PCCW eNEWSLETTER

Spring 2006

This is the third edition of the PCCW eNewsletter, which is designed to keep our members up-to-date on each other's jobs, travels, families, activities, musings and anything else we want to share. Contributions for the summer edition should be sent to Sally Jacobsen by July 31.

DEDICATION and THANK YOU
We want to dedicate this issue to Joanne Davenport, Director, Office of the Councils, who retired on April 28 after 34 years of service. Joanne was instrumental in setting up the meeting in 1990 at which President Frank Rhodes proposed the formation of PCCW and has been a huge booster of the group over the years.

As an expression of gratitude and admiration for Joanne's support over the years, the Joanne E.J. Davenport Feline Care Fund has been created in her honor at the Vet School. She has devoted herself to rescuing and providing medical care for homeless felines and currently cares for as many as 80 rescued cats on her farm property. With the help of Marty Moses, the fund has been established to support her rescue efforts. The fund will be administered through the Cornell University Hospital for Animals. If you are interested in contributing to this fund, please send your contributions to Tracey Brant-Cornell, Development Officer in the Vet School. Tracey will accept contributions by check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express). In making your contributions, please make a reference to the Davenport Feline Fund. Checks should be payable to Cornell University.

Tracey's contact information is:

Tracey Brant-Cornell
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Box 39
Ithaca, NY 14853-6401
Phone: 607-253-4230
Fax: 607-253-3740
Email

Before retiring from the Councils, Joanne graciously agreed to answer eNewsletter's questions about her years at Cornell - and left us wondering what did happen with those naked statues!!.

Q. What is your background?
A. I majored in education and design at Cornell and put it to work briefly by designing and producing classic clothing for women; supervised the accounting function for the family winter sports business before consulting for Cornell on a special design project. For several years, I directed the summer use of Cornell facilities for hosting meetings for faculty's professional associations. I came to Alumni Affairs and Development, again on a consulting basis in 1987 and stayed to become the director for University Council in 1988. In 1990, PCCW was formed and joined University Council in the Office of the Councils. Presidential Councillors was added to our responsibility in 1995.

Q. When did your affiliation with Cornell begin?
A. In 1959 as a student, returning in 1971 as a consultant and then an employee.

Q. What are your fondest memories from working at Cornell?
A. That would have to be the people I work with, faculty, staff, students, and alumni. But I also have wonderful recollections of behind the scenes things that went wrong -- not so funny at the moment, but priceless -- and bonding -- when recollected with colleagues who were involved. The stories are too long to tell here but if asked, I will share when I visit with everyone next time -- just ask about the naked statues, the fire at the president's table, the flood, or maybe even the Halloween ghouls!

Q. What will you miss the most about the University?
A. Being surrounded by such vitality, so many opportunities to learn -- the faculty are really good at putting complex ideas into terms even I can understand!

Q. How did you get involved with PCCW?
A. Before PCCW was PCCW. I arranged the first meeting with Frank Rhodes and about 50 Cornell women where the president proposed the idea and where the first committee was created to formulate ideas and report back to President Rhodes. Once the organization was formed, Dick Ramin, VP for Public Affairs (and my boss) asked me to hire a director for the new program and to supervise its development.

Q. What are some of the more memorable events from your work with PCCW?
A. I remember vividly the first luncheon and the enthusiasm in the room for the president's proposal. On campus we were just a whisker concerned that the women would not want to go back to isolation with a women-only organization, but they were hugely receptive and could visualize the possibilities if they spoke with one voice.

Q. What advice do you have for PCCW going forward?
A. Cornell is truly a wonderful place. Keep its best interests in all you do and you can't go wrong.

Q. What are your future plans? What have you been putting off for years that you will now have time to do?
A. I am not sure about the time to do part. Everyone tells me I won't have as much time as I have now -- I will soon know! I hope we have time to travel. We think part of the fun of going somewhere is what we see and do on the way. Some of our best discoveries have been while lost. I hope we have lots of opportunity to get lost again and again. Beyond that, we are model railroad enthusiasts, and we are looking forward to working on our layouts, and lots of reading and hiking time.

SPOTLIGHT ON: BARBARA RIGGS
We're turning the spotlight on Barbara Riggs, a new member of PCCW, who was the first woman Deputy Director of the Secret Service. She retired on Jan. 31 after a 31-year career that took her to every continent - except Antarctica - in her work protecting six presidents - Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. In a Q&A with eNewsletter, she recounts many fascinating experiences, including riding horses with President Reagan at Camp David and Rancho del Cielo in California and accompanying his casket aboard Air Force One from California to Washington, D.C., for his state funeral. She also talks about her pride in having a Cornell education, reminding herself at difficult moments: "I am a Cornell graduate, I know I am mentally and intellectually capable of doing anything I put my mind to."  Read the full fascinating interview!

SPRING MEETING
Building Today for a Better Tomorrow: Cornell Women Lead in Sustainability,
March 30 - April 2
Nearly 120 members - 14 were new members - attended the PCCW spring meeting in Ithaca which focused on sustainability - meeting the basic needs of the current generation without sacrificing the needs of future generations. Here are the highlights of the meeting.

2007 SPRING MEETING The theme of next year's spring meeting, which will be held on March 8-11, will be “Balancing Acts – Cornell Women at the Fulcrum.” The major areas that will be explored are the tensions we all experience between:

• Work and Personal Lives and Health
• Tradition and Innovation
• Diversity and Cultural Identity

MEMBERSHIP BY-LAW CHANGES
PCCW Chair Margie Turner sent a note to members giving an overview of changes to the By-Laws related to membership terms and responsibilities. At its meeting in Ithaca on March 30, the Steering Committee voted to eliminate the new provisions related to point requirements. The revised guidelines and forms to report activities are available on the PCCW Website. Please fill out the Self-Reporting Form and return it by email, fax or regular mail by July 10. Members whose terms expire this summer were asked to complete their forms by April 30. For questions, contact Terri Ann Lowenthal of the Member Activity Review Subcommittee.

GIFTING TO PCCW
A reminder: The PCCW 2005-6 annual giving campaign at Cornell closes on June 30. PCCW still needs gifts from 86 members to reach our goal of 60 percent of our active membership at large providing donations to the Affinito/Stewart Grant Endowment or the Leadership Endowment. The endowments currently provide important seed funding for women students and tenured track junior faculty. The PCCW Website has a wonderful listing of the significant difference the grants have made for this year's recipients. PCCW relies on its members in order to continue these exceptional projects. Your gifts are given class credit and are counted toward the applicable Cornell Fund giving society. Matching gifts from your company, or that of your spouse’s, are encouraged. PCCW has the second highest participation rate - after the Board of Trustees - of Cornell alumni organizations. The Steering Committee suggests that you direct your gift this year to the #345013 Affinito/Stewart Endowment. This will further the funding of grants to tenure tracked women faculty. You can do this quickly by going to Cornell's secure online giving form. Your gift can also be designated to any one of the following endowments:

• #211020 Gen. Leadership Endowment
• #224920 Student Leadership Endowment
• #225027 Faculty Leadership Endowment
• #225129 Athletic Leadership Endowment
• #345115 PCCW Cornell Traditions Scholarship

Or contact:

Rosemary Silbey
Public Affairs Officer
Cornell University
130 E. Seneca St, Suite 400
Ithaca, NY 14850 - 4353
Phone: 607-254-7109
Email

PCCW MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

JANE BRODY was interviewed by the Cornell Sun during PCCW's spring meeting and talked about her work as a science writer for The New York Times in the April 4, 2006, edition. See: http://www.cornellsun.com

NANCY MILLS and her son, Kevin, a 1993 Cornell grad, were interviewed in Cooking Light magazine's May issue (page 28) about the series of cookbooks that they have written together. Their latest cookbook is "Faster, I'm Starving!"

ROSEMARY STASEK and her development work with women in Afghanistan was featured in "Kabul Cut & Color" in the December issue of Vogue magazine. Read the article.

SHELLEY WALLACE is credited as Art Director on the new movie "Akeelah and the Bee.”

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