September 2021 Newsletter
Step into September with the MHC DC Club!
A Message from Club President Ann Croft ‘95
I am so excited for another year working with the DC Club Board! This summer we said goodbye to half of the board as they rolled off from their two (or sometimes more) years of dedicated service. Thank you to Esther Nasjleti ‘92, Denise Harrison ‘84, Jean McKeever ‘74, Nada Al-Thawr ‘19, and Allie Miller ’11 for your hard work!
We welcome our new board members: Carla Lambert ’88, Sarah Gerfen ’77, Anne Q. Scott ’04, Margaret Pierce Buenneke ’84, and Katarina Hyatt ’15. It really is amazing how many of our local alumnae serve on the board! The DC Club is one of the most robust programs in the U.S.
We have kicked off the 2021/2022 year with informal “M&C’s” monthly gatherings at locally owned ice cream shops in the area. Our first event was at Jubilee Ice cream in the Navy Yard neighborhood in South East DC where just under 10 alumnae from classes spanning 4 decades braved the rain to gather. In August more than a dozen of us from Maryland and DC enjoyed frozen treats at Gusto Gelato in Takoma Park. For September’s gathering we will gather virtually in hopes of bringing together our friends from all over the greater DC area.
Please check out our newly designed website (Thank you Allie!) at www.mtholykedc.org to sign up for future events, read the bios of current board members, and stay connected to area alumnae.
And if you need us, send an email to mtholyokedc@gmail.com (But keep in mind that we are all volunteers with jobs, families, demanding pets, and houseplants so sometimes our turn-around is a bit slower than amazon over-night delivery).
We hope to see you all soon as we celebrate Mountain Day sometime this Fall!
Cheers!
Ann Croft ‘95
Highlights from the August M&Cs! So glad so many people could make it!
September Virtual M&Cs hosted by the Communications Committee Chair
Have you missed out on the recent M&C's because of a hectic schedule or it’s just too far away? Join us for a virtual M&Cs! Come prepared with your favorite drink or dessert to chat with fellow Mt. Holyoke women. Hosted by our Communications Chair, Amee Shah!
Date and Time: September 21 from 8:00PM - 9:00PM
Location: Zoom
Let us know you are coming: https://www.eventbrite.com/x/september-virtual-mcs-tickets-169011623315
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mountain Day
Keep an eye out for emails from the college beginning in September! We will gather at Dolcezza in City Center for main DC. If you have a satellite location in Virginia or Maryland you’d like the club to promote, please email the club at mtholyokedc@gmail.com.
Date and Time: TBD
Location: DC-Dolcezza City Center; VA & MD--TBD
Mary Lyon Dinner
The Club is hoping to hold the Mary Lyon Dinner later this year. We are working through all the logistics, so stay tuned!
Young Alumnae Corner
The DC Club programming committee includes two dedicated committee seats one of which is the Recent Alumnae Representative. The alumna who volunteers for this position is always someone who has graduated within the last 10 years in hopes of representing the specific issues and ideas of our more recent alumnae so that club programming includes the voices of our newest members. This year, Katarina Hyatt '15 has taken on this role from June 2021 - July 2023. Kat is originally from New Orleans, but has lived all over Europe for much of her life. She currently resides in DC and is excited to be a part of the Board and looks forward to working with the Board on programming geared towards our recent alumnae. Welcome Kat!
Get to Know our Programs Committee Chair, Lindsey Scannell `07
Lindsey, what do you do as a professional?
I am a Senior Counsel (youngest ever) for the U.S. Department of Commerce's Commercial Law Development Program, which provides legal technical assistance to emerging markets. I cover the Asia-Pacific region, working primarily with governments in Bangladesh, Nepal, the Maldives, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste. Most of what I focus on is better procurement (i.e. government contracts) to ensure that the government's money is well-spent and in a transparent manner. Professional highlights include presenting to the Maldivian President and Cabinet, working with our partners in Australia and Singapore to organize tri-lateral events, and getting to travel 20 weeks out of the year (pre-pandemic).
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I'm a huge US Women's National Team (soccer) fan. During the pandemic, this has translated into going to see many Washington Spirit games because these are outdoors. I enjoy reading, and currently trying to hit my Goodreads challenge of 52 books this year (a stretch goal for me!)
What you like to do in the DC area?
I also love hiking, especially with my dog. Our favorite hikes in the area are Sugarloaf, Little Bennett Regional Park, and Prince William's Forest Park. Pre-pandemic, I also enjoyed all of the DC museums. Where have you lived in the past? I have previously lived in California, South Hadley, and Kyushu, Japan. I spent 3 years in Japan after college and miss it every day.
What else are you involved with, besides being a stellar Programs Committee Chair on the MHC DC Club Board?
I just started a new advisory position for a Women in Leadership course that I'm very excited about. And I love Pilates. What is your favorite restaurant, or favorite spot in the DC area? As noted from my Japan experience, I LOVE ramen. If you are looking for Japanese ramen, the best in DC is in Daikaya, but Toki Underground (Taiwanese) comes in a close second. Otherwise, I'm obsessive about cold brew. I think the best cold brew in DC is either Swing's or Gregorys’.
Know an inspiring MHC alum in the DC area? We would love to feature their profile in our future Alumnae Spotlight publications! Simply nominate them by sending us their name and contact email address at mtholyokedc@gmail.com
We’re not usually one to toot our own horns, but the MHC DC Club has a new website! Please visit https://www.mtholyokedc.org/ to connect to club resources, easily view upcoming events, pay your dues and meet your board. Come on over! The water’s fine.
As the site goes live, we are still smoothing out a few details so please be patient with us. If you have any questions or feedback on how we can make the site work better for you, please let us know.