Volunteers in the Spotlight

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At Alumnae Leadership Council last October, the WCAA honored three alumnae with its annual Sed Ministrare Volunteer Award, which celebrates significant or innovative volunteer service.


Susan Harmon ’67 brings strong communication, organizational, and strategic-planning skills to all her volunteer roles. Most recently, she served as co-chair of the Mentorship Working Group, brought together by the WCAA and Career Education. This small band of alumnae and students spent a year helping to develop the Wellesley Hive, the online mentoring and networking platform launched in May 2017. Harmon was also a key organizer of “Women’s Leadership: Making a Difference in the World,” a conference sponsored by the College in 2013 at Peking University for more than 300 prominent women leaders. She has also served on her 50th reunion committee and has been active in the Business Leadership Council.


Lisa Torreano ’90 has been a dedicated volunteer for the Wellesley Club of Houston for more than 20 years. She has twice served as president, and also as vice president of programming, admissions representative, and newsletter chair. During her tenure, the club held its 75th-anniversary celebration, which saw record attendance. Houston board members attribute the success to Torreano’s leadership and project-management skills, her coordination of many committees, and her excellent working relationship with the Alumnae Association—not to mention her enthusiasm, positive attitude, and great sense of humor, which consistently inspired volunteers during the long process of planning the celebration.


Erin Flannery Keith ’05 has been a linchpin of the Washington Wellesley Club. She served as the club’s young alumnae coordinator and vice president of programs. In 2014, the club’s board recruited her to serve as president. In that role, Flannery demonstrated her leadership in many ways: defining and developing professionalism in the board; strengthening the D.C. club via a long process of revising and updating its bylaws; and perfect execution of high-visibility gatherings such as the Madeleine Korbel Albright ’59 event in May 2016, which was attended by 320 alumnae and guests. Flannery has also served her class as Wellesley Fund representative and reunion chair.

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