Delta Delta Delta - Cornell University

PAGE 2 Alpha Beta Chapter globe. A huge thank-you to Robin Secord '85 for chairing the property committee and serving as vice president. The winter brought continued interior maintenance and painting of the house, just in time for recruitment. Spring weather will allow for a focus on the yard and completing the cleanup necessary after the major water remediation efforts. Look for a beautiful lawn this spring and summer! The property committee is also starting work on identifying the best options for new living room furniture so the chapter can make the best use of this space. Marianne Passarelli '82 is keeping us on track with notes and minutes as the current secretary. Kim Beres '95 is leading the communications committee and has been working with our new communications partner on this newsletter. Kim and her committee are also starting to focus on our social media presence, so look for more ways to connect with Cornell Tri Deltas soon! A big thanks also to Hayley Easton '08 for so beautifully representing our younger alumnae on the board. And finally, to Terry Petracca '76, who has taken on the monumental role of treasurer of the House Corporation—a warm thank- you for all of the hours of work you have put in to get up to speed on the finances for the house and for ensuring our fiscal stability now and into the future. As always, if you are interested in serving on any of our committees (finance, property, communications, or nominating), please contact us at alphabetahc@gmail.com. Reunion: This year's reunion at Cornell will take place the weekend of June 8-11, 2017. The house at 118 Triphammer will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 10. If you are in town for the reunion, we hope you'll take some time to stop by and visit your old haunt! We know a number of sisters from the classes in the '70s will be around, especially those graduating in 1977, so we wish you a marvelous time reconnecting with each other. Thanks for all you do to keep our chapter and our Tri Delta home thriving. Yours in the Bonds, Heather Britt '93 President, Alpha Beta House Corporation heather.rae.britt@gmail.com House Corporation Board Plans (Continued from page 1) W e are especially thankful for the generous contributions to the Alpha Beta House Corporation made by the following alumnae in 2016. You make a difference in the future of Alpha Beta at Cornell University. Your gifts helped us tackle interior maintenance and painting of the house last fall. Donations sent this spring will go toward new living room furniture for the facility. To give online, please visit www.alphabetaddd. kintera.org/donate. Below is a list of our fall 2016 contributors. If an error has been made in recording your gift, we sincerely apologize. If corrections to your giving records are needed, please contact our campaign coordinator at (785) 843-1661. Thank you, again, for your loyal support. ALUMNAE DONATIONS ENSURE ALPHA BETA REMAINS STRONG Jean Schultheis Brechter '49 Ruth Schanze Casey '53 Jane Barber Wood Smith '54 Jane Gregory Wilson '54 Barbara Wooten Chamberlain '78 Marianne Gardy Passarelli, M.D. '82 Jennifer Ritter Kelly '89 Kimberly Miller Beres '95 Lauren Henderson '03 Alpha Beta needs your help to purchase new living room furniture for our house! To support our efforts, please return the enclosed remittance envelope with your gift or go to www.alphabetaddd. kintera.org/donate to make a donation online. A daptable, creative, and diplomatic. These are the three words Maureen Laffey Bills '86 uses to describe her personality. In fact, much of who she is today can be attributed to her days as an undergraduate in Tri Delta at Cornell University. "Alpha Beta was the place I felt I could just be myself. At the time, it was my home away from home; it was where I finally matured into adulthood with the help of my sisters. I felt that the chapter was diverse and that the women in the chapter didn't fit into any mold. I can say without a doubt that my undergraduate experience in Alpha Beta prepared me for life outside of Cornell." Maureen wasted no time getting involved in Tri Delta and served as historian and social events chairman. Having the opportunity to lead a large group of women helped Maureen polish her leadership skills and talents, and served to her advantage in the workforce after graduating from college. "My first employer hired me because I was social chairman of Tri Delta. They had a lot of internal office issues and wanted someone who could work with a lot of different personalities. They felt that my experience dealing with 180- plus women who would want a variety of social experiences gave me that necessary background/temperament." The leadership experience Maureen cultivated as an undergraduate in Tri Delta carried over as an alumna of Alpha Beta, where she served as alumnae chapter president and House Corporation president, as well as served in a variety of national offices and committees. Today, Maureen serves as a Tri Delta National House Corporation director and as the alumnae advisor to Alpha Beta. Some of her favorite highlights from her Tri Delta leadership have been attending the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's dedication of Tri Delta Place, visiting other campuses, meeting with sisters nationwide, and being nominated for and winning the Cornell University Distinguished Service Award from Cornell University Fraternity and Sorority Affairs in 1999. "Decades after graduating, I feel that I am still learning from Tri Delta. Tri Delta taught me not only to live my best life, but also to learn from everyone and every situation and lead with diplomacy." The memories, friendships, and skills Maureen gained in Alpha Beta have lasted a lifetime, and, as a result, she is hopeful that alumnae will join her in providing future generations these same opportunities. "I can never give back to Tri Delta as much as I've received. As an alumna, the experience is so much richer than that of a collegiate Maureen Laffey Bills '86 Gives Back to Tri Delta Through Local and National Service (Continued on page 4)

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