A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E - Colby-Sawyer College

Laurie Ferguson ’75
Which dorm(s) did you live in?
Burpee.
What do you remember most about
Colby-Sawyer?
The fantastic teachers. I did a lot of growing up
at Colby-Sawyer because of them.
Which faculty or staff member inspired
you most?
There are two. Dr. Allen Koop taught me to love
history, to write well, and to better understand
the Bible (we met 3 times a week during lunch
to discuss it). Dr. Mary Glynn inspired me to
break out of my safe, all-American, suburban-girl
cocoon and take risks, challenge the norm, and
be a leader.
How might your classmates remember you?
Yikes, I’d probably leave that up to them to
answer. Hopefully the memories are all good.
What are you doing these days?
I’m the executive director of NH Made, the
statewide organization that promotes the people,
products and places of New Hampshire. We
help market and promote more than 850
businesses and the products they produce.
This includes specialty food producers such as
orchards, wineries, breweries, bakeries and
maple producers; fine handcrafts such as pottery,
glassware, furniture, and weaving; and service
providers such as restaurants that serve local
foods, and stores that sell local products.
How do you go about promoting them?
Any way we can, with printed guides and
directories, e-newsletters, all kinds of special
trade and consumer events, and our website,
www.nhmade.com. For all of you who fell in
love with New Hampshire while you were at
Colby-Sawyer, visit the website and you’ll find
thousands of products that make perfect gifts or
special mementos for yourself to remind you of
the time you spent in this beautiful state.
How did you get involved in NH Made?
I was one of the original members of the task
force that created NH Made back in 1995. I
had my own marketing business, Ferguson
Communications, but when they needed an
executive director to run the organization, I
didn’t hesitate for a moment. The main office is
in my home which enabled me to be with my
kids while they were growing up. Every day
riding, gardening, photography
and crafting—and enjoying her
3 stepchildren, Peter, Kim and
Jen, and their children, Peter
Alan, Mia and Gabe. Mary Ann
68 COLBY-SAWYER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
is filled with
exciting challenges
and
meeting terrific
people all over
the state.
Austin Fleming writes, “I am
currently working in human
resources at Cheshire Medical
Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock
Clinic in Keene, NH. I provide
What do you
think is the
best thing
about New
Hampshire?
The landscape.
The White Mountains, the ocean, the lakes, the
open fields, the stone walls, the historic buildings
and town greens, the four distinct seasons that
always keeps things “new.”
The worst?
It’s a long way from where I grew up in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I wish I lived closer
to my family.
Last book read?
The Bible.
Favorite movie?
There are lots. “The Sound of Music,” “The
Wizard of Oz,” “Babe,” “Simon Birch”—to
name a few.
Favorite TV show?
All my favorite shows tend to disappear, like
“The West Wing” and “American Dreams.”
It’s hard to find good stuff these days. I usually
watch Fox News and listen to them rant—they
make some good points about the future
direction of this country.
What might your classmates be surprised to
learn about you?
Well, I had to battle Stage 3 breast cancer this
past year. (I had a mastectomy, chemotherapy
and radiation, but the prognosis is good and my
hair is finally coming back!) It was a life-changing
event, obviously, but has served to be a real
opportunity to help others. Despite this set-back,
life has been very, very good to me. I’ve raised
two terrific boys, now ages 16 and 20, have a
terrific job that I love, and live in one of the most
beautiful places on earth.
Anything you’d like to say to your fellow
alumni?
Give back to the communities where you live.
benefits and compensation support
for our 1,500 employees,
so it’s always a busy day in the
office. Outside of this job, I am
organist/choir director for a
church in Peterborough, and just
finished up directing an annual
summer theater camp for children.
Those who remember me
know that music was always an
important part of my life! My
husband and I live in Hancock,
NH, with our 2 Jack Russell
terriers and 2 cats. Together we
have 4 grown-up kids and 6
grandchildren!”
1975
Nancy Eaton Welch
292 County Road
New London, NH 03257
e-mail:
nancy.welch@dartmouth.edu
1976
Janet Spurr
52 Rowland Street, Apartment 1
Marblehead, MA 01945
(781) 639-1008
e-mail: spurr1@msn.com
I, Janet Spurr, have been working
hard trying to make my first
book, Beach Chair Diaries: Summer
Tales from Maine to Maui, into a
best-seller. I’ve sold over 2,400
copies in 1 year. Please help
me in following my dream. If
any of you are in book groups
and would like me to come
and speak to your group or via
phone, I would be happy to do
that. Please forward my website:
www.beachchairdiaries.com.
I’m now working on my next
book, The Beach Goes On, and am
starting to teach workshops to
writers and authors called Sales
Boot Camp for Authors. Nancy
Barnes Berkeley came to one
of my book signings at Barnes
& Noble with her son Tom,
who will be going to Bucknell
in the fall. Nancy has made
some connections with some
old Best Dorm friends through
Facebook, like Melinda Miller
Sexton, who just celebrated her
30th wedding anniversary and
lives in Hopewell, VA. She has a
beautiful granddaughter! I’m also
connected to Carol DiGennaro
Meyer ’78, Katherine “Cabby”
Herr, Dana Swezey ’75, Liz
Clowney Byrnes ’77, and Holly
Hexner Giampapa ’55. It is
fun to share pictures and keep
in touch this way. Sheila De
Ganahl Moeller writes, “After