Class Note 1981
It’s hard to believe that five years have passed since our 25th reunion when I took on this role of co-secretary with Abner Oakes. As I look forward to seeing many of you at our 30th reunion around the time this, my last column, hits your mailboxes, I am grateful for the privileges of the job. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with old friends while getting to know classmates I’d never met before. Thank you for trusting me to share personal stories such as these:
Marc Chabot has been teaching science at Thetford Academy in Thetford, Vermont, for 15 years. A Thetford parent shared the news that the robotics team he formed this past January recently placed fourth in the Vex Robotics world championship in Orlando, Florida. As Marc notes, “We went from coming in dead last in our first meet to reaching the finals in the next three. At the final meet we qualified for the championship event. The Thetford community rallied around us, and we raised the funds to send the team to Orlando in just a week.” Out of the 104 teams in their division, Thetford finished the qualifying rounds in fourth place, but lost in the elimination rounds. In addition to his robotics team success Marc is one of 50 science teachers nationwide recently awarded a Siemens STEM Institute Fellowship to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics this summer in Washington, D.C. Marc and his partner, Cindy Perry, live in Thetford Center, Vermont, and have four adult children.
Doug Graham lives in Birmingham, Michigan, with his wife, Janet. Doug writes, “Janet is a very successful real estate agent in the Birmingham-Bloomfield Hills area. I work in the private equity and venture capital world.” Doug is chairman and CEO of Detroit Technology Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Bloomfield Hills that specializes in early stage, development, distressed situations and growth capital investments. As Doug notes, “We are currently looking at relocating out of Michigan, preferably to the West Coast. I would love to move to San Francisco or Palo Alto if the opportunity is right! We both love the area and find the environment surrounding the university stimulating!”
Mary Lauzon Long lives right here in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Mary is a part-time anesthesiologist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where her husband, Jack Long ’79, is a urologist. Mary and I caught up recently while riding the exercise bikes at our local gym. As the parent of a high school freshman, I appreciated Mary’s willingness to share some “words of wisdom” gained from her experience in navigating the local high school experience with her kids. Oldest daughter Katie, a senior, will be going to Bucknell in the fall and oldest son Stephen, is a junior at Wellesley High. Younger sons Brian, in eighth grade, and Matthew, in fifth grade, round out the Long household.
In the midst of writing this column I received the exciting news that our own Laurel Richie has been appointed president of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). When I contacted her, Laurel said, “I am really excited about joining the WNBA—these women are amazing athletes and role models for young girls. I hope to see ’81s and their families at the games!” Laurel comes to the WNBA from Girl Scouts of the USA, where she was chief marketing officer. She has received a number of awards during her career and earlier this year was named one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business by The Network Journal.
Again, thanks for sharing the stories of your lives. Abner’s last column will feature the reunion. Hope to see you there. Cheers!
—Julie Koeninger, 2 Wilson St., Wellesley, MA 02482; jkoeninger@comcast.net; Abner Oakes, 4807 Dover Road, Bethesda, MD 20816-1772; aoakes4@gmail.com
