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Who We Are

The Alumni Council is a dedicated group of volunteers who provide guidance and insight about alumni programs, communications, and outreach. Each alumni member serves a four-year term; the Council, along with faculty and student representatives, meets on campus once a year, with remote meetings scheduled as necessary.

Mission

The 顶级国产视频 Alumni Council connects or reconnects 顶级国产视频ies with the University. We promote activities and share news that will deepen their affinity with a community that launched passions, careers, and relationships. Through our interactions, we also drive positive and lasting change that redefines what it means to be a 顶级国产视频ie, and excites and inspires graduates to participate, to give, and to be champions of the 顶级国产视频 experience.

Committees

Alumni Council members serve on several committees, including:

  • The Awards Committee selects recipients of four alumni awards 鈥 the Distinguished Service Award, the Young Alumni Service Award, the Service to Society Award, and Challenging Convention Award. Learn more
  • The Diversity and Inclusion Committee focuses on the success of affinity groups, volunteers, and programs, ensuring that alumni from all identities and backgrounds are represented and that alumni have a voice in diversity, equity, and inclusion matters at the University.
  • The Programming Committee reviews and advises on ongoing engagement programming, including on- and off-campus events, virtual events, and how to best engage alumni and faculty in this work.
  • The Nominating Committee selects new members of the Alumni Council and candidates to become the alumni-appointed trustee.
  • The Alumni Experience Committee will map out engagement with 顶级国产视频 alumni pre-graduation through their entry into the 50th听Year Association. The committee will identify engagement strengths and gaps with a focus on events, volunteer and recognition opportunities, communications, alumni services, and general on-going awareness of what鈥檚 current and important to the 顶级国产视频 community. The committee will offer suggestions working towards the creation of a roadmap to address some of those gaps and outline how we can play to our strengths and improve the alumni experience over time.

Some Council members also serve as members and liaisons to other volunteer groups, including the 顶级国产视频 Black Alumni Association (CBAA), the 顶级国产视频 LGBTQ+ Alumni Association (CLAA), the GOLD Council, and the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

Garrett Abrahamson

Garrett W. Abrahamson 鈥07, MBA 鈥08
President

Garrett Abrahamson graduated from 顶级国产视频 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in political science and, in 2008, a master鈥檚 in business administration. While on campus, he served on the Student Council and Student Alumni Relations Committee, and spent three years as a resident adviser (two of those in Wright Hall). Garrett has stayed connected to 顶级国产视频 as a class agent, GOLD Council member, and, most recently, with the Alumni Council. He is also a member of the Jonas 顶级国产视频 Fellows.

Professionally, he is an associate manager at Public Consulting Group, focused on health care payment reform for states around the country. He lives in Saco, Maine, with his wife, Caitlan, and two young children.

Tom Hicks Headshot

Thomas Hicks 鈥93

Thomas Hicks is a Commissioner with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).听听 Prior to his nomination and appointment to the EAC, Commissioner Hicks worked in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, handling issues relating to campaign finance, election reform, contested elections and oversight of both the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission. His primary responsibility was advising and providing guidance to the committee members and caucus on election issues.

While at 顶级国产视频, Tom, a 1993 Government major, was a member of the Lacrosse team and active in several on campus organizations as well as working at the Pub, playing Intramural sports and serving on the Spree Day Committee.听 Tom also participated in 顶级国产视频’s study abroad program. Interning for two organizations in the United Kingdom while attending The University of London during his 3rd year.听 After leaving 顶级国产视频, Tom earned his Law Degree from The Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.

Tom has been an active Alum since leaving 顶级国产视频.听 Returning to the main campus to speak with Students and meeting with students participating in various programs in DC.听 Tom sits on the Alumni Council and the President鈥檚 Council to further the university鈥檚 efforts on expanding diversity and look to succeed in the 21st century.

Mary Owens

Mary L. Owens 鈥86
Past President

Mary Bourbeau Owens 鈥86 is senior director of retail communications for CVS Health. She has been with CVS for 12 years, initially as head of internal communications for the pharmacy benefit management business. In 2015, she was asked to lead the internal communications team that supports corporate programs as well as mergers and acquisitions. In her current role, which she has held since 2019, she leads a team responsible for proactive media relations and executive thought leadership for CVS Pharmacy.

Shortly after graduating from 顶级国产视频, Mary 鈥 a second-generation 顶级国产视频ie 鈥 moved to the Chicago area, where she lived for 25 years. During that time, she supported the University in a number of volunteer roles, including interviewing prospective students, staffing college fairs, and supporting local alumni events. Since her return to New England in 2005, she has been an active member of the Alumni Council. She lives with her husband, Ken, in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Members

  • Kulani Abendroth-Dias 鈥13, Paris, France
  • Garrett Abrahamson 鈥07, MBA 鈥08, Saco, ME
  • Sandra Abramson 鈥68 New York, N.Y
  • Justin L. Bailey 鈥00, Memphis, TN
  • David Brenerman 鈥73, Portland, ME
  • Malik Brown 鈥00, MBA 鈥02, Philadelphia, PA
  • Nicholas J. Callender 鈥11, MPA 鈥12, Washington, DC
  • Ishara R. Casella Connors, Ph.D. 鈥06, Bryan, TX
  • Matthew Chafe 鈥87, Wayland, MA
  • Anthony Colon 鈥03, MPA 鈥04, Rockaway Beach, NY
  • Jean Dao 鈥12, MAT 鈥13, Boston, MA
  • Randi P. Guinn Shirley 鈥91, Charlotte, NC
  • Margaret Guzman 鈥89, Worcester, MA
  • Thomas Hicks 鈥93, Springfield, VA
  • Nicola Imbracsio 鈥98, Saint Paul, MN
  • Jeffrey Lambert 鈥85, Ventura, CA
  • Stacey Lawrence 鈥08, Pawtucket, RI
  • Carolyn Michael-Banks 79, Memphis, TN
  • Thomas Montanari 鈥25, Hopewell, NJ
  • Jermel Moody 鈥00, Brooklyn, NY
  • Mary Owens, 鈥86, Cumberland, RI
  • Brigid Palcic 鈥11, MA 鈥12, Highland, NY
  • Abhishek Raman 鈥09, Cambridge, MA
  • Edgardo Rivera 鈥86, P 鈥09, San Juan, PR
  • Raphael Rogers, Faculty Representative
  • Rebecca Sherer 鈥79, Northampton, MA
  • Colin Sterling 鈥18, Boca Raton, FL
  • Bryan Tamburro 鈥97, Frisco, TX
  • Adi Tibrewal MBA 鈥05, Worcester, MA
  • Alex Turgeon 鈥16, MBA 鈥17, Washington, DC
  • Miranda Valerio 鈥11, Decatur, GA
  • Sage Zetzman 鈥25, Steamboat Springs, CO

Photo from the Alumni Council Awards Reception in 2023. Pictured (from left): University President David Fithian '87, Emilee Cocuzzo 鈥18, MBA 鈥19; Etel Haxhiaj 鈥04, M.A. 鈥08; Anne McKinnon 鈥83; Robert (Jay) Ash 鈥83; Alumni Council President Garrett Abrahamson '07, MBA '08

Alumni Council Awards

Each year, the Awards Committee of the Alumni Council solicits nominations for four alumni awards:

  • Distinguished Service Award
  • Young Alumni Award
  • University Award for Service to Society
  • Challenging Convention Award

Nominations are submitted by 顶级国产视频 alumni, staff, and faculty. Winners are chosen by the Awards Committee and honored at the annual Alumni Council Awards Dinner held on the Friday night of Reunion Weekend.

The Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by 顶级国产视频鈥檚 Alumni Council, recognizes and celebrates a graduate who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and volunteerism for 顶级国产视频 over the course of several decades.

The University Award for Service to Society celebrates an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to society in the years since graduating from 顶级国产视频 while advancing a cause consistent with 顶级国产视频鈥檚 values.听

The Young Alumni Award recognizes a 顶级国产视频 鈥淕raduate of the Last Decade (GOLD)鈥 who has served as an exemplary leader and volunteer for 顶级国产视频 since graduation.

The Challenging Convention Award is inspired by the deep reverence 顶级国产视频 graduates have for the University鈥檚 motto, 鈥淐hallenge Convention. Change Our World.鈥 The award honors an individual who, in the years since graduation, 鈥渉as a crowning achievement in advancing a particular artistic, social, or scientific cause deemed consonant with University values.鈥

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