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by Carrie Pasternak ’08
The Council of Lafayette Women (CLW) Conference, which will be held April 4-5, will feature discussions from an assortment of alumnae on their areas of expertise and interest. Author Wynne A. Whitman ’86 will explain how women can take responsibility for their financial, legal, and physical health.
Whitman plans on discussing estate planning and its importance for women of every age and circumstance. “Estate planning isn’t just for the Brooke Astors of the world,” she says. While Whitman believes that it is critical for all women to look into estate planning and to have wills and trusts made, she also maintains that there are other important documents that should be considered including Powers of Attorney, Health Care Proxies, and Living Wills. She will discuss all of these documents at the conference.
“I’m hoping that I will convey the importance of estate planning for all women, whether they’re planning for their own family, their aging parents, or providing for disabled loved ones,” says Whitman.
The CLW conference will provide an array of outstanding speakers, discussions, and other activities for Lafayette women. Whitman says that she is looking forward to the entire program and that if she can convince one woman to plan for her future, she’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment.
“Interacting within the community is beneficial socially, professionally, and intellectually,” she says. “�I encourage all female Pards to join us!”
Whitman has always been interested in the complexities of the law and developed an interest in estate issues during law school. “Part of what I enjoyed was the financial aspect of estate planning, which tied in nicely with my economics degree,” she says. “Working with families and helping them through difficult issues was also appealing.”
Whitman has always been an active alumna. Shortly after she graduated, she served as an alumni admissions representative for the Jersey Shore area. Upon moving to Philadelphia, Whitman joined the city’s alumni chapter. She served as both a committee member and a chairperson for several Class of 1986 Reunions and was later named the general Reunion chair. Whitman also was president of the Alumni Association. She has served as a member of the Council of Lafayette Women for several years.
For more information about the CLW Conference, contact Mary Pat Staats, CLW executive director and associate director of alumni affairs, staatsm@lafayette.edu, (610) 330-5036.