2021–22 Report of the Alumnae/i Association
CA Alumnae/i Association
Mission Statement
The Alumnae/i Association fosters lifelong connections between Concord Academy and its alumnae/i community. The Association facilitates meaningful opportunities to preserve and promote a love of learning, service to others, and a commitment to diverse perspectives and backgrounds. Through involvement in the life of the school, within the community, and through service to the greater world, the Association strives to renew and affirm the core values instilled while at CA.
Each year, alumnae/i contribute to the life of the school, both on campus and within the greater CA community. We are proud to share the achievements of our alumnae/i networks in the 2021–22 Report of the Alumnae/i Association.
2021–22 Alumnae/i Volunteer Leadership
Karen McAlmon ’75
Past President, Ex-Officio
Trelane Clark ’92, P’22
President
Alexis Goltra ’87, P’26 ’27
Co-Chair, Alum Annual Fund
Noah Fisk ’93
Co-Chair, New York Area Regional
Gabe Greenberg ’98
Co-Chair, New York Area Regional
Eliza Grossman ’17
Co-Chair, CAYAC
Maris Hubbard ’12
Co-Chair, Alum Admissions Network
Michael Lichtenstein ’94
Chair, Class Secretary Program
Eric Nguyen ’00
Co-Chair, Alumnae/i Admissions Network
Matt McCahill ’95
Co-Chair, Alumnae/i Annual Fund
Becca Miller ’14
Co-Chair, CAYAC
Miriam Perez-Putnam ’12
Co-Chair, CAYAC
Nella Rasic ’09
Co-Chair, New England Regional
Paolo Sanchez ’14
Co-Chair, Community and Equity Committee
Kate Rea Schmitt ’62, P’88
Chair, Joan Shaw Herman Award
Jimmy Cai ’22
Student Representative
Hannah Fine ’22
Student Representative
Isabella Ginsburg ’23
Student Representative
Emmy McCormack ’22
Student Representative
Aina Tasso ’23
Student Representative
2022-23 New Officers and Leadership
Trelane Clark ’92, P’22
President of the Alumnae/i Association
Trelane is both a CA graduate and parent to a recent CA graduate. She is currently the principal at Hooks Elementary School in Chelsea, Mass. Born and raised in Boston, Trelane’s elementary school experience planted the seeds of her ambition to become a school administrator. After graduating from CA, where she held several student leadership positions, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish and African American Studies, a Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in educational administration. Trelane has had the opportunity to teach and serve students in public, private, urban, and suburban settings including in Virginia, Washington DC, and Boston and its surrounding area. Trelane has presented workshops at local and regional conferences for educators throughout her career, including Massachusetts ASCD, Massachusetts School Administrators Association, and the Leading Equity Center. She was a contributing author to the anthology Women Who Lead Featuring School Principals Vol. 2. Trelane serves as the National Vice President for Black Women Education Leaders, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the accomplishments and supporting Black women in educational leadership. She believes that building relationships and making connections with students and adults is central to the work that educators must do and credits the modeling of this to her own teachers and professional experiences. Her professional mission is to inspire educators to teach from the heart, model resiliency, lead with integrity, value relationships, and ensure equity for students, families, and educators.
Trelane enjoys spending time with her two children, family, and friends. She stays grounded by faith, positivity, family, books, music, writing, and laughter.
Tess Munro Bauta ’94, P ’25
Co-Chair, Alumnae/i Annual Fund Committee
Tess is one of six siblings to attend CA and currently a parent of a rising CA tenth grader. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a major in East Asian studies, she worked with international companies listed on the NYSE while pursuing a master’s degree. in international affairs at the New School. After moving to Chicago, she found her passion while working at a non-profit providing access to health care for newly settled immigrants and refugees. She and her husband, Christian, live in Nahant, Mass. with their children Ever ’25, Bo, and Bay. Tess currently sits on the board of Safer Waters in Massachusetts, Inc. She is an avid tennis player, dog lover and volunteer.
Emily Potts Callejas ’92
Co-Chair, New England Regional
Emily has dedicated her career to early childhood education with a focus on social-emotional development and equity and inclusion. Early on, she worked with communities interested in opening charter schools to improve educational opportunities for children in both Massachusetts and Florida. Following her work at the Florida Department of Education, she served as a mental health consultant for Family Connections at Boston Children’s Hospital for seven years. In this role she worked with both children and adults to address depression and related adversities in Head Start and Early Head Start programs around Boston. Emily later worked for Connected Beginnings Training Institute at Wheelock College, where she was the Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Content Manager for nearly a decade. In 2020, Emily joined the Cambridge Birth to Third Grade Partnership as a Professional Development Specialist.
Serena Frechter ’14
Co-Chair, Washington, D.C. Regional
Serena is the Deputy Director of the Public Interest Fellowship. She previously served as special assistant to the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and to the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Prior to her government service, she worked as a government relations analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Serena attended Johns Hopkins University, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree in international studies and history with a minor in French culturals studies and her master’s degree in history.
Dat Le ’06
Co-Chair, Alumnae/i Admissions Network
Since his graduation, Dat has continued to be an active volunteer at CA for many years. He served as co-chair of the CAYAC Committee for two years and recently was an alumni admissions interviewer. Dat holds a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business and currently works in finance and operations at Ropes & Gray in Boston. Dat looks forward to re-joining the Alumnae/i Steering Committee and serving as a co-chair of the Alumnae/i Admissions Network.
Julia Packman ’14
Co-Chair, Washington, D.C. Regional
Julia is an Intelligence Analyst at a risk management firm and pursuing a master’s degree in Security Policy at George Washington University. Prior to moving to Washington DC, she worked as an Investigative Analyst in the Special Victims Bureau at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she specialized in investigating child abuse cases. Julia received her undergraduate degree from Connecticut College in 2018.
Meisha Thompson Newman ’94
Co-Chair, Alumnae/i Community and Equity Committee
Meisha is a business owner and lead technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm with expertise in analytics, digital, engineering, and cyber helping businesses, government, and military organizations.
Theo Nuñez ’18
Chair, Chicago Regional
Theo recently graduated from Tufts University with a degree in computer science as well as cognitive and brain science. While at CA and as an alum, Theo was and is very involved in increasing community service opportunities and uplifting the voices and stories of students and alumnae/i of color. After living in the Boston area for almost eight years, he has moved back to his hometown Chicago, IL and is looking forward to fostering a strong and welcoming CA community there.
Gary Zheng ’14
Chair, International Alumnae/i (Greater Asia)
Gary was one of the first students from mainland China to attend CA. During his time at CA, he was the head of the Investment Club, chief photographer for the yearbook, and a member of the Varsity Golf team.
2021–22 Alumnae/i Initiatives and Programs
The CA Alumnae/i Admissions Network
Maris Hubbard ’12 and Eric Nguyen ’00, Co-Chairs
The CA Alumnae/i Admissions Network is a committed and thoughtful team of alumnae/i interviewers who serve ase an invaluable asset in the Office of Admissions. They work together to share a school that reflects the school’s mission to create a community animated by love of learning, diverse and striving for equity, grounded in common trust. These volunteers offer prospective parents and guardians a glimpse into who their child might become and what values their child may embody as young adults. Prospective students similarly find in our alumnae/i interviewers an aspirational version of themselves: the thoughtful, curious, grounded, and engaged citizen, friend or colleague that they themselves hope to become long after they graduate from high school. The lived CA experiences of our dedicated alumnae/i interviewers help prospective students start to understand how the CA community could be a place for them as well.
Each interviewer demonstrates flexibility and warmth towards families throughout the admissions process, carving out time to speak with prospective families (virtually during COVID) and scheduling interviews to accommodate various time zones. We are incredibly fortunate for this year’s interviewers and their commitment to helping prospective families navigate the virtual interview process.
A special thank you to the 2021–22 Alumnae/ Admissions Interviewers
Abigail Cohen ’01
Jimmy Hall ’04
Maris Hubbard ’12
Dat Le ’06
Eric Nguyen ’00
Paolo Sanchez ’14
Jon Schechner ’98
Tessa Steinert-Evoy ’10
Alumnae/i Community and Equity Committee
Trelane Clark ’92, P’22 and Paolo Sanchez ’14, Co-Chairs
The Community and Equity (C&E) Committee includes the school’s alumnae/i in conversations and initiatives around issues of diversity and equity at CA today. Our goal is to bring students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i together to examine identity, build community, challenge inequity, and support social justice activism. The Alumnae/i C&E Committee provides support and opportunities to connect underrepresented groups within the student and alumnae/i community to each other. We were pleased to offer several opportunities to engage in this work throughout the year.
New Students of Color Gathering
On a Sunday in December, alumnae/i and students gathered for a fun afternoon of bowling and pizza to welcome CA’s newest students of color. This opportunity to connect fosters a sense of community as new students begin their journey at CA.
Alumnae/i of Color Town Hall
The Alumnae/i of Color Town Hall provided a special opportunity for alumnae/i of color to hear firsthand about and take part in conversation with CA’s leadership about the school’s C&E initiatives. Participants heard a school update from Sarah Yeh, interim head of school; and were introduced to Grant Hightower, director of community and equity. They learned about CA’s academic program, C&E Initiatives & Vision, and Concord’s DEI Commission and C&E partnership from Rob Munro, dean of academic program and equity. Student C&E co-heads and graduating seniors Kiran Bhat ’22 and Gio Clark ’22 also shared their perspectives with the group.
Alumnae/i C&E Book Discussion
On a snowy winter Saturday, over 20 alumnae/i gathered virtually to discuss How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith. The conversation was lead by Trelane Clark ’92, P’22, co-chair of the alumnae/i community and equity committee, and explored how slavery has been central in shaping our nation’s collective history and ourselves, and challenged participants to examine their own understanding of how slavery has influenced their experience and culture.
Centennial Alumnae/i of Color Reunion
Plans are underway for the Centennial Alumnae/i of Color Reunion, March 31-April 2, 2023. The reunion will be a space for camaraderie, fellowship, and bonding over shared experience—all alumnae/i of color are invited. More details to come in the following months! Please fill out the alumnae/i information form to ensure you receive accurate and timely information about the reunion.
A special thank you to the Centennial Alumnae/i of Color Reunion planning committee:
Trelane Clark ’92, P’22
Adam Geer ’99
Karen McAlmon ’75
Anthony Neal ’77
Meisha Thompson Newman ’94
Shanika Paul ’15
Jocelyn Ronda ’02
Paolo Sanchez ’14
Sharon Shakur ’80
Jenna Spencer ’10
Elly Veloria ’16
Interested in helping plan the event? Contact Hilary Rouse, director of engagement.
Regional Alumnae/i Committees
Nella Rasic ’09, New England Regional Chair
Noah Fisk ’93 and Gabe Greenberg ’98, New York Area Regional Co-Chairs
In honor of CA’s 100th birthday, groups of CA alumnae/i, parents and friends gathered across the country for Days of Service and Sustainability in conjunction with the campus community on April 22 and 23. They gave their time and effort to a variety of causes, including nonprofits addressing food insecurity and environmental cleanup. Read the recap of their impact.
We look forward to seeing our alumnae/i for in-person events in the coming year. Check out what’s planned for CA’s Centennial celebrations and stay tuned for more information on programming near you!
Joan Shaw Herman Award Selection Committee
Kate Rea Schmitt ’62, P’88, Chair
Established in 1976, the Joan Shaw Herman Award for Distinguished Service is presented annually to a member of the CA community. The school’s only award recognizes the work of CA graduates who have demonstrated dedication to service in either a professional or volunteer capacity.
2022 Centennial Joan Shaw Herman Award
On CA’s 100th birthday, we honored the 2022 Centennial Joan Shaw Herman Award recipient Adnan Zubcevic ’75 for his advocacy for immigrants and refugees and their mental health. As we reflected on the values we have held true for a century, we believed there was no better way to commemorate the creation of our school than to highlight our community’s dedication to service on our 100th birthday. If you missed Adnan’s moving speech about his own experience as a refugee and how it fueled his work on behalf of others, we invite you to watch the program below, which also features remarks by CA alumnae/i leaders and music by the Vocal Jazz and Pop Ensemble.
A special thank you to the 2021–22 Joan Shaw Herman Award Selection Committee
Alexis Goltra ’87
Betsy Green ’91
Karen McAlmon ’75
Shreya Patel ’21
Kate Rea Schmitt ’62, P’88
Stuart Warner ’77
Jimmy Cai ’22
Hannah Fine ’22
Isabella Ginsburg ’23
Emmy McCormack ’22
2021 Joan Shaw Herman Award Recipient Campus Visits
CA was delighted to host campus visits for the two 2021 Joan Shaw Herman Award Recipients this academic year.
In November, Leslie Davidson ’66, a professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center, returned to Concord. In her lecture, Davidson said that young people, including CA students, give her hope for a more equitable future for public health. Pointing appreciatively to CA students’ engagement in activism, she advised students to “ask for what you want” and to “not be passive” when it comes to making change. “You have a more open mind about many things and a commitment to make them better,” she said. “I have hope.”
In April, forensic pediatrician Ingrid Walker-Descartes ’91 spent the day on campus and spoke with a small group of CA students who were eager to hear about her specialized medical field, how she works to address and prevent child abuse and neglect, and how she cares for her patients from the examination room to the courtroom. Read more about her visit.
Class Secretary Program
Michael Lichtenstein ’94, Chair
Class secretaries continue to serve as CA’s largest group of alumnae/i volunteers, spanning nine decades. Each year, they offer their time to reach out to classmates and collect updates and class notes for the summer edition of CA Magazine. They work diligently to maintain one of CA’s oldest alumnae/i traditions and keep their classmates connected to one another and the school. In a year of continued challenge and uncertainty, their work highlighted the strength and compassion of the widespread CA community. Hundreds of notes, as well as wishes for CA’s 100th birthday, were collected from more than 70 classes between 1940 and 2020 to share with the entire alumnae/i community. We thank our class secretaries for leading these efforts with their commitment to their classmates and continued encouragement to be in touch with CA.
Concord Academy Young Alumnae/i Community (CAYAC) Committee
Eliza Grossman ’17, Becca Miller ’14, and Miriam Perez-Putnam ’12, Co-Chairs
The CAYAC Committee worked to keep CA’s young alumnae/i connected to one another and engaged with the school this year through steady personal outreach to their peers. They encouraged participation in both virtual and in-person events and modeled support of the 2021–22 Annual Fund. The Committee launched the CAYAC Countdown to Centennial Challenge in April, which encouraged young alumnae/i to support the Annual Fund in honor of CA’s 100th birthday. The campaign garnered support from over 60 of this year’s 114 total young alumnae/i donors before the end of the fiscal year in June. The Committee also helped to welcome the 102 newest alumnae/i from the class of 2022 into the Alumnae/i Association with personal welcome emails this summer. We are grateful to the entire CAYAC Committee for all of its hard work and continued commitment to engaging and supporting CA’s youngest alumnae/i!
Alumnae/i Annual Fund Committee
Alexis Goltra ’87, P’26 and Matt McCahill ’95, Co-Chairs
CA’s alumnae/i are extraordinary! Once again, we saw an outpouring of generosity from around the world that raised $1,270,495 in contributions from over 900 alumnae/i—a new giving record! Combined with gifts from current parents and grandparents, parents and grandparents of alumnae/i, faculty, staff, students, and friends, the Annual Fund totaled $3,149,752 from 1,662 individuals— exceeding the $3.1 million 2021-22 Annual Fund goal. Every dollar raised through this community-driven fund goes directly to fuel CA’s programs, people, and learning environment.
The Alumnae/i Annual Fund Committee (AAF) was essential to this success. Throughout the year, this small but mighty team worked tirelessly to personally connect and engage with alumnae/i across the globe, sharing CA’s urgent message of support. We are very grateful to our dedicated team of volunteers: Co-Chairs, Alexis Goltra ’87, P’26 and Matt McCahill ’95, and committee members Tess Munro Bauta ’94, Becky Seamans Egea ’93, and Caragh McLaughlin ’88.
Below is a snapshot of overall alumnae/i giving results for the last three years:
FY22 Alumnae/i Annual Fund Total as of June 30, 2022 = $1,270,495 (965 donors)
FY21 Alumnae/i Annual Fund Total as of June 30, 2021 = $1,269,237 (962 donors)
FY20 Alumnae/i Annual Fund Total as of June 30, 2020 = $1,062,296 (864 donors)
Consistent, yearly alumnae/i support makes a huge difference at CA and this year 480 alumnae/i continued their tradition of giving to the Annual Fund for five or more consecutive years — accounting for 75% of the total alumnae/i dollars and 50% of the total alumnae/i donors. This group of alumnae/i Storytellers Society members provides a strong foundation of support that the school can count on year after year.
In addition, our 2s and 7s classes celebrated their milestone reunions by generously supporting the school — giving in these classes totaled $344,697 and gifts from reunion classes represented nearly 25% of alumnae/i donors and 27% of alumnae/i dollars.
Overall alumnae/i participation in the Annual Fund held steady this year at 19 percent. This is a strong foundation and we are so grateful to our alumnae/i who affirmed their confidence in the school’s mission and invested in CA’s strength and success again. Giving to the Annual Fund is the very best way to make an immediate impact at CA. As our Centennial Celebration continues, the AAF Committee, together with the CAYAC Committee, invite you to support the people and programs at the heart of this school through the important work of the Annual Fund. Together, we can keep CA going strong into the next century!
Alumnae/i Association Student Representatives
Jimmy Cai ’22, Hannah Fine ’22, Isabella Ginsburg ’23, Emmy McCormack ’22, and Aina Tasso ’23
This year’s Student Representatives played a very important role in keeping our alumnae/i volunteers informed and connected to CA throughout the year. They shared campus updates at a wide variety of volunteer meetings both in person and across Zoom, met monthly with the Advancement and Engagement Office, learned about alumnae/i engagement and philanthropy at CA, shared the student perspective and insight into the student body, and thoughtfully answered alumnae/i questions about living and learning at CA today. In addition, they served on the Joan Shaw Herman Award Selection Committee, contributed to meetings with the Centennial Advisory Committee, led a student panel during the 2021 Volunteer Summit, participated in the All Community Campaign for the Annual Fund in celebration of CA’s 100th birthday, and introduced a number of alumnae/i guest speakers at special events. The group was willing to do anything to help and were true partners to the Advancement and Engagement Office. We are proud of all they have done to transform the Student Representative role and thank them for all of their great work. We look forward to staying connected with Jimmy, Hannah, and Emmy as young alumnae/i, working with Isabella and Aina again next year, and welcoming a few additional new reps in the fall!
Reunion Weekend 2022
Concord Academy was thrilled to welcome over 250 alumnae/i, faculty back to campus for Reunion 2022, our first in-person reunion in two years. This year we celebrated our 2 & 7 year alumnae/i, and were pleased to invite back the classes of 1970 and 1971 for belated in-person 50th reunions. Friends from across the decades gathered together for an unforgettable few days back in Concord.
Read the recap and view photos from the weekend.
CA’s Centennial
CA will continue to mark the joyous occasion of our Centennial with a series of events that will continue throughout the 2022–23 academic year. We invite you to check the Centennial website for updates and more information regarding plans for the coming year, including the Chapel Challenge, CA Authors Night at the Concord Festival of Authors, Alumnae/i of Color Reunion, and culminating Centennial Celebration for all alumnae/i in conjunction with Reunion Weekend 2023. We hope you will take part in these festivities in ways that bring you meaning and joy!