Skip to main content

Alumni Board nominates five

The Alumni Association Board of Directors has nominated a slate of nine candidates to be directors for the 2009-12 term.

A state superior court judge, co-founder of the College's annual New York holiday party, Renaissance English enthusiast, director of economic development in Cambridge, Mass., and New York lawyer make up the list of five new nominees.

The Nominees

Four alumnae are being considered for a second term: Jamie Bridges '00, Christine Reardon Gould '79, Susan Peck Robinson '65 and Sukey Richmond Simmons '95. Additionally, three alumni were nominated for the Executive Committee: Constance (Connie) Smith Gemmer '80, Stephen "Knute" Gregg '94 and Tammie Clayton Reid '01.

Five new alumni considered for the Board are Martha E. (Meg) Gifford '73, Lucie Hoblitzelle Iannotti '57, Mark Iger '75, Estella Johnson '75 and Robin Wilson '82.

The candidates are presented as a single slate according to the bylaws of the Association. You can indicate your support for the slate by calling 1-800-888-7549 or e-mailing the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@conncoll.edu no later than June 25.

The board includes 12 other directors who are not up for election this year, including Andrew Bogle '94, Carol Boyd '72, Christy Burke '93, Ryan Chan '00, Will Kane '84, Chris McDaniel '94, Elli Nagai-Rothe '03, Usman Sheikh '04, Rick Stratton '96, Jean Tierney Taub '58, Thomas Usdin '79 and  Hildegard Van Deusen '43.

More about the New Directors

The Board will lose nine members this year, including several alumni who graduated in the 1970s. New candidates were chosen to keep the Board diversified; nominees represent three decades, and they include three alumni who graduated in the '70s, two alumni of color and two Connecticut College parents.

Martha E. (Meg) Gifford '73
A government major, Meg received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1976. Meg has served in many different volunteer roles for the College including admission representative, class agent chair and class agent, class president and vice president, and reunion chair. She currently practices law in New York, where she lives with her husband, James Daniels P'93, father of Caitlin Daniels Israel '93.

Lucie Hoblitzelle Iannotti '57
Lucie graduated with a degree in English and went on to receive her M.A. from Yale in Renaissance English in 1958. Lucie has been an active volunteer for the College, serving as a reunion committee member, class agent and planned giving chair. She is the mother of a Connecticut College graduate – Anthony Iannotti '83. She and her husband, Lawrence Iannotti P'83, enjoy travel and took part in alumni tours to Ecuador and the Galapagos, East Africa and Indonesia. They live in Branford, Conn.

Mark Iger '75
Mark graduated as an American studies major and went on to receive his J.D. from Hofstra University in 1978. Since graduating, Mark has remained involved with the College in various ways, serving as a class agent and volunteering as a career mentor and admission representative. Mark and his wife, Cathy Kaufman Iger '75, are the founders of the annual New York City holiday party. For nearly a decade, they hosted this gala event in their home. The Igers continue to assist the College by opening their home to students, faculty and alumni for events. 

Estella Johnson '75
After graduating, Estella went on to receive her M.A. from American University in 1980. She currently works as the director of economic development for the city of Cambridge. Estella is active with Connecticut College Alumni of Color (CCAC) and served as an admission representative and class agent. She and her husband, Sekazi Mtingwa, reside in Medford, Mass.

Robin Wilson '82
After graduating from Connecticut College with a degree in government, Robin received her J.D. from Northeastern in 1985 and went on to receive her LL.M. from New York University in 1998. She has been active with CCAC as well as the Alumni Association Board of Directors, serving as an ad hoc committee member. Robin is currently a Connecticut Superior Court judge. She lives in New Haven, Conn.

More about the Current Directors:
Considered for a Second Term (2009-2012)

Jamie Bridges '00
Since earning a B.A. in psychology, minoring in computer science and graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the College, Jamie has worked in both technology and non-profit management. She has an active community service record that includes initiating a citywide book drive and, more recently, directing a community service leadership program called Agents of Change for high school students. She recently completed her M.B.A. with a concentration in child, youth and family services at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Jamie has been involved with the programming and mentoring committees of the AA Board. Jamie lives in Waltham, Mass., and works at a marketing company in Boston.

Christine (Tina) Gould Reardon '79
Tina has served the AA Board since 2006 and is on the international committee which seeks to connect alumni worldwide. Tina, an Asian studies major at the College, was also the first Watson Fellow to go to China. After graduating, she earned her M.A. in East Asian history from Georgetown University. She is now a lecturer of Asian history and Asian-American studies at the University of Connecticut at Torrington and runs a small college placement business. She serves the College as an admission representative and has held positions as a class treasurer and class agent. She lives with her husband, Michael Reardon '78, and the couple's three daughters in Litchfield, Conn.

Susan Peck Robinson '65
Sue, who majored in sociology, has been actively involved in Connecticut College since graduation, serving as a class officer, class correspondent, admission representative, class agent, class agent chair, reunion committee member and reunion chair. Sue currently serves as co-chair of the reunion and awards committee on the AA Board. Sue is a widow and spends much of her time with her grown children and their families in the San Francisco Bay Area and northern Vermont. She works as a nurse in the recovery room at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. She lives in Bennington, Vt.

Sukey Richmond Simmons '95
Sukey was an Asian studies and history major who went on to receive her M.B.A. in 1997 from New York University's Stern School of Business. She is fluent in Mandarin, Chinese and Spanish. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying medical research with a concentration in bioethics. Sukey has been an active member of her class since graduating in 1995, serving as a class agent, class agent chair, admission representative and club leader. On the Board, Sukey works with the mentoring committee. She and her husband, Wesley Simmons '95, live in Aberdeen, Md.

Executive Committee:

Connie Smith Gemmer '80
President 2009-2012
Connie has served on the AA Board since 2005 and most recently served as vice president. She is a member of the reunion and awards committee and has also worked on the programming committee. She has served the College as a class agent, class correspondent and parent fund committee member. Since 1986, Connie has been a partner in the firm of Barton & Gingold, a public affairs consulting firm in Portland, Maine. She currently resides in Portland with her husband, Fred, and their four children, including Annie, Class of 2010.

Tammie Clayton Reid '01
Vice President 2009-2010
At Connecticut College, Tammie combined the study of sociology, education, human development and religion to create her own interdisciplinary major: "Faith and Education: Vehicles for Social Change." She supplemented her studies with an extraordinary record of service, both on and off campus. For her exemplary contributions to the College and to the community, Tammie received the Anna Lord Strauss Medal. Tammie received her M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. She currently works as an education consultant with Foundations, Inc. in Moorestown, N.J. She and her husband, Travis Reid '03, live in Elmwood Park, N.J.

Stephen "Knute" Gregg '94
Secretary 2009-2011
After majoring in political science and Hispanic studies at the College, Knute went on to get his J.D. from Lewis & Clark College. An active member of his class, he has served as a class agent, class agent chair, admission representative and reunion committee member. Knute serves on the programming committee on the AA Board. He is an associate in the corporate finance group of Morrison & Foerster's Palo Alto office. He and his wife, Jillian, reside in San Francisco, Calif.



April 20, 2009