Hey Hood Alumni!!
I hope you all have enjoyed the summer season and are excited about what the future holds for you and yours.
I am so excited to serve YOU as the Chair of the Alumni Executive Board (AEB) for the next two years. Since retiring in January 2023, I've been excited to have more time to support Hood, including this new venture.
While higher education continues to deal with multiple challenges, I am so proud of Debbie Ricker, Ph.D., and her outstanding leadership team's response to these challenges. As members of the AEB, we have the privilege to support Hood in a variety of ways. Here are a few of our ongoing and upcoming projects:
AEB Cookbook Project
Ellen-Marie Samson Knehans ’84, co-chair of the Alumni Communication & Engagement Committee, will be heading the subcommittee for the AEB Cookbook Project. We will share details soon about the timing and plans to work on a comprehensive cookbook to be published in early 2027. Watch your email and social media for the call to action for recipes!
The Hood Ring
Local jeweler, Nelson Coleman will soon become an additional Hood Ring vendor, joining Herff Jones. NC will also be developing a line of Hood jewelry. The Hood Legacy Ring and Scholarship Program applications will be open to Juniors and Seniors in October, with Rings to be awarded in April.
New Student Alumni Organization
The Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, along with the Student and Alumni Connections Committee of the AEB, has plans to create a new campus group designed to involve student members in alumni events and programs while they learn more about the importance of engagement and philanthropy as future alumni. In turn, members will educate fellow students and promote the benefits of engaging with alums and supporting their alma mater for future generations of students.
The Inauguration of President Debbie Ricker, Ph.D.
The Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement plans to identify Inauguration Class Representatives, recruiting two per class, to take part in the Procession of Classes on October 18, 2025. Invitations will be sent by mail. We are so excited to formally recognize Dr. Ricker as Hood College's 12th President!
Alumni / Prospective Student Postcard Campaign
Nikki Swartzlander Bamonti '00, M'24, Director of Undergraduate Admission, continues to stress that alumni outreach is vital to student recruitment efforts, specifically when it comes to accepted, but not committed students. In early 2026, the AEB will support Admissions in their efforts to meet and exceed enrollment goals and strategies via The AEB Postcard Campaign. Watch your email and social media to learn how YOU can help with this important project.
My goal for the AEB is to enhance alumni engagement and communication within the Hood community: students, faculty, staff and even Hood partners, businesses and non-profits. I hope you will join us in this important mission. Please reach out if you have any questions or suggestions about how we can work together to support Hood College!
Thanks so much,
Joy Miller Beveridge '82
Chair, Hood College Alumni Executive Board
joy.beveridge@comcast.net
301.606.4642
