Welcome New Members



Rini Mariani Soemarno ‘81

Rina is president  and commissioner of Darma Henwa Tbk. Formerly she was the Minister of Trade and Industry for the Republic of Indonesia, deputy of the National Banking Restructuring Board (BPPN), finance director of Astra International Tbk, and vice president , Citibank N.A. Jakarta.




Karen Twitchell ‘77

Karen is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Landmark Aviation. Prior to that she was vice president and treasurer  of Lyondell Basell Industries and Lyondell Chemical Company; vice president and treasurer of Kaiser Aluminum Corporation and Southdown, Inc.; and an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston. She is a member of the board of directors, KMG Chemicals, Inc. Karen received her MBA from Harvard University.

 


Kristin Pearson ’85
 Kristin is executive vice president, of content publishing and corporate communications at Krames Staywell. Formerly she was executive vice president at Staywell Custom Communications; vice president, strategy and network development at West Suburban Health Care; and administrative director, women's health services at Loyola University Health System. Kristin received her MBA in corporate strategy and marketing at the University of Michigan.



Bettina (Betsy) Plevan ’67

Betsy is a partner in the labor  and  employment department at Proskauer, Rose LLP in New York City as well as co-head of the international Labor and Employment Group and the Class/Collective Action Group. She served as president of the New York City Bar from 2004-2006.  mary received her JD from Boston University Law School.


 

Annual Report 2011



The 2011 agenda for the BLC has been based upon the foundation established at the 2009 Plenary when President Kim Bottomly asked us to generate ideas for four critical initiatives: international, science, marketing and branding, and leadership. The volunteer committees have continued to define the role and the direction of the BLC in each area, and several have already begun to implement plans. In addition, the BLC website has been redesigned and updated to create a better user experience for members, thanks to the guidance and hard work of Denise Brosseau. As part of this effort, the BLC logo  was refreshed, consistent with the new Wellesley guidelines. The Corporate Director Program yielded results as well; several board opportunities were distributed to the full membership and two members were appointed to positions.

With a theme of “Wellesley Women: Navigating a Complex World,” the 2010 Plenary was ably chaired by Jaynie Studenmund and Lawry Meister. Interesting presentations were given by BLC members, faculty, staff, students, and outside speakers, culminating in a joint dinner with the Wellesley Centers for Women on Friday night to celebrate the Center’s thirty-fifth anniversary. Susan Harmon organized a fabulous BLC Retreat in Seattle in May that provided a unique “insider’s experience” of the city. The regional groups were busy throughout the year, hosting both casual gatherings and substantive programs.

Through the diligent efforts of Membership Chairs Pat Morrill and Mei-Mei Tuan, the BLC added 10 new members, with two previous members rejoining. In addition, two invitations have been accepted with dues not yet paid, another invitation is awaiting a response, and three members submitted resignations.

Strong communication with the membership is a priority and Communications Chairs Dorothy Philips and Grace Toh continued to provide timely news, member profiles, and information via the shorter and more frequent News Briefs and a post-Plenary newslette. Our Facebook network continues to blossom, with 80 active members.

Furthering the BLC mission requires good relationships with various members of the Wellesley College community, especially the President’s Office, the Office for Resources, the Alumnae Association, and the Center for Work and Service, and significant efforts were made during the year to ensure that those bonds remain strong.

Ginger Kent, Co-Chair
Nancy Murphy, Co-Chair
Linda Guild, Administrative Director