Shared Effort - Winter 2014

Winter 2014

Upon leaving each session, I feel empowered, effective, and enlightened as I head back to my vocation.

The tools gained serve as catalysts to my leadership awareness and promote growth along this path to being a complete leader.

-Julian Forde, 2014 Emerging Leader In February, members of the AlumniCorps community, along with our supporters in the nonprofit and public sectors, gathered in New York City and Washington, DC, to celebrate the newly-graduated Emerging Leaders class of 2014. AlumniCorps Board and staff members, Emerging Leaders program alumni, employers, advisers, family members, and other supporters helped to honor the participants’ accomplishments and the program’s success.

The receptions on February 20th in Washington, DC, and February 27th in New York marked the completion of the program’s third year. Last June, the new group of par-

Volume 17, Issue 1

ticipants began gathering for monthly sessions to develop their skills in the nonprofit and public sectors.

Participants were coached in such areas as nonprofit financial reporting, presentation skills, and fundraising fundamentals through skill-based activities and discussions with subject experts. For other topics that relate to emotional intelligence and team dynamics, presentations and best practices were combined with experiential learning and peer group collaboration. The goal of the program is to build the capacity of the participants, and the nonprofit and public sectors as a whole, as well as to address complex public issues by equipping talented young Continued on Page 2

Princeton AlumniCorps is gearing up for its 25th anniversary! From May 2014 to May 2015, a year-long series of programs will celebrate and deepen our partnerships, mobilize our growing alumni community, and affirm AlumniCorps’ record of inspiring civic leadership.

The anniversary programs will kick off with a half-day conference held at American University in Washington, DC on May 3, 2014. Our panelists and keynote will address the theme of “Living the Nonlinear Life.” From young alums positioning themselves for leadership to experienced alums looking for new ways to get involved, this event will appeal to anyone who is looking to answer the challenge Ralph Nader ’55 issued to his classmates in the spring of 1989: What are you going to do with the rest of your life?

Area committees are busy planning events in other regions that will be similarly inspirational, provocative, and engaging. In collaboration with partners at the University we will host a conference on campus in 2015 and cap off the year with a gala at Reunions 2015. Stay tuned for more information about an event near you!

Please join us for a year of events celebrating 25 years of building civic leadership!

May 3rd: Living the Nonlinear Life A half-day conference in Washington, DC focused on the many paths to public service.

October 28th: 25th Anniversary Event in Chicago Fall 2014 and Spring 2015: Regional Events in New York, San Francisco, and Boston Early 2015: Public Service Conference in Princeton Connect with other alumni, faculty, and students who are working on public issues. Dive into causes you care about and be challenged to take action.

May 28th, 2015: 25th Anniversary Gala!

managers with the skills to launch them into leadership roles.

Addressing the attendees in New York, AlumniCorps President Kathy Miller ’77 spoke about the value and uniqueness of the program: “Emerging Leaders provides participants with a framework for developing the innate leadership talent of our participants and how they can use it effectively... In addition to hard skills like how to fundraise or pitch an idea, what makes the Emerging Leaders program unique is that it gives participants a space to learn the interpersonal perspective needed to be a leader.”

Many employers were in attendance at the celebrations. Rachael Peters, New York City Executive Director of Peer Health Exchange, Inc., described the significance of the program to her organization.

“There aren’t resources for professional development for leaders at this level, so Emerging Leaders was a comprehensive, affordable, and thoughtful option that made sense. This program has been great in that we recognized our employee as a leader and she has already brought lessons from Emerging Leaders back to our team,” Rachael said.

DC Emerging Leaders and Program Designer and DC Lead Facilitator Hilary Joel ’85

DC Lead Alumni Volunteer Elizabeth Lindsey *07 congratulates Trevor Lewis on completing the program

The 2014-15 Emerging Leaders Application is now open!

AlumniCorps President Kathy Miller ’77, Emerging Leader Caitlin Motherway, and Program Leader Margaret Crotty ’94 in New York

“The most impactful part has been the peer-to-peer networking. I think we formed a special team of incredible people with incredible talent who will continue to foster each other as the years go on.”

Samara Berger 2014 Emerging Leader

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The Emerging Leaders program is offered in New York and Washington, DC beginning in June of 2014.

Applications are due March 15th and are open to   

Graduates of any college or university With 2-8 years of full-time work, including at least one year in the nonprofit sector Who are currently employed in the nonprofit sector and have some degree of management responsibilities.

Since October 2010, the Community Volunteers program has matched experienced Princeton alumni to high-impact pro bono projects in the nonprofit sector. Community Volunteers projects and events have engaged alumni in New Jersey, Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC, with a focus on graduates from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s.

As the program has grown, it has become clear that participating alumni do more than just volunteer their time and talent. They bring years of perspective and expertise to bear on important projects or persistent challenges with our nonprofit partners. They draft strategic plans, secure major new sponsorships, advise on tricky legal matters, and propose program improvements. To better express the range and impact of Community Volunteers, AlumniCorps has given this program a new name: ARC Innovators.

The inspiration for the name comes from a simple description of what alumni in the program do: Apply expertise.

Renew commitment. Create change. The projects selected for this program require creative thinking and specialized skills to arrive at solutions that help partner organizations meet their missions more effectively. For this reason, alumni who participate in the program are known as Innovators.

Alumni Innovators complete a meaningful project that has a positive Grif Johnson ’72 volunteering at Wilderness impact on the partLeadership and Learning (WILL) ner organization.

They also hone their professional skills, develop new connections in the sector, and clarify their own sense of mission and value. ARC Innovators is designed for Marci Alboher, Anne Tergesen ’86, Karen Ali ’78, and a l u mn i wh o Sharon Keld ’80 discuss career transitions at the have significant ARC Innovators kick-off in NYC professional experience and want to commit 2-6 months to working closely with senior management at a nonprofit organization in their community. The program is a pathway to action for alumni who meet these criteria, especially those who are:  Reentering the workforce after raising a family  Building a resume to help with a job search  Planning a career change into the nonprofit sector  Approaching retirement  Exploring a public issue in more depth  Getting more involved in their local community  Looking for a project to add meaning With this new name comes new energy. Thanks to the Chet Safian Innovation Fund, ARC Innovators is expanding in 2014 with projects in New York City and Washington, DC. The program is currently taking applications for the first round of six New York projects and five new projects in Princeton. DC projects will be announced later this spring.

Interested in becoming an ARC Innovator?

For information about projects in your area and to read profiles of past Innovators, visit the ARC Innovators page at: www.alumnicorps.org 3

Last fall, Melissa Frey Mazin ’91 and Craig Mazin ’92 joined with Scott Taylor ’75 to challenge Project 55 alumni to raise $15,000 for AlumniCorps before the end of 2013. Thanks to 93 PP55 donors, we successfully raised $15,888 and received $15,000 in matching funds! We are grateful to all of those who contributed to this effort. To meet our participation goal, we need to receive gifts from another 100 alumni in the second half of the year. We are asking all former PP55 fellows and interns to make a contribution before June 30, 2014.

On February 23, members of the Keystone Society came to Princeton for a breakfast honoring individuals who have made a planned gift to AlumniCorps. Professor Stan Katz h’21 spoke with the group about philanthropic trends and the Giving Pledge. Kathy Miller ’77 and Sharon Keld ’80 were inducted as members.

Keystone Society members at the annual Prior to the Keystone breakfast, we talked with Jim Gregoire ’69 about his deci- breakfast sion to join the Keystone Society. Jim was the first non-’55er to join the AlumniCorps Board, due to his leadership in community service for the Class of ’69. He was also the head of the AlumniCorps Finance Committee for many years. He said that he and his spouse Jane felt that it was important to demonstrate a long-term commitment to the financial strength of the organization. They won’t be around in fifty years, but AlumniCorps will, and they want to do their part to make sure that happens. They hope that their gift will be one of several that will double the size of the endowment and therefore contribute substantially to the annual operating funds. “We should all have an estate plan,” Jim noted, “and we encourage you to put Princeton AlumniCorps in yours.” To learn more about the Keystone Society and how you can become a member, contact Sharon Keld ’80, Development Officer, at skeld@alumnicorps.org.

As of February 7, Princeton AlumniCorps has raised over $325,000 from 360 donors. We are grateful to all of our donors and volunteers, and we thank you for your support! Our goals are to raise a total of $387,000 by June 30. If you haven’t sent in your gift yet, please consider a gift now!

Eloise Salmon ’07 served as a PP55 fellow at Partnerships for Public Service. She now serves as Lead Alumni Interviewer. This January, 12 alumni interviewed would-be PP55 fellows from a record pool of 158 applicants.

I can hardly believe almost five years have passed since my Project 55 Fellowship. Four years of medical school and eight months of residency later, I am more convinced than ever that my fellowship year fostered personal growth that has increased my service impact as a pediatrician-in-training.

One way I have chosen to say “thank you” to Project 55 is by returning to Princeton for a day or two each January to take part in the applicant interview process. Just as speaking with prospective students is a highlight of the alumni experience for many Princeton grads, I have found participating in fellowship interviews to be a tremendously rewarding way to remain connected to Project 55.

The intelligence, articulateness, and enthusiasm of the 4

applicants are not only inspiring, but also a testament to the results of a Princeton undergraduate education. Some applicants have long pondered a career in the nonprofit world and have particular placements in mind to build a specific skill set; others simply value public service more generally and see the fellowship as an ideal way to gain professional experience while continuing the search for their own career path. In either case, a key piece of every interview is a dialogue about which organizations might offer the best fit. This focus on everyone winning sets the Project 55 interview process apart, and allows the interviewer to do more than just ask questions and take notes – you have the privilege of introducing soon-to-be-alumni to possibilities they may not have previously considered.

As you look ahead to January 2015, I would encourage all Project 55 alumni, and especially those in New York, New Jersey, or Philadelphia, to see if their calendars will permit spending a day in Princeton for applicant interviews.

You will connect (or re-connect) with other Project 55 alums, learn about the newest fellowship placements, and be reminded what it was like to have life after Princeton be an unknown. I promise you will not regret taking the time.

Princeton AlumniCorps is excited to welcome three new staff members to our team: Jasmine Jeffers ’11, Caryn Tomljanovich, and Sharon Keld ’80, all of whom joined the staff in the last five months.

Jasmine Jeffers ’11, Outreach Coordinator Jasmine Jeffers ’11 joined the AlumniCorps team in January 2014 as our new Outreach Coordinator. She will be working to energize PP55 alumni and broaden the reach of AlumniCorps, priorities identified in the 2013-16 strategic plan.

Before joining the staff at AlumniCorps, Jasmine worked as a development staff member for two different nonprofits in the New York City area: the New York Common Pantry and as a PP55 fellow at New Heights Youth. Jasmine’s experiences as a fellow directly informed her decision to transition to this role. She is looking forward to connecting with inspiring individuals from every corner of the AlumniCorps community. Since entering this role, she has met with alumni from every several class years and professional sectors and has consistently been impressed with Princetonians’ passion for public service and their commitment to creating positive change. Her identity as a Princetonian and a nonprofit development professional influence her approach to the Outreach Coordinator role since she feels personally invested in the AlumniCorps community and has the experience needed to empower other alumni and translate enthusiasm into positive action.

Caryn Tomljanovich, Program Coordinator, ARC Innovators Before joining AlumniCorps in November 2013, Caryn had a diversity of experience in the nonprofit and academic sectors. She has experience in development and fundraising work for an art museum and local land preservation organization and has worked extensively on grant writing, program development, marketing and implementation in local community and economic development organizations. For several years, she worked at Colgate University to design and implement the strategic plan for the Upstate Institute which connected students and faculty with civic engagement projects in the Central New York region.

Caryn says the energy and enthusiasm of the people in the organization appealed to her.

She loves the idea of helping people connect to organizations and experiences that can have a positive impact on their lives and the long term well being of the nonprofit. She is looking forward to seeing the program grow and see the potential that it has for the future as well as making the first ARC Innovator matches in New York and Washington, DC.

Sharon Keld ’80, Development Officer Sharon is a long-time AlumniCorps mentor in Chicago and a habitual volunteer. With a professional background in marketing, a few years ago she began to feel the desire to make a professional move that would combine her marketing skills and expertise with the reward she felt in volunteering. She joined the Peace Corps and served in Morocco as a small business development volunteer, helping artisans with small business. She also did two short-term stints in marketing at Habitat for Humanity Philippines and then in public relations at Millennium Challenge Account-Armenia.

The Development Officer position at AlumniCorps appealed to her because it combined not only her desire to apply marketing expertise in a nonprofit setting, but also her love of Princeton and Princetonians. What appealed to her while interviewing was the passion of the staff members and the volunteers as well as the way that AlumniCorps changes the lives of the program participants.

With the 25th anniversary approaching, Sharon feels that she has joined the organization at a good time. She is looking forward to events celebrating that milestone and to helping chart the plans for the future of alumni driven civic leadership.

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In October, fellows got together to enjoy a historic San Francisco walking tour of the Embarcadero neighborhood (titled “Making Waves on the Waterfront”). The tour explored both popular attractions and hidden gems along the Bay, while providing colorful history and interesting trivia about the area. It was a unique opportunity for recent (and not so recent) transplants to the area to learn something new and discover new spots in SF! In November, Princeton AlumniCorps Bay Area and the Princeton Club of Northern California collaborated to host a panel and mixer on Careers in Social Impact for fellows and other Princeton alumni. Featured panelists included Emily Chiswick-Patterson ’05 (former PP55 fellow, currently at Isaacson Miller), Josh Brankman ’99 (Executive Director of Outward Bound California), Rachel Zwillinger ’05 (legal fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council), and David Veneziano (CFO/COO at ZeroDivide.org).

The panelists shared their experiences in the nonprofit and social sectors, provided guidance on career paths, and answered tough questions from the audience about the pros and cons of working in social impact. Future events include a similar seminar on the topic of education reform.

The Boston area committee organized an info session at the end of January for prospective partner organizations. The event was co-hosted with the Center for Public Interest Careers at Harvard (CPIC) and the Stanford SPIN program. About 25 organizations attended.

At the end of February, a seminar cosponsored with CPIC was held at the Phillips Brooks House at Harvard focusing on public interest law and Andrea Campbell '04 spoke.

Our Connecticut Project 55 fellows continue their great work. Housing Development Fund, one of our Connecticut partner organizations, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Three alumni or current Project 55 fellows, Diane Cho '13, Sabrina Szeto ’12, and Mary Thierry ’12, are all busy helping HDF meet its mission during this exciting time for the organization. Nabiha Nurruzaman '13 continues her work as a Special Projects Fellow at the Norwalk Community Health Center.

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Chicago volunteers visit with John Fish ‘55

The Chicago weekly seminar series has continued to thrive, with recent seminars at the Center on Halsted, Academy for Global Citizenship Charter School, AssetBased Community Development Institute, Lawndale Christian Legal Center, Crossroads Fund, and Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Greater Chicago Food Depository seminar has been one of the favorites of the year so far, as fellows had an opportunity not only to learn about the organization but also to volunteer. In total, the Project 55 fellows, along with fellows from Northwestern University and University of Chicago Public Interest Programs and other volunteers, sorted 19,000 pounds of apples for distribution.

On February 10, we hosted a kickoff event to start planning for Chicago's AlumniCorps 25th anniversary celebration. We had great attendance from current and former fellows, area committee members, and other Chicago alums. We were also honored to have Executive Director Andrew Nurkin, Outreach Coordinator Jasmine Jeffers ’11, and Development Officer Sharon Keld ’80 from AlumniCorps speak to us about the work of AlumniCorps nationwide and their plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary. We're looking forward to a great 25th anniversary event this October, and we'd love to get even more volunteers on board to help plan. Please reach out if you'd like to help with this exciting work!

On February 27 we hosted a happy hour for mentors, fellows, and mentors at large. Fellows got to know each other better and made connections that may help

them as they plan for what to do after their fellowship year.

We've been working hard to recruit great fellowship applicants to Chicago. Whitney Spalding Spencer '07 met with 21 applicants in Princeton in January, and our fantastic communications subcommittee, mainly Katie Thaeder '09 and Kathy Qu '13, developed a marketing video for the Chicago program.

Project 55 fellowship alumni in the New York area reconnected during a networking event planned and hosted

by Clara Botstein '07. Also, Scott Taylor '75 and Courtney Taylor s'75 graciously hosted a holiday party for current fellows, recent fellows, mentors, and Steering Committee members.

In January the fellows enjoyed watching an Upright Citizens Brigade improv show with fellows from the Harvard Center for Public Interest Careers and Dartmouth Partners in Community Service programs.

In late January fellows, mentors, and committee members braved the freezing cold to attend a seminar at the Architecture Research Office (ARO) featuring a discussion and question-answer session with ARO Principal Adam Yarinsky *87. Seminar attendees were intrigued to learn more about ARO's proposal for the redesign of lower Manhattan to address rising sea levels due to global climate change (which was featured in the Museum of Modern Art) as well as ARO's innovative, sustainable design approach toward cultural landmarks such as the Donald Judd House.

This month the New York Area Committee is teaming up with the Harvard Center for Public Interest Careers program to host a Career Night for the fellows, during which they will have the opportunity to mingle with and learn from professionals representing a range of industries including law, communications, and international development.

The Philadelphia Area Committee is looking to recruit active volunteers to help grow AlumniCorps’ impact in the region. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Paul Nehring ’10 at pnehring@alumnicorps.org or at 609-921-8808.

The DC Steering Committee has been keeping the Project 55 and TAN affiliate fellows quite busy in the last few months. In November, our fellows engaged in a thoughtful discussion on "Managing Relationships," facilitated by DC Steering Committee Mentorship Chair Lisa Lazarus '02.

The seminar encouraged fellows to cultivate relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and peers- both inside and beyond the workplace. Suggestions were provided on how to strengthen pre-existing relationships, as well as how to identify and approach new mentors or sponsors. Many thanks to Lisa for her excellent facilitation and fantastic content. Thanks also to Partners for the Common Good and DC Steering Committee Co-Chair Dana Weinstein ’12 for hosting the seminar.

In December, DC Steering Committee Social Chair Amy Sweeny ’12 and Committee Co-Chair Dana Weinstein ’12 hosted a holiday dinner and get-together for PP55 and TAN Affiliate fellows at Local 16 on U St. The venue provided the group the use of the upstairs dining area and several fellows from Harvard, Washington and Lee, and Dartmouth joined PP55 fellows and committee members for the dinner. As most fellows had been in their positions for several months and had acclimated to their new city and work, this event was a great chance for them to catch up with their peers. The dinner included discussion on beginning to take ownership of work within fellowship positions and on understanding the various aspects of public interest work from a first-hand perspective.

Altogether, it was a nice break from the pre-holiday rush!

In January, we were fortunate to continue professional development opportunities for our fellows with a seminar entitled "Planning Your Next Move." The seminar was copresented by Ari Altman '97, emeritus Chair of the DC Steering Committee, and Annie Czerwinski of LeaderFit, an executive search and human capital consulting firm serving nonprofits, foundations, and social enterprises.

Annie guided an interactive dialogue to help fellows consider what they are passionate about and how to structure a career path(s) around those interests. Ari provided a hands-on resume-crafting workshop to help best position fellows for their future endeavors. We are grateful to both for their expertise and generous donation of their time!

Thanks once again to Partners for the Common Good for hosting the seminar at their offices.

Recently, the Steering Committee completed mid-year check-ins with our fellows to find out how we can best support them throughout the remainder of the fellowship year.

Additionally, we were fortunate to be able to recruit fantastic organizations and positions for next year. We are looking forward to a great rest of the year and getting in touch with our new fellows soon!

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John Fish ’55, Chair Kathryn Miller ’77, President Joe Sengoba ’10, Secretary Charles F. Mapes, Jr. ’55, Treasurer Thomas D. Allison ’66 Margaret Crotty ’94 Kirk Davidson ’55 Rebecca Deaton ’91 Andrew Goldstein ’06 Anne T. Goldstein ’79 Kef Kasdin ’85 Stanley Katz h’21 Debra Kushma ’80 William R. Leahy, Jr. ’66 Tom Magnus ’77

Dana Malman Warren ’03 Kathleen McCleery ’75 Arthur McKee ’90 Dominic Michel ’70 Paula J. Morency ’77 Anthony C. E. Quainton ’55 Margarita Rosa, Esq. ’74 Marsha Rosenthal ’76 Robert Sellery ’60 Judy Hole Suratt s’55 Leesy Taggart ’78 Scott Taylor ’75 Richard E. Thompson ’55 Richard O. Walker ’73 R. Kenly Webster ’55

Andrew C. Nurkin, Executive Director Rachel Benevento, Program Director, Emerging Leaders Jasmine Jeffers ’11, Outreach Coordinator Sharon Keld ’80, Development Officer Paul Nehring ’10, Program Director, Princeton Project 55 Fellowships David Nelson, Office Administrator Caryn Tomljanovich, Program Coordinator, ARC Innovators

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