PCCW eNEWSLETTER

SUMMER 2006

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

SUMMER LETTER FROM MARGIE

PCCW President Margie Turner writes in her summer letter to members about two questions posed by the University, including how can we be certain that PCCW continues to add value to Cornell. Read her letter here.

SPRING MEETING

PCCW’s Spring Meeting will be held in Ithaca, NY, March 8-11, 2007. This year’s meeting topic is “Interdisciplinary Leadership”. More details about the meeting will be shared with members during the next several months.

SPOTLIGHT ON: DIANNE RENWICK

Our Spotlight this month is on Dianne Renwick, judge on the New York State Supreme Court, the highest trial court in the state. Dianne said her role model was her cousin, PCCW member Eleanor Applewhaite, also an attorney. "I always hoped to be as accomplished as she. It was important to know that Ellie went to Cornell and was an accomplished laywer. It made those achievements seem more like a matter of course, than an unattainable dream." For more on Dianne, read the interview here.

A BIG THANK YOU FOR HELPING PCCW

The Development Committee extends its thanks to all PCCW members who responded with their gift to PCCW’s 2005-2006 fundraising campaign. Sixty percent of our members gave to PCCW endowed funds, which exceeded the participation goal set by the Development Committee. Here is a history of PCCW gifts.

Sheila Collins organized a call chain, which resulted in 86 gifts to PCCW in the last 60 days of the campaign. Congratulations to the “Call” sub-committee for its successful outreach effort this year.

Member gifts to PCCW add value to the endowment funds listed below. This year the combined Book Value of the PCCW Endowments exceeded $2,000,000. This milestone celebrates the PCCW’s commitment to Cornell through the continued generosity of its members. University Advisor, Rosemary Silbey, expressed Cornell’s appreciation to PCCW for this year’s wonderful participation rate and the grants that are given from the endowments.

• Affinito-Stewart Grant Program for Women Faculty (since 1992) Book Value of endowment as of June 30, 2006: $687,507 Grants Awarded since 1992: $508,343
  
  The primary purpose of the Grants Program is to increase Cornell's retention of women faculty members. PCCW annually recognizes women through grant awards ranging from $1,000 to $12,000 for research and other projects.
   
• Leadership Fund for Women (since 2000) Book Value of Endowment as of June 30, 2006: $ 1,052,115 Grants Awarded since 2004: $133,500
  
  The Leadership Fund is an endowment supporting PCCW’s vital role as a leader in the Cornell community providing the flexibility to fund effective opportunities for women. The Fund supports PCCW’s mission by focusing on three important areas: women faculty, administration, and staff; women students; and athletic programs for women.
   
• A.D. White Professor-at-Large, a position endowed by PCCW (since 1993) Book Value of Endowment as of June 30, 2006: $142,495 Grants awarded since 1993: $154,000
  
  In 1993, PCCW established an endowment to support the appointment of an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large. This endowment recognizes a renowned scholar for a five-year term and enables her to visit the campus for a few days each year to give lectures and seminars. This endowment ensures that women's perspectives and intellectual contributions are part of Cornell’s academic spectrum. The PCCW A.D. White Professor-at-Large was author and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died in January. The university will appoint a new PCCW A.D. White Professor-at-Large.
   
• Cornell Traditions Fellowships endowed by PCCW (since 1994) Book Value of Endowment as of June 30, 2006: $161,031 Grants awarded since 1994: $154,000
  
  PCCW has provided 3-4 women students each year with aid through the Cornell Traditions Fellowships. These fellowships reach students whose exemplary scholastic and community service goals carry on the Cornell spirit during their undergraduate years.

NEW MEMBERS

Thirty-two outstanding women have been selected for membership in PCCW for a four-year term effective July 1. The list represents the challenging but rewarding work of the Membership Committee with approval by the PCCW's Steering Committee and president. The new members received a letter announcing their election in June from then-Interim President Hunter R. Rawlings. Election to PCCW is recognition of Cornell women who are outstanding leaders in their business or professions. See a list of the candidates here.

It’s not too early to start thinking about nominations for new members. Please consider nominating a Cornell alumna for the class of 2007. Here is the form: http://pccw.alumni.cornell.edu/membership/2007_nom.doc

BUDDIES NEEDED

This is a call for PCCW volunteers who are interested in serving as an orientation guide for new members. In the past, we have matched each new member with a “buddy.” The buddy assignments were based on geography, college, class year and/or profession. This year we are organizing a small group of volunteers willing to make a commitment toward nurturing and mentoring new members on a year-long basis. The new outreach effort is aimed at engaging every new member. Each orientation volunteer will be responsible for taking two or three of the new members “under her wing.” Susan Deitz Milmoe, Membership Co-Vice Chair, is organizing the effort. For more information, please contact her at sdmilmoe@aol.com

STEERING COMMITTEE

The Office of the Councils announced the 2006-07 Steering Committee of PCCW. See a list of the Steering Committee members here.

SELF-REPORTING FORM

It’s not too late to submit your Self-Reporting Form. PCCW relies on participation by members to sustain its effectiveness and vibrancy. All members are encouraged to join at least one committee and participate in PCCW activities. The Steering Committee is eager to know about your PCCW and Cornell activities because the information will help the committee's strategic planning for PCCW. Therefore, we ask all members to report their participation in PCCW once an academic year using the Self-Reporting Form. Here is the form: http://pccw.alumni.cornell.edu/membership/self_report.doc

FALL MAGNET MEETING

PCCW members are invited to attend the PCCW Fall Magnet Meeting, Oct. 6 – Oct. 8, at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo. Among the events planned are trips to the Garden of the Gods and the Olympic Training Center and a tour of NORAD. The president of the University of Colorado is scheduled to speak to the group. The program costs $295. For more information, contact Frankie Tutt, Tutt Travel, 51A Marland Road, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80906. (719) 575-9708; (719) 473-0788 fax; email: ftutt@adelphia.net

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS

ELAINE ABELSON, a member of the graduate faculty at The New School in New York City, writes that she’s working on a project about women and the Great Depression. Specifically, she is looking into the situation of newly homeless urban woman during the Depression. Many were marginally middle class and predominantly white, but when they lost their jobs they had little to fall back on. Women were expected to return home when "things got bad," but most of these women either had no family home to return to or couldn't go back for one reason or another. Loss of a job was often followed by a downward spiral and, ultimately, loss of housing. Very little is known about the specific situation of urban women during this period. Most of what we know concerns men without work. Unlike homeless men, who had appeared in large numbers beginning with the economic downturn of the 1870s, these women were not yet recognized by either social work professionals or the population at large -- they were in fact no one's client and virtually invisible. The result of the project will be a book with the working title of "The Dimensions of Inequality: Homeless Women in the Great Depression." Elaine has received funding from the National Endowment of the Humanities. She hopes to complete the manuscript within the next year or so.

LAURIE BERKE-WEISS appears in "The New York Area's Best Lawyers" listing in New York magazine’s July 3-10 edition. Laurie is on the list of labor and employment lawyers, and is quoted about employment law issues in the accompanying article, "Whether You're Litigious or Laid-Back You're Going to Need a Good Lawyer." The New York listing is excerpted from The Best Lawyers in America 2007 (Woodward/White Inc., of Aiken, S.C., copyright 2006), scheduled for publication in September. Best Lawyers lists attorneys in 77 specialties nationwide, based on a confidential survey of thousands of lawyers who evaluate their peers. For more information, see www.bestlawyers.com. Laurie also was included in New York Super Lawyers -- Manhattan Edition 2006. On the Cornell front, she was elected president of the Class of '71. Finally, her daughter, Alex Berke, graduated as a government major with the Class of '06, and is now working at the University of South Dakota as an Americorps volunteer.

RONNIE CHERNOFF received the College of Human Ecology’s Helen Bull Vandervort Alumni Achievement Award. In announcing the award, the college said that Ronnie embodies the spirit of the award as demonstrated by her outstanding contributions to her profession and her continuing leadership and volunteer efforts with the College of Human Ecology and the Cornell community. Ronni served as president of the Human Ecology Alumni Association from 2001 to 2003 and, in 2004, was honored as an emeritus board member. She is a past member of the Human Ecology Advisory Council and in 1990, was the college’s first alumna to hold the distinction of the Dorothy Proud Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences. In addition to her service to the college, Ronni has been actively involved in PCCW since 2000 and the Cornell University Council, elected by the Board of Trustees in 1996 and 2002. Most recently, Ronni was nominated for the Franklin Rhodes Class of ’56 Honorary Visiting Professorship at Cornell University for the 2006-2007 academic year. Ronni is recognized as an expert in her profession. She is associate director for education and evaluation of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital; director of the Arkansas Geriatric Education Center; director of education in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS); director of education for the Arkansas Aging Initiative; professor of geriatrics at the College of Medicine, UAMS; and professor of health behavior and health education at the College of Public Health, UAMS. She was a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging and chaired the National Nutrition Advisory Council for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging from 1996 to 2001. She is currently a member of the Center on Medicaid and Medicare Services’ panel on nutrition regulations in nursing homes. Ronni has edited five books and published 35 abstracts, 42 journal articles, and 106 other publications. She earned an MS and M Ed in nutrition from Columbia University and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

MITSURU CLAIRE CHINO writes from Tokyo that she was recently featured in an article in Newsweek as one of 100 top Japanese women. In February, she was selected as an Asia 21 Fellow by the Asia Foundation and attended its meeting in Hong Kong. She continues to work as in-house counsel for Itochu Corporation, and teaches at Keio Law School.

ANGELA DESILVA says that she has been busy traveling. So far this year, she has been to Australia, North Carolina and Ohio for business and to Italy and New Mexico for fun. In Australia, she saw some of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and enjoyed the views in Brisbane. In New Mexico, her family went snowboarding in Angel Fire and toured Santa Fe and Taos. In June, they went to Rome, Naples and Sorrento. In two weeks in Italy, they saw the Vatican, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Tivoli and Ostia Antica. Her son is at Syracuse University taking a summer architecture course for high school students. He’ll return to Houston for the start of his sophomore year of high school.

PHYLLIS WEISS HASEROT writes that she has been visiting with fellow members across the country when she is in their city for speaking engagements. At the end of April, she had dinner with Leah Bissonette and a quick tour of part of San Diego (Leah loves to show it off) when she spoke on Building Influence Skills at a conference there. In June, she had dinner with Diane Baker and Micki Kuhs in Chicago when she presented a program for the Legal Marketing Association on Bridging the Multi-Generational Divides. Diane, Micki and Phyllis talked about bringing a version of the tremendously moving and successful diversity program they fostered for PCCW in Chicago to New York.

JENNIFER MAISEL, along with theatre director Wendy McClellan, was awarded the top 2006 Collaboration Award from the New York Coalition of Women in the Arts and Media for their on-going work on Jennifer's play, BIRDS.

DENISE MERIDITH, one of the original PCCW members, is busy with her autobiography - Thoughts While Chillin’. She attended a Victor Hansen book conference in Orlando, Fla., in July, has a book signing at the National Association of Black Journalists’ conference in Indianapolis in August, and is launching a speech/book-signing tour of military installations in Arizona. Her weekly leadership email network is also very popular. PCCW members can join the network and get a copy of the book, which details some interesting happenings at Cornell in the 70’s, at www.thoughtswhilechillin.com

MARY ELLEN MILLER has been named executive editor of Marquee Publications. Mary Ellen has an extensive background in professional communications and was most recently marketing director for Hunter, Smith & Davis law firm. In announcing her appointment, publisher Ann Russum said, “Mary Ellen brings with her a breadth of communications background that will serve the Marquee well as we plan to grow and expand our publications in the Tri-Cities and beyond. We are delighted to have Mary Ellen on board in this first ever position that will tap into her business and communications skills.” Mary Ellen holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cornell University and an MBA from East Tennessee State University. Prior to her position at the law firm, she worked in development for East Tennessee State University. She was a founding partner of Creative Energy Ad agency and worked in corporate communications for Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. She is a former television news anchor.

DONNA REIGENSTREIF was awarded the 2006 David H. Solomon Distinguished Public Service Award from the American Geriatrics Society. Donna recently retired as senior program officer from the John A. Hartford Foundation.

MARTHA REITMAN, MD, has been named senior vice president, clinical development and regulatory affairs, of CoGenesys Inc. in Rockville, Md. CoGenesys is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative long-acting medicines across broad therapeutic areas. She also serves as President and CEO of Reitman Corp., a company providing worldwide strategic development and regulatory/clinical support to companies developing novel therapeutics and medical devices, and the director of Translational Research Development, State University of New York, Binghamton University. She received her BS from Cornell University, Doctor of Medicine degree from SUNY Upstate Medical Center and completed her residency at Stanford University. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics, and has served as a member of the Cardio-Renal Division, FDA research CRADA Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Medifacts Research Foundation.

JOYCE JAFFE REYNOLDS and Gerald Mark Sinclair were married on June 4 at Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos Hills, Calif. They will reside at 1257 Martin Ave., Palo Alto, Calif. 94301.

WENDY MILLER RICHMAN writes that she attended her 40th reunion at Cornell in June, and despite the rainy there was a fabulous turnout. As fundraising co-chair for her class, she said that all the goals were met, with more than 550 donations and 67 at Tower Club level. There were two anonymous donations of $100,000 each from two very generous classmates. In addition, she said she had the honor of sitting with Cornell’s new president, Dave Skorton, at a breakfast and chatted informally with him for a few moments. She found him to be friendly, witty and eager to delve into his new role as Cornell president. He also seemed excited about PCCW and eager to get more information and interact with PCCW members.

IRENE B. ROSENFELD was named chief executive officer of Kraft Foods Inc., in Northfield, Ill. She was most recently chairman and CEO of Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo. In a news release, Kraft Food board chairman Louis C. Camilleri said, "Irene is one of the most talented and respected executives in the consumer goods industry and we are thrilled that she is coming home to Kraft. She has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to drive innovation throughout her career. Her decisiveness, personal warmth, and emotional intelligence are invaluable assets. Irene has a wealth of experience in all of Kraft's businesses and is uniquely qualified to lead Kraft during these challenging and exciting times." Prior to joining Frito-Lay in 2004, Irene spent more than 20 years with Kraft and General Foods. She held a number of key management positions in the United States, Canada and Mexico, culminating in her appointment as president of Kraft's North American business. She holds a PhD in Marketing and Statistics, an MS in Business and a BA in Psychology from Cornell University. She currently serves on its Board of Trustees.

IRENE SMALLS writes that her new book, “My Pop Pop and Me and a Recipe,” was published by Little Brown in May. The story is about a boy and his grandfather baking his favorite lemon cake. It is the companion to “My Nana and Me,” a book about a little girl and her grandmother spending a day together enjoying tea parties, books and games.

FRANKIE TUTT is spending the summer meeting with resources, tasting menu items and corresponding with PCCW members to get ready for the Fall Magnet Meeting she’s hosting at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Oct. 6 - 8. She says that Colorado is decked out in its Joseph's Coat of colors in the fall. She will be in India from Sept. 9-20 and will leave Oct. 9 for Slovenia.

And your webmistress ROSEMARY STASEK is still in Kabul. The riots a few months ago came a little close to home, with crowds pounding on her gates trying to get in and then moving off to burn down the whorehouse behind her. Friends finally got through and stuffed her and her dog Tequila on the floor of a pickup truck and worked their way through the chaos to get her to a safe house. The infamous Vice and Virtue police have been reconstituted and have been raiding restaurants where foreigners gather. All alcohol sales have now been banned. The Taliban is making a blazing return in most of the southern provinces and NATO forces are reporting fierce fighting. A hot summer in Afghanistan all around.

Return to PCCW Home page