Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California
2020-2021 Board of Directors
Co-President Steph moved to the Bay Area right after graduating from Mount Holyoke with a degree in Italian Studies, Psychology, and an 'unofficial minor' in Studio Art. She is a Product Designer by day and a ceramicist by night. Originally from Miami, Steph hopes to foster a vibrant MHC alum community in the Bay. Check out her ceramics on Instagram at @stephmakesceramics. | |
Co-President Hannah is thrilled to be a part of the NorCal board. She has served as Secretary & Newsletter Editor, Membership Chair, Vice President, and looks forward to meeting and connecting with even more local alums during her second year as Co-President. A freelance writer with an MFA in Creative Writing, Hannah works on most of her projects late at night when her two young daughters are in bed. When she’s not writing, you might find Hannah reading, packing bento box lunches for her kids, and adventuring around the Bay Area. | |
Vice President Elena is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley’s DCRP, and she is passionate about getting more people on public transit - particularly, the bus. She graduated from MHC in 2015, having majored in History and minored in Development, through the Nexus Program. Prior to grad school, she worked as a paralegal at a law firm that structured financing for affordable housing and community development projects. Through the end of May 2020, Elena served on her class board continuously since her sophomore year as Secretary and Scribe. She cares about Mount Holyoke and believes in what it can be in the future. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, drinking wine, and getting emotional about poetry. She enjoys exploring the singular NorCal great outdoors. | |
Treasurer Pauline has 20+ years in Banking, plus 6 years in Healthcare as an Internal Auditor which transitions nicely into the role of Treasurer. Pauline has participated in MHC events over the years, however, this year she wants to do more than participate. Pauline wishes to help the Club in any way and connect more with the growing MHC alum and student population in the Bay Area. In her spare time, she loves to read, cook, travel, and try new restaurants. | |
Membership Co-Chair Marija Vulfs was an architecture major and philosophy minor at Mount Holyoke. She was on the Mount Holyoke College Dressage Team and continues to be devoted to horses. After being a professional dressage trainer for many years, Marija moved to SF where she has been involved with administration and marketing. Marija enjoys going to farmers markets, throwing dinner parties, and gardening. As Membership Chair, she looks forward to engaging with new and returning members to discover how the club can best support them. | |
Membership Co-Chair The Northern California alum region is unique in that we have a diverse group of alums, spanning different class years, careers, and experiences. Emily’s intention is to position the NorCal Club as a prominent resource and network for recent alums and alums new to the area. She will draw connections between newer and more tenured members, create an inclusive environment, and a group that can effectively serve multiple purposes (social, mentoring, networking, etc). As Mount Holyoke thrives on its community, Emily’s goal is to replicate and uphold that sense of belonging, even though we're not on campus anymore. | |
Communications Chair (partial term) Bene is a newcomer to the Bay, by way of New Orleans and Boston, and is excited to connect and give back to the local MHC community. Professionally she is a UX Content Strategist at Google, but you’re more likely to find her outside at the beach, traveling to see friends, or trying out new restaurants. As Communications Chair, she is driven to connect more alums in the Bay with the Club, to encourage others to attend upcoming events, and to give back to the community we care so deeply about. | |
Recent Alum Chair Vickie believes engaging with recent alums is crucial. Early engagement helps maintain our connection with the college, builds stronger community, and helps bridge the gap between recent and older alums. After graduating and moving to the Bay, this club was Vickie’s first introduction to the community here. She formed relationships with recent alums that she never crossed paths with while at Mount Holyoke and has enjoyed the events where she has connected with older alums as well. She is grateful for this group and most grateful for getting involved early. As the Recent Alum Chair, she will prioritize planning events that cater to varying personalities and ensure recent alums feel supported during their college to post-graduation transition. She wants to help maintain a strong sense of community for recent alums and help the club grow its capacity. | |
General Board Member & Alum Association Liaison Eleanor has been passionate about supporting Mt. Holyoke for over 30 years. She has served as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees as well as co-chaired the inaugural Asian Alum Symposium in Hong Kong. She was the membership chair of the Northern California Club, a member of the SF Major Gifts Committee, the Alumnae Trustee & Awards Committee, the Asian Scholarship Nucleus Committee, and the Global Strategy Task Force. Eleanor is a retired banker and received her MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University. | |
General Board Member & East Bay AAR Hannah attended Mount Holyoke at the urging of her aunt Onie Bussey ’84 and is eternally grateful for the bond of their shared alma mater. Post graduation she moved back home to the Bay Area to work as a program manager at a college access nonprofit. She was involved with the club as a member starting in 2009 and joined the board 4 years ago as the admissions liaison. | |
General Board Member Sarah is excited to return to the Board to engage and support our diverse community in Northern California. Previously, Sarah has served on the Board as Co-President and as Membership Chair, and delighted in organizing the occasional Mount Holyoke dinner while living in Beijing. As a Recruiting and Operations consultant, Sarah partners with Beijing and San Francisco-based organizations on their talent, community engagement, and fundraising initiatives. | |
General Board Member (partial term) Amy is eager to get more involved to support Mt. Holyoke. She has hosted the Bay Area admitted students reception for the last two years and the experience of meeting the talented young women and a myriad of local alumnae sparked a desire to get more involved in alumnae and college activities. A graduate of the MHC class of 1989, Amy also holds an MA in political philosophy from the University of Essex (United Kingdom). She has a 20+ year career in the healthcare sector and has lead strategic consulting organizations for a variety of technology and consulting companies (IBM, Philips, Booz Allen Hamilton). Amy also led government affairs for Kaiser Permanente and previously served in lobbying and policy roles in Washington DC. |
