To: Wellesley College Alumnae, Faculty, and Staff
From: President Paula A. Johnson
Re: Launching the search for our next assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement
Date: October 23, 2024
I am writing to share that after five years of strategic leadership and engagement with our alumnae, Kathryn Harvey Mackintosh ’03, assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement, will be leaving Wellesley in early December to pursue other professional interests.
Kathryn has been an exemplary leader who has improved the ways the College engages with alumnae. During her time here she has built a talented and dedicated team, directed alumnae engagement during COVID-19, and developed robust and productive collaborations with colleagues in the Development Office, Career Education, and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs as well as with Senior Leadership and others across campus. Most recently, Kathryn played a key role in bringing about the historic merger of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) and the College, working closely with former WCAA board president Laura Wood Cantopher ’84 and the WCAA board and staff to launch an exciting new chapter for alumnae relations at Wellesley.
In communicating her decision, Kathryn said, “I am proud of the work we have done to modernize alumnae relations at Wellesley and connect this work more closely to the College’s strategic priorities. This feels like the right time to focus on the next step in my professional journey and allow Wellesley to bring the next person in to take on the important work ahead.”
As we search for the next assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement, we are looking for a strategic leader with a global perspective who can seize the possibilities the recent merger presents to better connect alumnae to the College and to each other, and to support the College’s growing focus on Wellesley in the world. Tara Murphy, vice president for communications, public affairs, and global engagement, will work closely with Carolyn Slaboden, chief human resources officer, to lead the search, together with committee members Karen Williamson ’69 (serving as WCAA board president designee); Laura Sue Cohen D’Annunzio ’85 and Crystal Churchwell Evans ’07, alumnae volunteers; Laura Adamczyk ’87, principal gift officer; and Jennifer Pollard, Lulu Chow Wang ’66 Executive Director and Associate Provost of Career Education. We encourage you to share this exciting opportunity with your networks, or to apply for the position if you are interested.
To support the WCAA team during the search, Leigh Osler Creveling ’00 will serve as interim assistant vice president of alumnae relations and global engagement starting this November, which will allow for onboarding with Kathryn. Leigh is returning to Wellesley from Brandeis University, where she has held several roles in alumnae relations and advancement, including assistant vice president for advancement services. Leigh began her career working at the WCAA as assistant director for classes and reunions before earning her master’s degree in higher education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We are very grateful that she has agreed to take on this interim role during this transition.
In closing, I want to thank Kathryn for her leadership and partnership in building a strong foundation for the work ahead. In the coming months, we look forward to identifying a new leader who will build on the opportunities of the merger to further strengthen alumnae relations at Wellesley.
