Bates College Alumni Council — 2021 Impact Work

Kevin Moore ’93, Alumni Council Vice President
Kevin Moore ’93, Alumni Council Vice President
Jen Crawford ’01 Alumni Council President
Jen Crawford ’01, Alumni Council President

Below you will find some highlights from the work of the Alumni Council this past academic year. While the last sixteen months have certainly been challenging for all of us in the Bates community, and we anticipate continued challenges in the months ahead, we are heartened by the many ways Batesies have rallied together to support each other and Bates.

Through our annual awards, we are recognizing five alumni this year for their commitment to the college, service to their communities, and distinction in their careers. Their names are listed below and we hope we will be able to honor these distinguished alumni in person at the earliest possibility and will notify the community as we are able. Please nominate outstanding alumni for us to consider in 2022.

Three members of the Alumni Council completed their terms in June 2020; we are thankful for the dedicated service of Aya Murata ’92, Sagun KC ’00, and Jeff Snyder ‘00. As we say goodbye to these stellar volunteers, we welcome six new members to the Alumni Council, whose names are listed below. If you are interested in serving on the Council in the future, please consider submitting a nomination.

Thank you for making our work representing Bates alumni so rewarding. Please do not hesitate to reach out to alumni@bates.edu if you are looking for ways to be more connected or have feedback — we are here for you.

It’s a great day to be a Bobcat.

Jen Crawford ’01, Alumni Council President
Kevin Moore ’93, Alumni Council Vice President


2021 Alumni Council

The Bates College Alumni Council is the governing body of the Alumni Association and serves as the primary liaison between the Association and the Bates administration, faculty, and student body. The purposes of the Alumni Council are to

  • Support the mission, vision, values and strategic directions of the college, advancement office, and alumni engagement
  • Be a positive, energetic ambassadors for Bates
  • Demonstrate the highest levels of commitment of personal capital to the college and alumni engagement

If you have questions or suggestions about alumni engagement, the Alumni Council can be one of your most effective means of communicating your ideas and concerns. Please send your feedback to us at alumni@bates.edu and check out our website site at www.bates.edu/alumni/alumni-council/


Impact Work – FY21 Accomplishments 

While the Alumni Council has historically focused on in-person engagement, in FY21 we continued the work from the previous year, pivoting toward virtual outreach to support the college’s response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.  The Council also continues to reevaluate our processes to ensure that we are both representative of and representing the entire Bates alumni body to the greatest extent possible.

1. Increase engagement and volunteer options for alumni through support of regional networks

Council Champions: Monica Rodriguez ‘12
Highlighted FY21 accomplishments:

✔ Built upon the pre-pandemic work of the subgroup by pivoting to focus on more virtual engagement and training opportunities

✔ Collaborated with staff on content for a detailed regional volunteer manual for alumni, defining uniformed volunteer roles and expectations for the global alumni network

✔ Developed a pilot alumni volunteer leadership committee and engagement group in the virtual environment for the Denver Alumni Community

✔ Planned an e-learning for those interested in becoming regional leaders that relays information in the volunteer manual

2. Support career development opportunities for both alums and students

Council Champions: Tracy Peacock ’94 and Leah Elsmore ‘12
Highlighted FY21 accomplishments:

✔ Encouraged networks (including other AC members) to nominate and recruit alumni who could be highlighted via virtual events

✔ Determined Council member moderators for Bates Bridge professional Groups and actively participated in that Group work

✔ Participated in virtual job shadows and virtual networking with current Bates students

✔ Supported the Alumni Engagement Office by promoting and attending numerous virtual events

3. Make Diversity, Equity and Inclusion a central component of the Council work

Council Champions:  Jen Crawford ‘01
Highlighted FY21 accomplishments:

✔ Created an ad hoc Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subgroup to allow Council members to begin this important work

✔ Members of the DEI subgroup participated in the “Disrupting Racism: A 21-Day Challenge for Bates Alumni Volunteers”

✔ Creating an Alumni Council Equity and Inclusion Statement to ensure these principles are a central component of the work of the Council

4. Recognition of Alumni Excellence

Council Champions:  Kevin Moore ’93 and Jen Crawford ‘01
Highlighted FY21 accomplishments:

✔ Alumni Community Service Award: Marshall Hatch ‘10

✔ Distinguished Young Alumni Award: Marsha Larned ‘07

✔ Sesquicentennial Prize: Charles Perou ‘87

✔ Bruce Stangle Award: Sara Cummings ‘89/Beth Tener ‘89

In 2021, the Council received 29 new nominations for the 2021 Alumni Awards, and 26 new nominations for the Alumni Council. 

5. Governance – FY21 Process Improvements:

✔ Pivoted to shorter yet more frequent virtual Council meetings to more efficiently and effectively continue our work through the COVID-19 pandemic

✔ Reevaluated our new member nomination and vetting processes to better ensure genuinely diverse alumni representation on the Alumni Council

✔ Continued to refine the alumni award description and selection process to ensure better utilization for engagement with alumni

6. FY21 Guiding Principles of Leadership

✔ Continued to increase Alumni Council profile among the Bates community by advertising award and new member nominations, alumni events and giving opportunities

✔ Ensured that the Alumni Council has 100% participation in the Bates Fund in order to support the operations of the college

✔ Led the effort to create a ‘Thank you’ video that will be shared with members of the college’s staff and administration for their efforts during this challenging year


Meet your Alumni Council – Membership 2020-2021

26 alumni representing 6 decades, 18 classes and 11 States

Jennifer Crawford ’01 – President
South Boston, MA
Serving since 2015

Kevin Moore ’93 Vice President
Hanover, MA
Serving since 2017

Dan Barsky ’03
Miami Beach, Fla.
Serving since 2019

Steve Brackett ’85 P’22
Boston, Mass.
Serving since 2019

Jeremy Chase ’91
Larchmont, NY
Serving since 2016

J.J. Cummings ‘89
Virginia Beach, VA
Serving since 2021

Cat Djang ’13
Brooklyn, NY
Serving since 2017

Leah Elsmore ’12
Denver, Colo
Serving since 2019

Fadia Felfle ’15
New York, N.Y.
Serving since 2019

Mahvash Hassan ‘90
Piedmont, CA
Serving since 2021

Katie Hawkins Vail ’05
Portland, ME
Serving since 2017

Mike Hogan ’85
San Francisco, CA
Serving since 2016

John Howard ’86
Cos Cob, CT
Serving since 2018

Sagun KC ’00
Boston, Mass.
Serving since 2015

Karen L. Finocchio Lubeck ’92
Marblehead, MA
Serving since 2018

Don McDade ’74
Portland, ME
Serving since 2018

Aya Murata ’92
Andover, MA
Serving since 2016

Tracy O’Mara Peacock ’94
Wilmette, IL
Serving since 2016

Michelle Pham ‘15
New York, NY
Serving since 2021

Erica Seifert Plunkett ’86
Holliston, MA
Serving since 2017

Benjamin Robinson, III ‘86
Charlotte, NC
Serving since 2021

Monica Rodriguez ’12
New York, N.Y.
Serving since 2019

Jeff Snyder ’00
Glastonbury, CT
Serving since 2018

Arsalan Suhail ’09
Lebanon, NH
Serving since 2017

Louis Weinstein ‘68
Charleston, SC
Serving since 2021

Graeme Welds ‘15
New York, NY
Serving since 2021


Contact Us

Alumni Engagement
2 Andrews Road
Lewiston, Maine 04240
Phone: 1-888-522-8371 alumni@bates.edu