Lehighlights: Alumni Club News

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the Director
Wall Street Council Forum
Call to C.A.R.E.
Reunion/Commencement

Inaugural Club Awards
Alumni Club of the Year
Honor Roll of Alumni Club Volunteers

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Spring Greetings
from Lehigh University!

Dear Lehigh Alumni, Family, and Friends,

Spring greetings from South Mountain!

It is hard to believe that our last issue reviewed the Class of 2011 Incoming Student Sendoffs, and now the Office of Admissions is deep into reviewing applications for the Class of 2012—the most competitive class in Lehigh's history. I love saying that every year!

While the football season left us longing for more victories, the enthusiasm and energy of close to 60 Lehigh vs. Lafayette Telecasts cannot be BEATEN! We are now looking toward the Snake Pit and Stabler Arena for the activities and excitement that epitomize Lehigh athletics. Visit the Lehigh Athletics Web site for information on all upcoming contests.

The Call to C.A.R.E. program extended its reach beyond domestic borders this holiday season to send warm greetings to fellow alumni and friends serving in the U.S. military. There were close to 300 posts on the holiday greetings blog, and I encourage you to take a look and add to it!

The Regional Clubs Committee of the LUAA board of directors is dedicated to assisting the clubs network in connecting to alumni and friends. They are currently online and interested in your feedback and continue to strengthen the connection between the university and alumni everywhere. Check it out.

Speaking of feedback, the Alumni Clubs Office has just completed a mid-year survey of alumni club officers, telecast coordinators and Sendoff hosts. The findings are being reviewed by the Regional Clubs Committee and will be communicated shortly, along with recommendations. Our volunteer leaders have spoken, and we are listening!!

There is always something happening in the world of Lehigh alumni clubs, so read on and mark your calendar for the next event in your area .... We hope to see you there!


As always, our warmest winter greetings to the entire alumni family,

Jill Anderson '91
Director, Regional Alumni Clubs

QUARTER IN REVIEW

Wall Street Council
Financial Services Forum

A wonderfully successful event for alumni, faculty, staff and especially students! We cannot say it any better than the university, so get the full story here.

Call to C.A.R.E.

If you haven't clicked on the newly designed Web site, you are missing out on a great way to connect with alumni and make a difference in the world.

The Call to C.A.R.E. committee has engaged many alumni from all over the world. From the Holiday Blog for our military family to No Excuses University, Lehigh is reaching out and making a difference!

Autism Speaks joins the ranks of spotlighted charities for 2008, and there will be more information soon to help you help others!

If you are involved with a charity and want to get other alumni involved, please keep us updated. Join the growing number of alumni who are reaching out and making a difference.

SAVE THE DATE

Reunion/Commencement

This year's Reunion and Commencement are May 16-19, and featured graduation classes are those ending in 3 and 8. Reunion is a time for classmates to come together, share memories about their Lehigh experience, and learn about the Lehigh of today. Mark your calendar now! Check back to the Reunion Web site for more information as it becomes available.

SPOTLIGHTS

Inaugural Awards

With each issue of LEHIGHLIGHTS, we are more and more impressed with the dedication, enthusiasm and creativity of our spotlighted volunteers and regional alumni clubs. They have done so much to connect fellow alumni and the university...

• from welcoming incoming students to cheering on the Brown and White ...

• from networking socials to museum exhibits ...

• from community service to community building ...

Therefore, it seemed the next step should be to celebrate alumni volunteers, by recognizing those alumni who have gone beyond expectations to serve their Lehigh family, both on- and off-campus!

The following alumni club and alumni club volunteer were chosen from among those featured in past LEHIGHLIGHTS Spotlights. For the inaugural award, nominees were chosen from the past two years' issues. The Spotlights features were distributed to the Lehigh Alumni Association board of directors for vote via secret ballot at the winter meeting. All ballots were collected and counted by the Regional Alumni Clubs Committee of the board and the Alumni Clubs Office staff. All board directors and ex-officio members (WWOL, GAC, ASAs) present were permitted to vote. And the inaugural winners are ....


Alumni Club of the Year

The honored alumni club has exhibited strong leadership, a dedicated volunteer base, and diversity in programming to support their regional alumni. The club has shown a strong dedication to and support of the Alumni Association's and university's mission and goals. It has proven a valuable contributor to the alumni clubs program and personified the inclusivity and warmth of Lehigh alumni, and it is our pleasure to present the 2008 Alumni Club of the Year...

Philadelphia

The Lehigh Club of Philadelphia has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks to the hard work, dedication and positive energy brought by its volunteers, led by club President Melissa Glozman '94. Melissa became active in 2002 because of a longing to reacquaint herself with Lehigh, and she has become an integral part of the club's success, serving as secretary, treasurer, chairperson of the Career Advancement Committee and currently president.

The uniqueness of the club comes from its ability to reach the large, diverse alumni population that is active in Philadelphia. Geographically, the club has a huge advantage because of its close proximity to South Mountain, which enables the board to coordinate events that involve university faculty, staff and friends. Melissa credits the club's past year of success to the support of the club's board of directors and volunteers. "Our board is constantly trying to think of new and unique events that will interest our area alumni, while encouraging members to get involved themselves." The club also would not be where it is today without Joann Giangiulio '92, Andrew Hartmann '99, Hillar Puskar '85, John Marren '86, Justin Bayer '01, Tom Ramsey '67 (president emeritus) and Michael Glasheen '67. Their outstanding contributions of time, energy and enthusiasm have truly made the club a success.

While the club has held many different and exciting events throughout the years, one of its most successful has been its Meet the Board wine and cheese receptions, held at Tria, in Center City Philadelphia, as well as at the homes of John Marren and Hillar Puskar. At the events, guests are invited to share in a wine tasting experience and mingle with board members in hopes of joining the volunteer ranks.

The club's Incoming Student Sendoff is always a fun and successful event, at which students and alumni enjoy a "Taste of Philadelphia." President Emeritus Tom Ramsey '67, has opened his home on many occasions to welcome the newest Lehigh family members. In addition, the club board awards a book award (a gift certificate to the bookstore to offset first-year expenses) to an incoming student based on an essay the board requests and reviews.

Always supportive of the Brown and White, the Lehigh Club of Philadelphia hosts a Lehigh/Lafayette Telecast when the game is played in Easton and offers many opportunities for alumni to come out and support Lehigh teams when they are in the City of Brotherly Love. Always well-rounded, the club hosted a fantastic brunch and King Tut event at the Franklin Institute, organized by Michael Glasheen '67, before the Boy King left the states for good. It was a well attended and greatly appreciated event!

The "Lehigh family" concept is also a huge part of their success. The annual Pumpkin Picking and Halloween Hay Ride (hosted Melissa Glozman '94) are a seasonal delight in the fall, and the club has made an annual commitment (organized by Joann Giangiulio '92) to the Special Olympics of Delaware County swim meet each spring.

When asked to name a couple long-term goals for the club, Melissa responded with confidence, "The club will continue to promote Lehigh within the Philadelphia community and to encourage area alumni to get involved with the alumni club." A huge congratulations to the outstanding work that the club has accomplished in the past couple years. We will be eagerly awaiting the great things to come!

The Honor Roll
of Alumni Club Volunteers

The honored alumnus has been featured in the Volunteer Spotlight of the Alumni Clubs newsletter, LEHIGHLIGHTS. The selected inductee has served consistently within the alumni clubs organization in varied leadership roles. He is recognized as a valuable contributor to the alumni clubs program, exemplifying the enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge that is the hallmark of the Lehigh alumni clubs and personifying the inclusivity and warmth of the Lehigh family. It is our pleasure to present the 2008 inductee for the Honor Roll of Alumni Club Volunteers ....

Charlie Lieb '70

The Lehigh Home Club has been extremely successful because of the dedication, innovation and leadership of Charlie Lieb, who has served as president from 2001 to 2006 and enjoys his current role as president emeritus.

Charlie earned his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Lehigh in 1970, graduating with honors and as an ECAC Scholar Athlete. He went on to obtain his MBA from Lehigh in 1971. As an undergraduate, Charlie played football and in 1969, was honored as team MVP, All-American, and All-ECAC. He was also an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Upon graduating, Charlie pursued a career in the business world serving as manager of purchases for Westinghouse Furniture Systems (WFS) from 1980 to 1984 and then as vice president of customer resources for WFS from 1984 to 1992. He then moved on to serve as vice president of North America operations for WFS through 1996 and, since then, has served as vice president of North America product development and engineering for Knoll, Inc. During this time, Charlie was also very active in his community. He served on the Gettysburg Kiwanis board of directors from 1978 to 1980 and from 1986 to 1990, and held a position on the board of directors for the Kent County Red Cross of Michigan and the Grand Rapids Boy Scouts of America.

As an alumnus, Charlie has been extremely involved, serving as treasurer and vice president of the Lehigh Club of Pittsburgh from 1971 to 1978, in addition to his involvement with the Lehigh Home Club. In 1980, he received the Young Alumnus Award at his 10-year Lehigh reunion, in recognition of his hard work and commitment. Charlie has also served on the board of advisers for the College of Business and Economics since 1998, and the Greek Advisory Council since 2004.

Charlie says he chose Lehigh not only for the strong athletic program and the academic challenge but also because of the people he met on campus visits and the alumni he encountered during the recruiting process. Charlie recounted numerous professors and role models who inspired him and instilled strong values of commitment, risk-taking and perseverance, which he feels have directly contributed to his success and moral character. He holds many wonderful memories of his years as an undergraduate: Saturday morning classes, learning the real meaning of fraternal bond, great athletic matches, and "saying goodbye to classmates and friends on graduation day, knowing they would never be far in mind or spirit, and that they would be 'there' if I needed them."

As an alumnus, Charlie has delighted in maintaining and strengthening these bonds and in meeting Lehigh alumni all over the world. He loves "having the opportunity to help (in a very small way) keep Lehigh all it can be for alumni and undergraduates."

Charlie says that his Lehigh education has been crucial in preparing him for his success in life. He praises Lehigh as an environment where students are "taught to think, to ingest course matter, to reason, to suffer and fail, yet rise again, to grow socially, to discover diversity in many forms and appreciate and endure opposing points of view; these things form the basis of your life and your life's work."

Charlie and his wife, Kathy, live in Bethlehem and are the proud parents of Allison, who graduated from Lehigh in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in accounting, and Emily.