walking into our 10-year Reunion tent on Friday night and seeing my freshman roommate for the first time in five years. She and I live on opposite sides of the country, so our hug for the first time in what felt like decades was full of love. After a few minutes, we had caught up and were giggling as easily as we had in our freshman dorm room, as if no time had passed.

What makes the 10th Reunion so special?

Our memories of campus life are so vivid and feel so close, and yet, we have all started a new chapter in our lives.

What was the best part of the weekend?

I think the best part is Campus Dance. While the experience may be overwhelming with thousands of people, the night becomes magical when you stand and watch the party for a few minutes. If you stand in one place, even for five minutes, you will find old friends and meet new ones. You will watch the newest graduates stare in awe at the beauty of campus. You will sway to the music of the bands. Under the glow of the lanterns, you feel so lucky to be a part of this incredible community of alumni.

Don Stanford ’72 — 50th Reunion

How was your Reunion?

Our Reunion was great. It was gratifying to have a good turnout in spite of the pandemic concerns. Everyone saw and caught up with old friends, and in some cases, made brand new friendships. The weather was perfect and there was plenty to do.

What makes for a successful Reunion?

Planning is the critical factor and having an active committee of class members to work with Alumni Relations. Amy Haughey was key in keeping us organized and focused on the important planning decisions and was very important and helpful.

What was your favorite memory from Reunion Weekend?

My favorite memory was the procession through the gates accompanied by my four young grandsons, my daughters, and all my classmates.

What makes the 50th Reunion so special?

I think the 50th is special because most of the class members have transitioned from careers into retirement and can look back with satisfaction at the road they have traveled.

What was the best part of the weekend?

The camaraderie is always the highlight of any large Reunion. We were also honored to have some of Brown's most beloved and distinguished faculty join us and speak at our events. Barrett Hazeltine, Andy van Dam, and Barbara Tannenbaum were wonderful speakers for the class to enjoy and learn from.

Coming up in the Fall of 2022

• New class leader training — The Alumni Relations team and the ACL will collaborate on a new Class Leader Orientation and Training webinar this fall. New (and not-so-new) class leaders will be invited to find out more about the class leader roles and expectations and a host of tools and resources. In the meantime, if you are wanting to gain some insights into class leadership, check out the ACL training webinars that have been recorded and live on the ACL Alumni & Friends page.

• Reunion year 2022-23 kickoff — Classes ending in 3 and 8 will be celebrating their Reunion next May 26 - 28, 2023. The Alumni Relations class and Reunion teams will be reaching out in the early fall to take you through the planning process and share some of the helpful resources that have been developed over the past two years. Stay tuned! In the meantime, if you have any questions, reach out to your class liaison.

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 & 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).

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.