A year of presidency of the Alumni Association is drawing to a close for Kelli A. Nielsen ’04. She offers this message to fellow alumni:
“I want to take the time to thank you for your emails, hours of service and time spent volunteering with our organization. While the Westfield State Alumni Year of Service started this year, it will continue in future years with an annual event in Westfield or around the state, updates on the website and opportunities for alumni to gather wherever they are.
“Representing 35,000 alums can seem overwhelming but, as each email or opportunity to meet someone new arrived, I understood more and more about making a difference, one person at a time. I invite you to continue to let us know about the important volunteer work you are doing and, should you come up with a plan that needs assistance, send us a note.
“We will be looking for annual sites to continue our impact on the communities we live in. Thank you all for keeping the amazing legacy of Westfield State service alive in your part of the world.”
Incoming President of the Alumni Association
Tracey Innella Pinto ’85 will begin her term as president of the Westfield State Alumni Association on Oct. 19 at Homecoming 2013. Tracey is no stranger to the Association as she has served as a member of the Executive Council since the board was redesigned in 2009. She is passionate about the campus and has worked to reunite alums with reunion events for the Class of 1985 and this year’s “Winter White Swag” event in Boston. We look forward to her term as president.
175th Homecoming Weekend Mardi Gras
Mark your calendars for the 175th Homecoming Weekend Mardi Gras celebration on Oct. 19. We are honoring our campus with a fantastic, New Orleans-inspired jamboree to highlight all the wonderful things that make Westfield State an inspiring educational institution.
Our day begins when we honor our Distinguished Alumnus in a morning ceremony, and then we’ll adjourn to the Horace Mann Center parking lot to join the Westfield State Alumni Association Executive Council as we kick off our third annual Tailgate Party featuring Billy G and the Blue Zone.
After the Tailgate, we’ll enjoy Louisiana-inspired food, delicious drinks and great New Orleans Jazz and Westfield State’s own Big Band while we watch the Owls Football team take on Mass Maritime in a game that’s sure to bring out your alumni pride. Following the event, we’ll bring the party down to the Westwood Restaurant and Pub to round out our celebration.
For more information and to register, please visit westfieldalumni.org/homecoming.
Class of 1989 Plans 25th Anniversary Celebration on Reunion weekend 2014
Now is the time to start planning our 25 Year Reunion Weekend for June 21-22, 2014.
Don and Janice Humason are looking for fellow Class of 1989 alumni to join them in planning a great weekend. They want to form a Reunion Planning Committee to get started, and they hope to hear from classmates.
Please contact Kathi Bradford at (413) 572-5404 or kbradford@westfield.ma.edu if you want to be part of the planning for this reunion or the reunions for other classes ending in 9 and 4, the Residential Life Staff and the Orientation team. For more details of the Class of 1989 gathering, visit westfieldalumni.org/1989.
Alumni Travel Program
Interested in travel? We are heading to Dublin for a City Stay in March and Italy (Lake Como)/Switzerland in the spring.
Over 150 alumni, family, friends and students have joined us as we travel the world. Check out the latest news at www.westfieldalumni.org/travel.
Stay in Touch
Want to know the latest and greatest from your alma mater? We also want to hear from you.
Please take a moment to share your updated contact information on our easy-to-use form at westfieldalumni.org/update. You can update your address and email address, let us know if you want to volunteer or share your latest news with us. It’s quick and easy.
Alumni Year of Service
Under the direction of Alumni President Kelli Nielsen ’04, our first, soon-to-be annual alumni project was held on June 1 and revolved around downtown renovation.
Ten alumni and friends gathered at Shenanigans Pub to redesign and paint the storefront with lead alumni artist Omarthan Clarke ’07.
While the day was hot and blistery, the staff at Shenanigans kept the cold water and delicious food coming. Stop by when you come into town and/or join us next year as we plan another fun, alumni project on June 7, 2014.
Hall of Fame Induction
The 18th Annual Westfield State University Athletics Hall of Fame inductions banquet will be held during Homecoming weekend on Friday, Oct. 18, at 6 p.m.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2013 includes: Robert Bogan ’87, football; Diana Cares ’00, cross country/track; David Kaczenski ’83, track and field; Nanci (Mahoney) Salvidio ’73, field hockey/basketball/softball; and Josue Zamora ’02, football.
Dr. Karl Leiker, a professor at Westfield State since 1976, will receive the James C. Hagan Award, which is presented by the Hall of Fame to recognize sustained excellent service in support of the Westfield State athletics program.
For details of this year’s event, including stories for each inductee, go to the Hall of Fame link at WestfieldStateOwls.com. Contact the Westfield State Athletics department at (413) 572-5433 for tickets and additional information.
The Westfield State Athletics Hall of Fame Committee encourages alumni, family and friends to nominate deserving candidates for the Hall of Fame. The nomination form is located online at the Owls’ athletics website.
