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Clark University
Alumni

Who We Are

The Alumni Council is a dedicated group of volunteers who provide guidance and insight about alumni programs, communications, and outreach. Each alumni member serves a four-year term; the Council, along with faculty and student representatives, meets on campus once a year, with remote meetings scheduled as necessary.

Mission

The Clark University Alumni Council connects or reconnects Clarkies with the University. We promote activities and share news that will deepen their affinity with a community that launched passions, careers, and relationships. Through our interactions, we also drive positive and lasting change that redefines what it means to be a Clarkie, and excites and inspires graduates to participate, to give, and to be champions of the Clark experience.

Committees

Alumni Council members serve on several committees, including:

  • The Awards Committee selects recipients of four alumni awards — the Distinguished Service Award, the Young Alumni Service Award, the Service to Society Award, and Challenging Convention Award. Learn more
  • The Diversity and Inclusion Committee focuses on the success of affinity groups, volunteers, and programs, ensuring that alumni from all identities and backgrounds are represented and that alumni have a voice in diversity, equity, and inclusion matters at the University.
  • The Programming Committee reviews and advises on ongoing engagement programming, including on- and off-campus events, virtual events, and how to best engage alumni and faculty in this work.
  • The Nominating Committee selects new members of the Alumni Council and candidates to become the alumni-appointed trustee.
  • The Alumni Experience Committee will map out engagement with Clark alumni pre-graduation through their entry into the 50th Year Association. The committee will identify engagement strengths and gaps with a focus on events, volunteer and recognition opportunities, communications, alumni services, and general on-going awareness of what’s current and important to the Clark community. The committee will offer suggestions working towards the creation of a roadmap to address some of those gaps and outline how we can play to our strengths and improve the alumni experience over time.

Some Council members also serve as members and liaisons to other volunteer groups, including the Clark Black Alumni Association (CBAA), the Clark LGBTQ+ Alumni Association (CLAA), the GOLD Council, and the Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

Garrett Abrahamson

Garrett W. Abrahamson ’07, MBA ’08
President

Garrett Abrahamson graduated from Clark with a bachelor’s degree in political science and, in 2008, a master’s in business administration. While on campus, he served on the Student Council and Student Alumni Relations Committee, and spent three years as a resident adviser (two of those in Wright Hall). Garrett has stayed connected to Clark as a class agent, GOLD Council member, and, most recently, with the Alumni Council. He is also a member of the Jonas Clark Fellows.

Professionally, he is an associate manager at Public Consulting Group, focused on health care payment reform for states around the country. He lives in Saco, Maine, with his wife, Caitlan, and two young children.

Tom Hicks Headshot

Thomas Hicks ’93

Thomas Hicks is a Commissioner with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).   Prior to his nomination and appointment to the EAC, Commissioner Hicks worked in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, handling issues relating to campaign finance, election reform, contested elections and oversight of both the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Federal Election Commission. His primary responsibility was advising and providing guidance to the committee members and caucus on election issues.

While at Clark, Tom, a 1993 Government major, was a member of the Lacrosse team and active in several on campus organizations as well as working at the Pub, playing Intramural sports and serving on the Spree Day Committee.  Tom also participated in Clark’s study abroad program. Interning for two organizations in the United Kingdom while attending The University of London during his 3rd year.  After leaving Clark, Tom earned his Law Degree from The Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America.

Tom has been an active Alum since leaving Clark.  Returning to the main campus to speak with Students and meeting with students participating in various programs in DC.  Tom sits on the Alumni Council and the President’s Council to further the university’s efforts on expanding diversity and look to succeed in the 21st century.

Mary Owens

Mary L. Owens ’86
Past President

Mary Bourbeau Owens ’86 is senior director of retail communications for CVS Health. She has been with CVS for 12 years, initially as head of internal communications for the pharmacy benefit management business. In 2015, she was asked to lead the internal communications team that supports corporate programs as well as mergers and acquisitions. In her current role, which she has held since 2019, she leads a team responsible for proactive media relations and executive thought leadership for CVS Pharmacy.

Shortly after graduating from Clark, Mary — a second-generation Clarkie — moved to the Chicago area, where she lived for 25 years. During that time, she supported the University in a number of volunteer roles, including interviewing prospective students, staffing college fairs, and supporting local alumni events. Since her return to New England in 2005, she has been an active member of the Alumni Council. She lives with her husband, Ken, in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Members

  • Kulani Abendroth-Dias ’13, Paris, France 
  • Garrett Abrahamson ’07, MBA ’08, Saco, ME
  • Sandra Abramson ’68 New York, N.Y
  • Justin L. Bailey ’00, Memphis, TN
  • David Brenerman ’73, Portland, ME
  • Malik Brown ’00, MBA ’02, Philadelphia, PA
  • Nicholas J. Callender ’11, MPA ’12, Washington, DC
  • Ishara R. Casella Connors, Ph.D. ’06, Bryan, TX
  • Matthew Chafe ’87, Wayland, MA
  • Anthony Colon ’03, MPA ’04, Rockaway Beach, NY
  • Jean Dao ’12, MAT ’13, Boston, MA
  • Randi P. Guinn Shirley ’91, Charlotte, NC
  • Margaret Guzman ’89, Worcester, MA
  • Thomas Hicks ’93, Springfield, VA
  • Nicola Imbracsio ’98, Saint Paul, MN 
  • Jeffrey Lambert ’85, Ventura, CA
  • Stacey Lawrence ’08, Pawtucket, RI
  • Carolyn Michael-Banks ’79, Memphis, TN 
  • Thomas Montanari ’25, Hopewell, NJ 
  • Jermel Moody ’00, Brooklyn, NY
  • Mary Owens, ’86, Cumberland, RI
  • Brigid Palcic ’11, MA ’12, Highland, NY
  • Abhishek Raman ’09, Cambridge, MA
  • Edgardo Rivera ’86, P ’09, San Juan, PR
  • Raphael Rogers, Faculty Representative
  • Rebecca Sherer ’79, Northampton, MA
  • Colin Sterling ’18, Boca Raton, FL
  • Bryan Tamburro ’97, Frisco, TX
  • Adi Tibrewal MBA ’05, Worcester, MA 
  • Alex Turgeon ’16, MBA ’17, Washington, DC
  • Miranda Valerio ’11, Decatur, GA
  • Sage Zetzman ’25, Steamboat Springs, CO 

Photo from the Alumni Council Awards Reception in 2023. Pictured (from left): University President David Fithian '87, Emilee Cocuzzo ’18, MBA ’19; Etel Haxhiaj ’04, M.A. ’08; Anne McKinnon ’83; Robert (Jay) Ash ’83; Alumni Council President Garrett Abrahamson '07, MBA '08

Alumni Council Awards

Each year, the Awards Committee of the Alumni Council solicits nominations for four alumni awards: 

  • Distinguished Service Award 
  • Young Alumni Award 
  • University Award for Service to Society 
  • Challenging Convention Award

Nominations are submitted by Clark alumni, staff, and faculty. Winners are chosen by the Awards Committee and honored at the annual Alumni Council Awards Dinner held on the Friday night of Reunion Weekend. 

The Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by Clark’s Alumni Council, recognizes and celebrates a graduate who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and volunteerism for Clark over the course of several decades. 

The University Award for Service to Society celebrates an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to society in the years since graduating from Clark while advancing a cause consistent with Clark’s values.  

The Young Alumni Award recognizes a Clark “Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD)” who has served as an exemplary leader and volunteer for Clark since graduation.

The Challenging Convention Award is inspired by the deep reverence Clark graduates have for the University’s motto, “Challenge Convention. Change Our World.” The award honors an individual who, in the years since graduation, “has a crowning achievement in advancing a particular artistic, social, or scientific cause deemed consonant with University values.” 

alumni council meeting

Recent Meetings

Below are recent agendas of Alumni Council meetings.

May 24, 2023, Agenda
Feb 15, 2023, Agenda
August 31, 2022, Agenda
June 8, 2022, Agenda
April 8, 2022, Agenda
Jan 27, 2022, Agenda

Contact Information

Alumni and Friends Engagement

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