2007 Award Recipients
Robert Resnick '88
In his student days, government major Robert Resnick '88 was active in the Skidmore College Democrats, president of the Debate Club and Model UN, and served a three-year term on the SGA senate, while working as a peer tutor, research assistant, and admissions tour guide. He earned a JD from New England School of Law in 1991, served as special assistant attorney general for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a year, and then embarked on a career in the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps. Rob received his LLM in criminal law from the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School in Charlottesville, VA, in 2002. He served in Army JAG offices stateside and in Korea as an environmental law attorney, a defense counsel, and the chief of criminal justice. As chief of military justice for the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia, he managed prosecution and court operations at the Army's largest criminal law operation. He trained prosecutors, managed court staff, and oversaw cases. For his work, he was twice awarded the Meritorious Service and the Army Commendation medals.
In 2003 Rob was sent to Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division. He was later tasked with overseeing the establishment of the country's first independent court system. There he practiced operational law and worked on the Judicial Assessment and Reconstruction Teams to "help the Iraqi people establish a free and democratic judiciary." During the hostilities, Rob advised commanders on targeting decisions and rules of engagement. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his efforts. Rob says, "When a reporter asked me how I would know how to establish a court system (after all, it is not like we have classes in such things), I told him it was because of my Skidmore College education. I had the tools to think through the challenges and formulate a plan. I had the confidence to approach the Iraqi people to find partners and convince them to serve their community."
Now a lieutenant colonel, Rob is currently the deputy staff judge advocate for I Corps at Fort Lewis, WA. And he has also served Skidmore for years. Having volunteered as an admissions contact since graduation and as class president since 1993, he also spent time as a class agent and reunion volunteer. In 1998, Rob was selected to serve a three-year term on the alumni association board of directors as chair of reunions; he followed that up with another position, vice president of outreach, from 2001 to 2004. When that term ended, he was asked to stay on as a member-at-large for an additional year, during which he explored ways to leverage the experience of former board members to enhance the board's work. He continues to remain strongly connected to Skidmore, returning to campus to speak to government students. Most recently, he participated in a law school forum to discuss LSAT preparation and the ups and downs of the first-year law school experience. He also offered curricular advice for Skidmore's international affairs program.
He is most proud, he says, of things that do not translate into a list of accomplishments. "I have spent my career taking care of people. Nothing is more important than that. I am extremely proud of my year in Iraq because of the missions my team had and because my folks were simply amazing—the bravest, most dedicated individuals I will ever know. They did everything right and ensured the highest legal and professional standards in an environment where it was easy to get caught in the moment."
When informed he was receiving this alumni award, he said, "Skidmore has always been and will always be a big part of my life, and to be recognized by this community is incredibly meaningful to me."
Darren Herman '04
Joseph C. Palamountain Award for Young Alumni Achievement
A self-described "serial entrepreneur," Darren Herman '04 combined a passion for video games and marketing savvy to become one of the leading figures in the world of in-game advertising. The company he co founded in 2004, IGA Worldwide, is the world's largest independent in-game ad network; it currently provides more than 200 million impressions weekly to the world's leading advertisers. According to BusinessWeek, which named Darren One of the "Top Entrepreneurs Under 25" last year (he was later voted "Top Entrepreneur" in a reader poll), the Skidmore business major has realized an ad-man's dream by capturing the attention of 150 million consumers worldwide, a majority of whom inhabit the coveted 15- to 35-year-old male demographic.
IGA's position on the forefront of one of the hottest trends in advertising garnered Darren the attention of industry giant Intel, with which, along with existing investor group Morgenthaler Ventures, Easton Capital, and DN Capital, he closed an $17.5 million investment deal in July 2006. The deal will allow IGA to continue expanding its customer base worldwide. Darren has been creating businesses in the advertising and technology industries since his teenage years, when he launched his first start up focusing on the technology world, iComputerServices, LLC (iCS). The company designed and developed Web sites and applications for small-to-medium sized companies. Client demand prompted the establishment of GlobalWebspace, a premium Web-hosting company, which in turned spawned an automated game-serving company, TerminalX. As CEO, Darren managed a team of six server administrators located around the world and worked with a Romanian design and development team long before global outsourcing became common.
Darren has handled public and private companies, as well as global Fortune brands, including Viacom, Intel, eBay, Hewlett-Packard, Sony/BMG, MTV, Atlantic Records, Sprint Nextel, Starcom MediaVest, and Haystack Media. He has also been tapped for his expertise at industry conferences worldwide and profiled in professional publications such as iMediaConnection, ClickZ, MarketingVox.com, AdWeek, Advertising Age, MediaWeek, and LiveDigitally. In 2005, Avenue-A/Razorfish's Media Outlook named IGA a "Company to Watch" and in 2006, "Breakthrough Media Company of the Year." Among the other honors Darren has racked up are AlwaysOn "Top Media Company," Sony's "#1 Wired Student in North America," and inclusion in Marquis Who's Who of Emerging Business Leaders.
Darren documents his remarkable career on his blog site Herman's Head, www.darrenherman.com, where he offers assistance to entrepreneurs and investors as well as his own prognostications about what's next in the digital media industry. He also shared his expertise during a presentation at a department of management and business forum at Skidmore earlier this year and was featured speaker at a Skidmore Business Network-NYC event in 2006.
Entrepreneurship, he insists, is more art than science. "As entrepreneurs, we do not claim to know everything about business…but the one thing we do claim is how to be creative, select a market niche, and get a company off the ground. With that comes execution and persistence. As a serial entrepreneur, I think I've crafted a model that works (it can always use a bit of refining) and I'm honored to be recognized for it." Darren's blog also reveals his personal side. He shares his love of Sushi; the original Muppet Movie, Dave Matthews, and his most embarrassing moment ever: "tripping on stage over a microphone cord while launching inGamePartners at the Jacob Javits Center in New York at a press conference."
Darren and fiancée Sherri Kepner are to be wed in August. They reside in Scarsdale, NY.
Neil Astmann '00
David H. Porter Award for Young Alumni Volunteerism 2007
A business major with a minor in international affairs, Neil Astmann '00 focused his Skidmore studies in marketing. After completing internships with a professional soccer team and a sports marketing agency, he began forging a career in the field. A three-term member of the student government association, Neil chaired the computer services committee, which secured funding for a new student Web server that created and maintains the all-campus student announcement system. He also served on the college's financial policy and planning committee and was on the search committee for a new vice president of development and alumni affairs. A member of the student senate and student alumni society, Neil was also the student representative to the alumni association board of directors. "I am particularly proud of having given students a voice in shaping the college's present and future," he says. A Periclean scholar, Neil was presented with the Wall Street Journal Award for outstanding academic achievement in management. He also received the Katherine Scranton Rozendaal Citizenship Award, and the Candace Carlucci '66 Award for his leadership in promoting the programs of Skidmore's advancement and alumni affairs offices.
Neil had barely crossed the stage at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center at Commencement when members of the alumni board recruited him to become chair of young alumni and undergraduate outreach, a position he held from 2000 to 2003. During his tenure Neil strengthened professional networking opportunities for young alums and was a member of the technology working group. He currently serves as class president, reunion volunteer, and class agent.
Neil says that Skidmore helped him bloom into the person he is today. "Aside from the clearly visible influence of the doughboy," he quips, "I'd have to say that Skidmore's most lasting influence was imparting in me a sense of daring—not being afraid to try new things. From serving in student government to presenting business papers and even taking voice lessons, the atmosphere at Skidmore encouraged me to expand my horizons. I want to thank the college by giving my time and making sure that it stays the same remarkable place that I know and love."
Neil is national accounts promotion coordinator for LG Electronics in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. He lives in Fair Lawn with his wife, Laura.
Oscar Tang
Honorary Alumnus
Few individuals have had as profound an impact upon Skidmore's landscape—visually,
culturally, and academically—as Oscar Tang. The financier and philanthropist has in no small measure contributed to the growth
of the college's reputation as a nationally recognized liberal arts institution and
premier center for the arts. Through his support in establishing the college's Chinese
studies program, his leadership as a Skidmore trustee, and his generosity in creating
a world-class teaching museum on the Skidmore campus, he has built an enduring legacy
that will benefit the Skidmore community for generations to come.
Oscar emigrated from Shanghai, China, in 1949 at the age of 11. After graduating from Phillips Andover Academy, he earned a BA from Yale University in 1960 and an MBA from Harvard in 1962. His distinguished career in finance includes the founding in 1970 of the investment management firm of Reich & Tang L.P., which he headed as president and chief executive officer. He is the husband of the late Francis "Frankie" Young Tang '61 and parent of Kristin Tang '92.
Both Oscar and Frankie (who also emigrated from Shanghai in the late 1940s) felt a strong sense of gratitude for the education they received in the United States and were committed to giving back to the institutions that had nurtured them and to sharing their cultural heritage. A few years after daughter Kristin (one of their four children) arrived at Skidmore in 1988, they set out to rally support for the establishment of a Chinese studies curriculum by providing a generous challenge grant, which was completed in 1992.
Thanks to Oscar's visionary support, Skidmore realized a long-held dream of building a nationally recognized teaching museum. True to Skidmore's mission, the Frances Young Tang '61 Teaching Museum and Art Gallery—named in honor of Frankie, who died in 1992—is not only a center for the fine arts but also a focal point for the college's interdisciplinary curriculum and a vital cultural resource for the region. Said Oscar at the dedication of the museum in 2000, "This remarkable campus today is indeed a measure of the distance that this young and dynamic school has come. Many here and many who have gone before have made this possible. And now this spectacular facility caps all their efforts." At that dedication ceremony, Skidmore awarded him an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.
Oscar continues his leadership role at Skidmore as a member of the college's board of trustees. He joined the board in 2001 and since 2003 has served as chair of its investment committee.
Among his other philanthropic endeavors, Oscar is a trustee and donor of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. In 1993 he donated early Song Period scholar paintings, Ming Period
court paintings, and Seventeenth-century individualist paintings. In addition, he
purchased for the museum 11 paintings from C.C. Wang, one of the few remaining pre-Revolutionary
collectors outside of China. In honor of this generosity, the Metropolitan has named
one of its refurbished and expanded galleries of Chinese art the Frances Young Tang
Gallery.
Oscar's wife, Argie, shares his love of Skidmore and the arts, serving as co-chair
for the Sonnabend Gala held at the Tang in 2002. A yoga instructor and developer of
the Pulse Yoga method, she worked with Skidmore exercise science professor Paul Arciero
to study its health benefits.
Elizabeth Hartz Hewitt '57
Outstanding Service
Elizabeth Hartz Hewitt '57 is a lady who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves on behalf of her alma mater. A dedicated alumna volunteer for over two decades, she has performed a diverse array of roles with remarkable success. She has served as class fund chair, admissions contact, Wide Horizon Campaign and Hartford, CT, phonathon volunteer, and member of the class leadership committee. Over the years, the psychology major has earned the reputation as a passionate and skilled fundraiser.
For the past six years, she has partnered with Marge O'Meara Storrs '57 to raise classmate awareness of the importance of giving to the college's future. For their forty-fiftieth reunion in 2002, Betty and Marge garnered a record-breaking reunion gift for their class and one of the largest gifts for a forty-fifth reunion. Betty says they have made "no small plans" to surpass those records for their fiftieth this year.
Betty's interests in enriching the Skidmore experience are diverse as well; she has personally supported the college's commitment to elevating the sciences, a key component of the strategic plan. She says both she and husband Ed "are delighted with the direction the college is heading and want to be part of its growth." Betty and Ed have also created a scholarship for future Skidmore students.
And her work doesn't stop there. In 2002, she joined forces with classmates Florence Andresen '57, Barbara Mansfield Saul '57, and Marge O'Meara Storrs '57 to bring the long-neglected garden behind the Surrey Williamson Inn back to life, literally transforming a historic piece of Skidmore's campus and creating a living legacy for alumni to enjoy for generations to come. The project began when Betty, Florence, Barbara, and Marge decided to old a memorial ceremony for deceased classmates in the garden in honor of their forty-fifth reunion. They painstakingly weeded the overgrown circular beds and planted over 2000 impatiens, creating a stunning backdrop for their reunion memorial service. The classmates then worked with the college to plan a permanent space to remember all deceased alumni. Their vision included the installation of alumni-crafted sculptures and benches and perennial shrubs, plants, and trees that would allow donors at all levels to make a living gift to the college in honor of deceased friends. A statue of Hindi Earth Goddess Bhumi Devi, created by sculptor Barbara Stroock Kaufman '40, was commissioned to serve as the garden's centerpiece. Stone bricks commemorating classes complete the garden walkways. Plaques to honor individuals and families adorn the stone walls circling the garden. A sprinkler system and lighting keep the space lush and well lit. After countless hours tilling, fertilizing, and planting as well as following up with facilities engineers and alumni artists, the classmates celebrated the dedication of the Alumni Memorial Garden in 2005. It is now the setting for an annual memorial service held during reunion.
When asked what motivates her, she fondly recalls philosophy classes with Dr. Mauzy, Miss Kohler's basic cooking skills ("which led to a lifetime of experiments"), and participating in field hockey tournaments "for the joy and love of sport and the game." Of all her work on behalf of Skidmore, she is most proud of her role as fundraiser. Yet the restoration of the Memorial Garden comes close. She is honored to be recognized for both since Betty considers everything she does for the college to be a labor of love.
She is also very grateful. "Like many of us, I am indebted to this institution, because it gave me the foundation that formed my life goals." Betty and Ed live in Avon, CT.
Jed Lavitt '77
Jed Lavitt '77 arrived at Skidmore in 1973, in the midst of the college's transition to a new campus and coeducation. "We had this brand new campus," he recalls, "an exceptional faculty, and labs featuring state-of-the-art scientific equipment such as the electron microscope." He has a vivid memory of President Joe Palamountain welcoming freshmen to an institution that "we would build together as we went along." Jed and his fellow students were on the front lines of that evolution. WSPN, Skidmore's student run radio station, was inaugurated in 1975. Student-initiated basketball, hockey, and lacrosse clubs grew into competitive intercollegiate programs. The college's first polo team, which Jed helped to found in 1975, became nationally recognized within two years.
A biochemistry major with plans to study veterinary medicine, he broadened his focus at every opportunity by taking extra courses in theater, English, and psychology. After earning an MBA at the University of Connecticut, he set out for the heart of New York's financial district.
Now director of the High-Yield Fixed Income Division at Scotia Capital in Manhattan, Jed points out another aspect of his Skidmore experience that shaped his career path. As a student phonathon volunteer for the college's development office, he was asked to make "cold calls" to parents of alumni and ask them for donations. "They put us in a room with four black dial-tone phones, pizza, and a few bottles of Coke. That experience came in very handy later on, since about 97 percent of my business is transacted on the phone."
An active alumnus, he served the college as a class agent volunteer and admissions contact from 1977 until 1987. Disappointed by transition of the intercollegiate polo program to club status in the early 1990s, however, he withdrew from involvement for the next ten years.
"It's difficult to pin point exactly what turned me around," he muses. "I suppose it was being told by a board member that the Class of 1977 was apathetic and immediately wanting to prove her wrong." Taking up the challenge, Jed signed on as class president in 2001 with renewed determination. He personally phoned all 400 classmates to invite them back to campus, resulting in record-breaking attendance for a twenty-fifth reunion and unprecedented participation in the class reunion fund. Since then, he has served as class Friends of the President (FOP) chair , chair of the national FOP committee, and member of the campaign executive committee.
He has worked hard to promote the FOP program and to increase the number of alumni giving at the FOP level as well as to inculcate the importance of fundraising to the college's future. Says Jed, "If I have helped in any small measure to further the goals of the advancement team, I am satisfied."
Jed continues serving as a class agent volunteer and class FOP chair. And why? After reflecting a moment, he recalls returning to Skidmore for the first time since reconnecting as a volunteer: "It was one of those perfect Saratoga summer nights. A tremendous wave of nostalgia suddenly transported me back to that time 25 years ago when we were helping to build this place. I remembered how exciting it felt to be a part of that. I want to keep that feeling alive." Jed lives in New York City with his wife Paula, son Tate, and daughter Mariah.
Beverly Harrison Miller '67
Freelance book editor Beverly Harrison Miller '67 cherishes the written word. Among her collection of books are three shelves of course reading as an American studies major at Skidmore, which she still consults from time to time. Bev credits professors David Marcell, Erwin Levine, Henry Galant, and James Kettlewell, "giants at the time," for awakening her intellect through an interdisciplinary American studies major.
While building a clientele of publishing houses, Bev completed a master's in American studies from Fairfield University and raised a family: Brooke '99 and Noah (Dartmouth '03). She reconnected with her alma mater in 1982, when, after attending her 15th reunion, she signed up as class secretary and attended a volunteer weekend. She served in that role for seven years, something she found "fun and easy."
A wonderful reunion experience inspired Bev to press on. She jumped into the positions of class agent, fund chair, and eventually class president, a role in which she served from 1993-1999. Along the way, Bev volunteered as an admissions contact and chaired her 30th reunion in 1997.
A stint on the reunion giving program advisory committee led to her being tapped for the alumni association awards committee in the mid 1990s. She was elected to a three-year term as vice president of board relations in 1996. Her dedication and thoughtful leadership did not go unnoticed.
In 1999 Bev became president of the alumni board, simultaneously leading that body and serving as its representative to the board of trustees. Her work included participation in its nominating committee (including a sub-committee to study the honorary degree process), and the academic affairs, long-range planning, student life, and campaign planning committees. She was called upon to chair the alumni volunteer leadership task force in 2000, helping to coordinate its goals with those of the college's strategic plan.
Elected to a second three-year term as president in 2002, Bev continued guiding the board through the redesign and implementation of a new organizational structure and election process. During this time, she served on the search and inaugural committees for President Philip A. Glotzbach. She was the driving force behind the creation of the college's first alumni house. Dedicated in 2004, the Colton Alumni Welcome Center provides alumni of all eras a place to orient themselves and take advantage of campus amenities. The Beverly Harrison Miller '67 Conference Room was named in her honor. And recognition of commitment to Skidmore is visible elsewhere on campus. Bev arranged to have a room in the Scribner Library dedicated to four "extraordinary" people: husband, Wayne, children Noah and Brooke, and Bev's former professor, David Marcell.
Bev's alumni volunteer resume is remarkable not only for its depth of responsibility but also for the sheer volume of work. Happily for Skidmore, she doesn't intend to stop anytime soon.
Currently serving on the campaign executive committee, she is working to engage other former Alumni board members to promote Skidmore's campaign goals.
Bev considers her Skidmore years as a time of growth. "To say that the rest of my life has built on the Skidmore foundation is no exaggeration," she says.
The connection extends to Brooke, whose Skidmore experience mirrored her own. "It was wonderful to watch Brooke grow in so many ways," says Bev. A biology-psychology major and Periclean Scholar, Brooke is a postdoctoral neuroscience researcher at the Scripps Institute and this year's recipient of the International Mamalian Genome Society's Verne Chapman Young Scientist Award.
Bev and her husband, Wayne, a lawyer, live in Concord, MA.
Jill Richardson O'Brien '92
A former major gift officer at Fordham University, Jill Richardson O'Brien '92 has a passion for the liberal arts and an insider's view into advancing higher education. As a Skidmore student, she valued the breadth of the curriculum—she arrived expecting to pursue a degree in psychology but switched to art history because she "just loved the courses so much." That flexibility allowed her to move from a career in art sales to development, first as director of annual giving at St. Francis College and then as a major gift officer for Fordham's Business School. She completed an MBA at Fordham in 2003.
After she and husband Tom O'Brien '89 welcomed a son in 2004, Jill opted to be a stay-at-home mom. Her career as an alumna volunteer, however, has not skipped a beat. She signed on as class secretary a year after graduation, retaining that position until 1996, adding duties as club volunteer along the way. In 1998 she shifted to fundraising, serving as class agent, co-fund chair, and member of the reunion giving program advisory committee.
Her involvement deepened in 2001, when she was elected to a three-year term as chair of young-alumni giving on the alumni association board of directors. Her hard work and leadership produced new programs that helped young alumni become consistent donors, especially at the Friends of the Presidents (FOP) level. She also worked with staff to dramatically increase participation in the senior-class gift and coordinated outreach to young alumni on behalf of the annual fund and Friends of Skidmore Athletics.
In addition to serving on the national FOP committee, Jill spearheaded FOP fundraising for her tenth reunion in 2002. She and a team of class agents asked for reunion gifts that would establish annual fund scholarships in memory of classmates Sara Bennett and Chris Riggio. (Sara had died suddenly from a brain aneurysm at the age of 24, just as she was embarking on a promising career in journalism, and Christopher Riggio was working as a publicist for a nonprofit medical research institute when he lost his battle with lymphoma at 27.) The team held small pre-reunion dinners in Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City, challenging classmates to step up to the FOP level with gifts of $1,000 (the FOP scale for young alumni is $100 for each year since their graduation). Their diligence paid off: by the time Reunion '02 formally wrapped up, the Class of 1992 FOP membership had risen from four to twenty-two. The effort also set new college records, in both participation rate and total dollars raised, for a tenth-reunion class. For their 15th reunion this year, the class has again broken records in class scholarship fundraising.
A new memorial scholarship fund was created in honor of Sara, Chris, and Richard Hiller, who passed away in 2003. Currently serving as chair of class council, Jill brings the class volunteer perspective to alumni board conversations and decisions, and encourages class volunteers to communicate with each other. She has been working on updating volunteer support materials for class officers and reunion volunteers.
A legacy family member (she is the daughter of Jacqueline Watson Richardson '52), Jill says she "formed her closest friendships" at Skidmore. Jill, Tom, and 3-year-old Nathan Sullivan live in Ridgewood, NJ.
Carol Strickland'72
As managing director and chief of staff at U.S. Trust, a wealth management and private banking firm, Carol Strickland '72 knows a good investment when she sees one. A dedicated alumna volunteer, Carol has given her time and treasure not only in gratitude for the education that shaped her career but also for purely pragmatic reasons. She observes, "As awareness of the quality of a Skidmore degree grows, its value increases. From that perspective, it is an excellent investment."
Carol has been instrumental in strengthening that investment for years. Her involvement in fundraising on behalf of the college has been extensive. She has served as a reunion volunteer and Parents Council member (she is the mother of Ashley McGinnis '06) and was elected chair of the national Friends of the Presidents (FOP) committee on the alumni association board of directors from 2000 to 2003. During her term, Carol spearheaded several initiatives to introduce younger alumni to the concept of philanthropy. She is most proud of the introduction of a program that allowed donors to make monthly credit card payments towards a gift. The program made it easier for younger alumni to give more generously and reinforced the concept of maintaining a life long connection with the college.
Strickland says, "Young alumni are the future and we must figure out ways to connect and stay connected to them after they leave Skidmore." Carol believes that fostering that connection should begin long before graduation. She challenged the Class of 2006 by offering to match their senior gift to fund scholarships. During her speech to forty lead volunteers (including co-chair Ashley) at a kick-off event in Saratoga Springs, she drove home the idea that alumni benefit from staying involved as volunteers both professionally and personally and stressed the importance of passing along the opportunity to attend Skidmore to the next generation of students.
Providing scholarships to students who otherwise would not be able to attend Skidmore is a goal dear to her heart. Carol recalls, "I would not have been able to attend without that kind of help."
She has also provided career opportunities to Skidmore alumni. Her first assistant at U.S. Trust was a 1982 graduate who interned there during the winter term of her senior year. She was accepted into the U.S. Trust training program after graduation and the following year secured a permanent position on Carol's staff.
Carol continues to serve as a member of the national FOP committee as well as class FOP chair and class agent. "The old adage, you always get much more than you give, is certainly true of my experience as a Skidmore volunteer. I have met so many wonderful people and gotten to know members of my class who I did not know that well while we were in college. I am indebted to Skidmore for the doors it has opened for me and my family and it quite astonishing really to be rewarded for trying to repay my debt."
Carol is also on the board of the Paul Taylor Dance Company and director emeritus of Greenwich House, a preschool enrichment program for disadvantaged youth in New York City. She lives in Manhattan.