Since joining Saint Mary’s 18 months ago, I have been motivated and inspired by this close community of students, parents, alumnae, faculty, and staff. Leading the Advancement Division fills me not only with gratitude for the high-caliber work of this team but with excitement as we wrap up several months of hosting alumnae on campus and traveling on behalf of the College!
The Advancement Division kicked off the academic year by hosting the Parents Council, Madeleva Society Steering Committee, Alumnae Association Board of Directors, Campaign Executive Committee, and President’s Circle for meaningful gatherings and strategic conversations on campus. I am always impressed by the commitment and engagement of the College’s vast volunteer network. I enjoyed attending various sessions to learn more about the work of these committees and look forward to partnering with them on several new initiatives.
The Office of Alumnae Relations, in conjunction with our alumnae clubs, hosted two presidential visits in recent months. In December, the Dallas Club held its annual Mass and Christmas celebration in the home of Dan and Lydia Haggar Novakov ’72 for a group of 45 attendees. In February, more than 90 alumnae gathered as the D.C. Club hosted
Dr. Katie Conboy. And in April, Don and Nora Barry Fischer ’73 will host members of the Pittsburgh Club.
One of my favorite days of the year is the 24-hour Donor Challenge! This year, the 11th annual Donor Challenge was a success with more than 4,000 donors and a record-setting $1,216,000 raised.
Registration opened in January for Reunion weekend, planned for June 1-4, 2023. While registrations are steadily being received, as of the day we go to print, the Class of ’73 is leading the way! Last year was so much fun with Saint Mary’s hosting two back-to-back reunion weekends: I had the opportunity to meet three Reunion cohorts.
Finally, I hope you’ll enjoy seeing refreshed design and messaging of the print and digital materials from the College in the next several months. We will also be elevating our focus on impactful storytelling and making exciting changes to Courier. I will share more about all of these developments in the issues to come.
I look forward to connecting with you in the near future!
With gratitude,
Holly C. Johnson
Vice President for Advancement
