Alumni
SUMMER 2007
Social Work Graduate Finds Path
Leading Springfield School Volunteers
Denise Cogman ’93 attention to pupils who need
uring her senior it most.
D year at Springfield’s
Central High School,
Denise Cogman ’93 attended
“There are 26,000 students
in the Springfield Public
Schools and every one of them
a social work conference could use a mentor,” explained
at Western New England Denise, who was named to
College that changed the BusinessWest magazine’s inau-
course of her life. gural “Forty Under 40” list in
“We were able to sit in on 2007. “There is something
different workshops and about that one-to-one caring,
learn things along with real adult relationship that makes
social workers from the community,” said a big difference in the life of a child.”
Denise, who prior to this conference had Denise credits the generalist focus of
always envisioned a career in education. the Western New England College Social
“I remember being very impressed with the Work program for the success she has
campus and with what I had heard about enjoyed in her career. “It prepares you for
the College. Right then, I said ‘I want to a broad range of experiences in the social
come to Western New England College work field. If I had gone through a more
and study social work.’” clinical program I would not have felt as
Now, 14 years after graduating from the prepared for my current position.”
College with a B.S.W., Denise holds the top Even as the executive director, Denise
post for Springfield School Volunteers, a still has opportunities to interact directly
nonprofit organization under the umbrella Continued inside
of the Springfield Public School System,
combining her passion for social work and Alumni Association
education. Welcomes Class of 2007
Each year, more than 3,000 volunteers
serve as mentors, tutors, and in other
capacities with the students of the Spring-
field Public Schools, giving individual
In this Issue
Alumni Profile: Denise Cogman ’93
Introduction Letter from New Alumni
Association President Mat Nelson ’93
Campaign Update The Western New England College Alumni
Association congratulates the graduates
Homecoming 2007 from the Class of 2007 and welcomes you
Election Results into our organization. We hope you will
Upcoming Events keep in touch with the College and fellow
alumni through the Association and sup-
Athletics Continue Success on port the College. Register for the alumni
the Field directory at www.wnec.edu/alumni.
Save the Date
As always, Homecoming 2007
will feature:
Guided tours of the campus—
Homecoming 2007: on a double-decker bus!
Come Home Again Skookum Awards Dinner
Downes Hall of Fame Dinner
September 27–30 Children’s activities
A family Hospitality and Food Tents
fun-filled An opportunity to reconnect with
Homecoming old friends and faculty members
Weekend is in store, To register for Homecoming 2007, visit
including comedy, www.wnec.edu/alumni/homecoming,
live music, chil- call the Office of Alumni Relations at
dren’s activities, and 413-796-2240, send an email to
hospitality and food tents, along with a alumwnec@wnec.edu, or wait for
full slate of athletic contests. Reconnect the upcoming registration postcard.
with old friends. See the changes to A discounted rate is available for
campus on double-decker bus tours. alumni at the Springfield Marriott in
High-five the Golden Bear mascot. downtown Springfield for the weekend.
Catch some air in the skydiving Call 413-781-7111 for more information.
simulator!
Events to watch for at
Homecoming 2007
Hit the Links for
Big Air Skydiving Simulator the Golden Bears!
Comedy Night* Join us in supporting the
Football Alumni Game Western New England
U&ME/MGA Reunion Dinner Dance College athletics by
Golden Grads Luncheon teeing up at the Ninth
Music Alumni Reunion Annual Golf Classic.
*Tickets available at the door. Monday, September 24, 2007
Shotgun starts at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Athletics in Action
Crestview Country Club, Agawam, MA
Cheer the Golden Bears on to victory $175 per person (complete foursomes
at our state-of-the-art athletic facilities or individuals welcome)
as field hockey, football, men’s and
Included in the Day:
women’s soccer, women’s tennis, and
Lunch
volleyball are in action on campus
Cocktail Reception with hors d’oeuvres
during Homecoming.
(1:30 p.m. start only)
Scramble format, Championship course
Golf carts, Prizes, Silent Auction, Raffle
For more information on registration or
sponsorship, contact Michael Theulen,
director of athletics, at 413-782-1377.
Greetings from MetLife in Hartford CT. As I begin my
term as president, I hope to further tap the
Your New Alumni potential of the alumni of the College and
Association President create unprecedented opportunities for us
to network with each other and give back
As we enjoy the summer to the College that has played an important
and look toward a new role in the success we enjoy today. The
semester at the College, Alumni Association is going to be more
the Alumni Association visible and more active than ever before
Board of Directors is also and we will develop our use of technology,
entering a new era. In people, and networking opportunities to
June, Dan McLaughlin ’96 bring the alumni together more often and
completed his term as president and I took more effectively. The goal is to contribute
the reins of the organization for the next to the College’s rich alumni traditions such
three years. Dan accomplished much in as Homecoming and the 40th Annual
his term on the Board and I, as well as Alumni Association Golf Tournament—
all the alumni, thank him for his time, and have some fun and meet some new
dedication, and stewardship to the Board friends along the way.
during his tenure. Dan will continue to In closing, feel free to let me know your
play an important advisory role on the thoughts, ideas, and suggestions at any
Board as the immediate past president as time throughout my term. I can be reached
we chart the waters ahead. through the Alumni Office at alumwnec@
For those of you who do not know me, wnec.edu or you can email me directly
I graduated from the College in 1993 with a at nelson1971@comcast.net. Thank you
Bachelor of Arts in Government and a minor and see you at Homecoming 2007 on
in History, went into the financial services September 27–30.
field, and presently I am a director in the Mat Nelson ’93
International Distribution Department at President, Alumni Association
Upcoming Events
August October
31 Boston Red Sox Game vs. 20 Alumni
Baltimore Association
Orioles Community
Fenway Park Service Project
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Fall Cleanup at the Cancer House
of Hope, Springfield, MA
September 23 Center for International
8 Men’s Soccer Sport Business Speaker
Alumni Game Series
Suprenant Field, TBA 7:00 p.m.
10 Law Alumni Association Golf Guest speaker Dick Pound,
Tournament chairman of the World
Anti-Doping Agency,
12:00 noon
Rivers Memorial Hall
The Ranch Golf Club, Southwick, MA
24 Ninth Annual Athletics November
Golf Classic 1 Business Leadership
Shotgun Start— Forum
8:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. 12:00 noon
Crestview Country Club, Rivers Memorial Hall
Agawam, MA
27–30 Homecoming
Athletics Dominate Campaign Update:
Again in 2006-07 More Than $18.3 Million
Raised Toward $20 Million
Campaign Goal
Alumni visiting the campus lately have
noticed many changes on campus, includ-
ing banners for Transformations: The
The Golden Bears enjoyed another out-
Campaign for Western New England
standing season during 2006-07 with an
College, and construction underway for
overall record of 229-145-5 for an impres-
a new 10,500-square-foot wing of the
sive 61.7 winning percentage. The year was
School of Law Building. An expansion and
highlighted by the men’s lacrosse team’s
renovation of the building is the final cap-
historic run to the quarterfinal round of
ital project in the $20 million Campaign—
the NCAA Tournament as Golden Bear
the most ambitious fundraising effort in
Stadium played host to two tournament
the College’s history.
games. Baseball, women’s lacrosse, men’s
The Campaign stands today at more
soccer, and women’s soccer also advanced
than $18.3 million as the College strives
to the NCAA Tournament.
to reach a total of $19.2 million in gifts
and pledges by December 31, 2007, to
qualify for an $800,000 challenge grant
from The Kresge Foundation.
The College continues to attract sup-
port from corporations and foundations
Beginning in the fall, Western New
in the greater Springfield area and beyond,
England College joins The Commonwealth
including a $500,000 contribution from
Coast Conference (TCCC). This switch the Follett Corporation, and $300,000
pits the Golden Bears against some of the gifts each from the MassMutual Financial
toughest competition in the region as Group and the Lloyd G. Balfour Foun-
Western New England College will vie for dation, trustee, Bank of America.
16 conference championships and the right The Campaign aims to increase student
to represent the TCCC in the NCAA financial aid, support curriculum and fac-
Tournament. ulty development, and enhance academic
and student life facilities.
Calling All Social Work Graduate Finds Path
Business Alums Continued from page 1
with students from time to time. “I might
Please take a few minutes to complete
have to fill in to read to a classroom during
a short online survey that will help us
our Read Aloud Program so I get a little bit
enhance the experience of our students
of the teaching aspect. Springfield School
and support the needs of the business
Volunteers has been a wonderful place to
community. Your responses will be kept
confidential and will be reported only in
work, allowing me to fulfill a lot of differ-
summary form. ent career goals.”
To learn more about Springfield School
http://empire.wnec.edu/tests/rpont/c107_sob_ Volunteers, call 413-787-7015 or visit
survey.tp4 www.springfieldschoolvolunteers.org. To
Questions: Professor Jeanie Forray at learn about volunteer opportunities in
jforray@wnec.edu, 413-782-1702. schools outside Springfield, contact your
local school department.
Eight Chosen for Members of the
Alumni Association Recently Elected
Board of Directors Alumni Association
Board of Directors
Positions
ice President Michael Coffey G’79
V headlined a group of eight newly
elected members of the Alumni
Association Board of Directors during the
organization’s recent annual elections.
Michael Coffey G’79 Robert Cassin ’99
Robert Cassin ’99 was selected as the secre- Vice President Secretary
tary, and Nicholas Hudgik ’85/G’90 was
tapped as the new Advancement
Committee chair.
Jody Lemoi ’02/G’04, Grant Ritter ’05,
and Nathan Schwartz ’06 join the Board of
Directors as members-at-large. John Drost
’88/L’91 and Gail Titus ’90 were reelected as Nicholas Hudgik ’85/G’90 John Drost ’88/L’91
Advancement Member-at-Large
members-at-large. Committee Chair
Coffey, a former member-at-large, is vice
president of Field Eddy, and Bulkley, Inc.
in Springfield. Cassin, a former secretary
and two-term member-at-large, is general
manager at Forever Fit Health and Fitness
Center in Watertown, MA. Hudgik is a staff
Jody Lemoi ’02/G’04 Grant Ritter ’05
engineer at Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. in Member-at-Large Member-at-Large
Windsor Locks, CT.
“The Board elections went very smooth-
ly,” says President Mat Nelson ’93, who
assumed his duties on July 1. “We contin-
ued to enhance our online voting capability,
along with the traditional mail-in balloting,
and this year we added the flexibility and Nathan Schwartz ’06 Gail Titus ’90
Member-at-Large Member-at-Large
convenience of being able to vote at the
annual Alumni Golf Tournament.” This
Alumni-in-Admissions program, the
election marked the second to offer online
Alumni Career Network, and the Women-
voting in addition to the mail-in ballot.
in-Business Network, as well as a member-
Online voting increased nearly 60 percent
at-large, and has served as a one-year
from the previous year.
Alumni Trustee. She is currently director
Lemoi is director of operations at Look
of internal audit at the Massachusetts Port
Memorial Park in Northampton, MA.
Authority in Boston.
Ritter, who was a member of the Alumni
“I congratulate those selected and look
Association Nominating Team, is a market-
forward to leading the new volunteers and
ing analyst at MassMutual Financial Group
the new Board for the next three years,”
in Springfield. Schwartz, an underwriting
says Nelson. “It is never too early to con-
specialist at Genworth Financial, has
sider volunteering for next year’s Alumni
served as a one-year Alumni Trustee and
Association Executive Board.” Those inter-
as a member of the Grants Committee.
ested in running for future Board openings
Drost, an attorney for Frank P.
should contact Kathy Pappas G’98, director
.C.
Fitzgerald, P in Springfield, served as
of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, at
interim vice-president before earning his
413-782-1327 or kpappas@wnec.edu.
post as a member-at-large. Titus, in addi-
tion to serving as member-at-large, has had
volunteer experience with the College’s
Non-Profit
Call for Engineering Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
Hall of Fame Nominations PAID
Springfield, MA
PERMIT NO. 896
Office of Alumni Relations
1215 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119-2684
Founded in the 2000-01 academic year, the Engineering Hall of
Fame at Western New England College recognizes those who
have made significant contributions to the engineering field
and/or the School of Engineering. By honoring these outstand-
ing individuals, the School of Engineering expresses its appre-
ciation to them for bringing distinction to the School through
their career accomplishments.
Nominations for the Western New England College
Engineering Hall of Fame Class of 2007 are due by October
30, 2007. Please send nominations via mail or email to:
Dr. Kourosh Rahnamai
School of Engineering
Western New England College
1215 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119-2684
Email: krahnama@wnec.edu
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