Spring into Leadership! - Columbia College
Spring into Leadership! - Columbia College
Spring into Leadership! - Columbia College
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I<br />
From the<br />
have had a great time this spring semester<br />
getting around to see alumnae I have not<br />
seen for some time and many I had not met<br />
before. I have been visiting with groups of<br />
alumnae about the ideas and themes from<br />
the mission of <strong>Columbia</strong> <strong>College</strong> that they<br />
have found most memorable and helpful in<br />
the years since graduation. So far I have<br />
visited with groups in Washington, D.C.,<br />
and in New York. It is wonderful to see that<br />
geography may change for <strong>Columbia</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
women, but their commitment to leadership,<br />
their ability to act with confidence, and their<br />
courage and competence to make the world a<br />
better place for others remains!<br />
The alums I have met with have given<br />
me great suggestions we can use as we<br />
shape the Quality Enhancement Plan that will<br />
be part of our regular ten-year accreditation<br />
visit in three years. If I have not been to your<br />
area yet, you will find the questions we are<br />
discussing at the meetings on our Web site at<br />
www.columbiacollegesc.edu/QEPform.<br />
Please fill out our online form and it will be<br />
sent to me. Also, please let me know if you<br />
are interested in a visit in your area. I find that<br />
especially alumnae who have moved away<br />
from South Carolina miss the opportunity<br />
to connect with alumnae and often are not<br />
aware that several may be nearby!<br />
The visits have also provided helpful<br />
information about how we can better meet<br />
alumnae needs. Many have asked for more<br />
frequent issues of Columns. Others have<br />
suggested wonderful ideas for providing more interactive opportunities on our Web site with streaming video of events and video blogs of student experiences. I am especially<br />
excited about how many have offered internship opportunities for students!<br />
To those I have seen already, thank you for the fun evenings and for the great ideas; to those I have not yet seen—I hope to be coming to a town near you soon!<br />
In This Issue On the Cover...<br />
2 From the President<br />
3 Thanks to Our Alumnae<br />
4 Parallel Passions:<br />
Social Work and Servant <strong>Leadership</strong><br />
Dr. Sarah Sloan Kreutziger ’64<br />
6 Alumnae in City Hall: A Capital Place to Be<br />
Melisa Underwood Caughman ’95 and<br />
Gladys Louise Brown ’74<br />
6 Speaking Alum to Alum<br />
7 Class News<br />
2<br />
President<br />
(Back row) Rebecca Friday ’10, President Whitson, Michelle Burgess ’11, Homa Hassan ’09<br />
(Front row) Natasha Richardson ’09, Lisa Yaxis ’08, Tina Sawyer ’09<br />
Belinda Friedman Gergel ’72, Lynn Stokes-Murray ’83, Alex Mahon’10, Lisa Yaxis ’08, Nikita<br />
Burks ’09. <strong>Columbia</strong> <strong>College</strong> alumnae and current students don’t hesitate to step <strong>into</strong> leadership roles in<br />
their careers and in their communities.<br />
Belinda Friedman Gergel ’72, a Rock Hill native, earned her M.Ed.<br />
and Ph.D. at Duke University. Belinda held a variety of faculty and<br />
administrative posts at <strong>Columbia</strong> <strong>College</strong>, retiring in 2001. A neighborhood<br />
activist, Belinda has served in recent years on several city commissions<br />
and committees. In April, she was elected to <strong>Columbia</strong> City<br />
Council representing District 3. Her term begins July 1, 2008.<br />
Lynn Stokes-Murray ’83 is a non-attorney consultant with McNair<br />
Law Firm, P.A., bringing her many years of lobbying and public relations<br />
experience to the firm. Prior to joining McNair, she was actively<br />
involved in numerous political campaigns across the state. She also<br />
served as director of governmental relations at Chernoff/Silver and Associates,<br />
a local public relations and advertising agency. Lynn currently<br />
serves on the <strong>Columbia</strong> <strong>College</strong> Board of Visitors.