More than 80 alumnae gathered on June 6 to raise a glass to outgoing Marymount College Alumnae Board leaders Samantha MacInnis, MC ’00, and Julene Caulfield, MC ’02, and welcome three new members of the executive committee—Paula Mahayosnand, MC ’93, Michelle McAllister, MC ’96, and Heather McWilliam, MC ’88.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, addressed the group to open the reception, and in her own remarks, MacInnis referred to Marie Joseph Butler, R.S.H.M., who founded the women’s college in Tarrytown, New York, in 1907.
“As Mother Butler said, ‘The world has never needed women’s intelligence and sympathy more than it does today,’” MacInnis, the outgoing board president, told the group. “I’m proud to have been part of continuing this tradition.”
Mahayosnand, who succeeds MacInnis as board president, also cited the legacy of Mother Butler.
“Today, together, we are bonded by Marymount yet come from diverse backgrounds,” Mahayosnand said. “Father McShane often refers to Marymount women as storytellers. As a community, we are vocal, and from these stories, we are able to share in the rich history of what it means to be a Marymount woman and the importance of continuing the legacy of Mother Butler.”
The reception also honored the three recipients of the alumnae board’s annual awards.
Ottilie Droggitis, MC ’78, won the Gloria Gaines Memorial Award, the alumnae board’s highest honor, in recognition of her service to her church, her community, and Marymount. She has served on the Marymount Alumnae Board since 2016 and been an alumnae class agent for many years. She has worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and as a teacher for the Montgomery County Public School System in Maryland. She is also an avid volunteer in her community, having served on the Capitol Hill Hospital Women’s Auxiliary Board and on the board of the Walter Johnson High School Education Foundation.
Carmen Garver, MC ’85, won the Alumna of Achievement Award. After a 15-year career in therapeutic intervention, clinical administration, and health education, in 2004 she and her husband, Bob, founded Wicked Joe Organic Coffees, Bard Coffee, and Wicked Leaf Organic Teas. Carmen and Bob were recognized in 2017 as Maine’s Small Business Leaders of the Year.
Jean Wynn, MC ’80, won the Golden Dome Award in recognition of her efforts to advance the Marymount community. Her background in strategic account management and international banking spans the U.S., Asia Pacific, and Europe. She retired in March as a managing director at BNY Mellon, where she had spent her entire career after graduating from Marymount in 1980. She was a founding member of BNY Mellon’s Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) and the Wall Street Women’s Alliance. She served for two terms as the vice president of the Marymount Alumnae Board; is a consistent donor to the Marymount Legacy Fund, an endowed scholarship fund that supports women students who carry on the Marymount tradition at Fordham; and is a member of the Fordham President’s Council and Parents’ Leadership Council. She has also been an active participant and supporter of the Fordham’s annual Women’s Summit.
