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By Liz Margolis ’09
The Council of Lafayette Women recently held a conference call to begin planning its biannual spring conference, which will take place April 5-6. The group welcomed 13 new members to the Council: Renee Schneck Biale ’82, Katherine Blair ’04, Dara Brown ’97, Ellen Kravet Burke ’76, Lori Janelle Chen ’99, Sandy Kazinski ’85, Anne Harwood Matlack ’85, Claudia Meulenberg ’02, Melissa Mitchell ’03, Beth Nelson ’96, Sara Viehman ’01, Ellen Poriles Weiler ’83, and Jacquelyn Wilkins ’77.
Women join CLW after being nominated by someone in the Lafayette community and then approved by the executive board. The new members are excited to get preparations underway for the April conference, which will feature guest speakers and lively discussion among Lafayette women of all ages.
“I have attended the past two CLW conferences and have witnessed first-hand Lafayette’s commitment to enhancing the alumni experience by offering well-executed and highly engaging programs that serve as a springboard for an extended learning experience,” says Weiler.
“I’m excited as it’s a new volunteer arena for me in a formal capacity,” says Kazinski. “I’ve had the honor of serving on many alumni committees during the past 20 years — from Alumni Association, to Reunion, to AAR [alumni admissions representative], to chapter, to class correspondent — and this is a new adventure.”
Kazinski works as a corporate trainer on Wall Street.
“I am hoping to bring to our conferences some of the life balance lessons I have learned in dealing with work; also, I’ve planned so many large group events that I feel I can lend that area of expertise,” she says. “Again, using my day job as a guideline and being an educator, I hope to share what I’ve experienced and learned in making conference sessions dynamic and ensuring that we, as participants, walk away with some practical tips or techniques.”
Although she’s new to the council, Weiler already has taken an active role in CLW conferences.
“As a past CLW course presenter, I was given the opportunity to share my passion for food and entertaining with a dynamic group of women who were eager to learn, become more proactive in their lives, and reconnect with their alma mater,” she says. “The enthusiasm of the participants is just one example of how the CLW has succeeded in enhancing the Lafayette experience for its alumni.”