Women of Legacy: The AABOD Drives the Saint Mary’s Mission

Behind the scenes of Saint Mary’s are nearly two dozen women who are entrusted with sustaining the legacy of the College. They sit on the board of directors of the Alumnae Association, and their work seeps into nearly every facet of campus. With a history nearly as long as Saint Mary’s—the first board was created in 1879—the board leads the more than 23,000 active members of the Alumnae Association.

Made up of alumnae from across the country and spanning decades, bringing to the table their wide array of professions and backgrounds, the board serves as a liaison to all graduates on news from the College. They help with organizing clubs and affinity groups, fundraising, even recruiting new students. 

They also help organize Reunion each year, create and execute programming such as SMC Talks, Spirituality Hours, One Book One Saint Mary’s, and organize Lenten and Advent reflections. Two of the most important traditions of the AABOD takes place during Senior Week in May, when each and every graduate from Saint Mary’s is welcomed to the Association during the Champagne Brunch, and the Association-selected Outstanding Senior is announced. 

Each year, as members of the board rotate off and new members join, the torch is passed from generation to generation. Currently alumnae from the 1970s through the 2010s sit on the board, each serving for a three-year term. From within, the board elects three officers to serve two-year term. For the 2024 – 2026 term, Jessica Brinker Foster ’08 will serve as president and chair; Leticia McDonald Hart ’00 will serve as vice president; and Mary “Caren” Craine Murawski ’80 will serve as secretary.

“It is an honor to be elected by the Board as its president, and I look forward to working with the College, Board members, and all alumnae, focusing on the common threads that bond us and providing opportunities for the success of all past, present, and future Belles,” Foster said. 

Rounding out the board’s leadership is an executive committee consisting of current leadership and its past president. The current executive committee consists of Foster; Hart; Murawski; Eileen Gallagher Loranger ’90, immediate past president; Molly Kahn Allen ’01; and Kara M. O’Leary ’89, executive director of Alumnae Relations and Advancement and College liaison to the Board. 

As for this year, the AABOD is eager to continue with some of its most recognizable and popular programming, including SMC Talks and the Lenten and Advent reflections. These projects, among others the Board takes on, will continue to foster community among all alumnae and encourage a strong connection with Saint Mary’s and its mission. 

New member Jen Turbiak Carroll ’97 says, “It is truly a joy and an honor to serve the College alongside the sisterhood of Belles of the AABOD. It is inspiring to work alongside these women who share the same love for Saint Mary’s as I do. We are excited for how we can help make a positive impact for the current students and the entire Saint Mary’s community.”