Oberlin Alumni Magazine :: Winter 2003-04

Six alumni were honored for their volunteer service to Oberlin during the Alumni Association's fall dinner and awards ceremony in September. Clyde Owan '79 ended a phenomenal two-year appointment as Alumni Association president and welcomed Leanne Cupp Wagner '76 into the post. Also honored were retiring executive board members Dawn Alexander '82, Jean Bailey Jerauld '69, and Gideon Schein '68.

Leanne Wagner, who holds a bachelor's degree with honors in biology, earned an MS in genetics at Cornell University and an MBA at Columbia. She has worked in several pharmaceutical roles over the past 20 years, currently as vice president of business strategy and product planning for Wyeth BioPharma. At Oberlin, Wagner played on the women's tennis team, worked in the computer center, and spent much of her free time in the Conservatory. She and her daughter, Christa, live in Madison, New Jersey.

Honored Volunteers
Presented with the Association's Distinguished Service Award was Diane Kenty '77, praised for "representing the best of the tradition of distinguished alumni service to the College." A past president of the Alumni Association, Kenty served on the Campaign Steering Committee, the Executive Director Search Committee, and the Alumni Council's Executive Board. She was recently recognized for her help in developing the Oberlin College Dialogue Center (OCDC), the campus' student-staffed mediation program.

For her own part in developing OCDC, mediation consultant Leah Wing '84 was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation. Wing began her mediation training as a student and took part in the first College-sponsored training during winter term 1983. Within the past year, she's offered extensive training to student mediators, and in the past has served as an admis-sions representative and a member of the 1984 Reunion Gift Committee.

Alumni Admissions Volunteer of the Year Richard "Ric" Pederson '71 is often touted for his enthusiasm and eagerness in talking with prospective students. For more than 10 years, he's coordinated volunteer admissions efforts in Maryland, served a two-year term on the Admissions Advisory Committee, and coordinated the annual Interview Day program in Washington, DC.

The Class Agent of the Year Award was presented to Maame Stephens '01, who began her success in fundraising by raising more than $4,000 as co-chair of her senior gift campaign. She has been diligent in asking fellow classmates for financial support and was recognized for creating an e-mail newsletter, updating classmates on Oberlin's fundraising progress, and developing a class agent listserv.

Janet Brown Hutchinson '38, honored as Class President of the Year, helped organize her 65th class reunion last May, which resulted in a record turnout. Alums particularly enjoyed a private van tour of campus and a folk-sing-a-long. Janet is already contemplating a follow-up 70th reunion in 2008.

Krisanto Pranata '89, in receiving the Regional Coordinator of the Year Award, was recognized as a "dedicated, forward-thinking individual who often seems to consider the entire U.S. as ‘his' region," even though Southern California is his official territory. There, Pranata has planned such events as an Aerial Tramway tour and performances by Eighth Blackbird. He's become a valuable source of information for other regional coordinators by constantly watching for alumni news and appearances nationwide.

Alumni-Elected Trustee
Michael J. Lythcott '70, president of the Lythcott Company in Marlboro, New Jersey, was elected by alumni to Oberlin's Board of Trustees last year. As an organization development consultant, Lythcott designed the first cross-cultural training component for Volunteers in Service to America, and he redesigned the Peace Corps' Global Cross Cultural Training curriculum. At Oberlin, he was an active member of Oberlin Action for Civil Rights and the Oberlin College Alliances for Black Culture and was instrumental in the creation of Afrikan Heritage House and the African American Studies Program.

This Just In!
Kennette Benedict '69, director of the International Peace and Security area of the MacArthur Foundation, was just voted Oberlin's newest alumni-elected trustee. Her six-year term begins in July.