Alumni Board, Committees, and Staff
In May our newest members were elected to the Alumni Association Board. We wish to congratulate all of those who have accepted their nomination to the board.
Board of Governors
Dawn Burns Potosky ’80 is a professional photographer. She has served on the scholarships and events committees and is currently the Association President.
Anita Neal Powell ’79 is president and CEO of the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation. She is an author of several publications on local history and served on the Rockville Historic District Commission, which conferred historic status on Carver Junior College, a sister institution to Montgomery College that operated in the 1950s. She has chaired the Association’s bylaws and nominating committees and is currently chair of the executive committee. She is the Association’s First Vice President.
Dr. Gwendolyn C. Dorsey ’76 has served as a volunteer mentor, team liaison, and committee member for the Association’s alumni mentoring program. She is co-chair of the mentoring committee and the Association’s Second Vice President.
Jon Pointer ’89 has been a swimming pool manager in Germantown and adjunct faculty member for a number of years. He has led the Association’s finance and executive committees and is the Association’s Immediate Past President.
Remy Alvarez ’15 is a recent graduate of Towson University. She has volunteered at the Dogfish Head Alehouse fundraiser and is chair of the Association’s scholarships committee.
Upneet Atwal ’16 has worked at the Montgomery County Council and the Montgomery County Planning Department. He was a member of the Presidential Search Advisory Team. He serves on the Association’s mentoring committee, working to help current MC students achieve their professional and personal goals.
Lumnwi Audrey Awasom ’16 is the founder and CEO of Noble Uprising, a nonprofit that empowers women overcoming homelessness in the community with career development resources. She has chaired the Alumni Association’s mentoring and marketing committees, and she recently led the formation of an ACES alumni chapter.
Carole S. Carlson ’94 is manager of accounting at Rights and Resources in Washington. She is a past president of the Association.
Richard Beall ’71 is retired from higher education, where he served in the area of career services for over 25 years and became vice president for external relations. He is a past president of the Association and served as the first chair of its mentoring program. He has also served on the scholarships committee and guided a new-member engagement project for the Board of Governors.
Liz Brandenburg ’08 retired from Montgomery College as biology lab coordinator in 2014 after 45 years at the College and 15 years as president of the AFSCME local staff union. She has chaired the Association’s mentoring and legislative committees.
Stephen Campanella ’76 retired as a master carpenter in the Theatre Arts program at Rockville. He has served on the Association’s nominating committee.
Maureen F. Feely-Kohl ’86 staffed the Takoma Park/Silver Spring art department until her retirement in 2017. She has chaired the Association’s nominating committee and supported the Mobile Masterpieces fund-raiser, and she currently serves on the events committee.
Leila Gilbert-Rivera ’19 completed her MC studies as a Hillman Entrepreneurs student. She transferred to the University of Maryland for her bachelor’s degree in marketing. She has been active on the promotions team for the Association’s Dogfishing for MC Scholarships fundraiser, and she has chaired the marketing committee.
Dr. Susan Hendricks ’87 is a retired associate professor and unit and professional development school coordinator for the University of Maryland’s College of Education art education undergraduate and graduate programs. She is a past chair of the Association’s mentoring committee and has volunteered with many other Association projects, including Dogfishing for MC Scholarships.
Michael W. Jones ’85 is a senior graphic specialist for BLN24, Inc., under contract with the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has chaired the Association’s nominating and marketing committees and developed promotions for the #dogfishing4MC fund-raiser.
Maureen Jones ’94 studied at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Rockville Campuses, earning a degree in Paralegal / General Studies. She is a volunteer with the events committee, assisting with the #dogfishing4MC fundraiser.
Beri Kari-Fonge ’05 is a nursing instructor for the College’s Workforce Development and Continuing Education program for LPNs and RNs, and is active in promoting the Association’s Nursing Chapter among her fellow nursing alumni. She serves on the mentoring committee and is the Nursing Chapter’s liaison to the Board of Governors.
Patrick Monnig ’23 recently completed his Montgomery College studies and attends the University of Maryland Global Campus. He is a volunteer with the Association’s events committee, assisting with the #dogfishing4MC fundraiser.
Genevieve Montgomery ’13 is Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving for The Catholic University of America. She has volunteered in the Alumni Office, and has assisted in outreach to members for project planning. She is the chair of the Association’s legislative committee.
Bryan N. Phukan ’05 is a microcomputer technician pursuing a degree in wireless technology at Washington Adventist University. While studying at the Germantown campus, he was president of the Student Senate, and of the Sleep Apnea and Computer clubs.
Kim Potter ’93, ’17 is a digital learning center specialist at the College. She has acted as both chair and vice-chair of the Alumni Association’s scholarships committee.
Timothy Pulliam ’90 is a senior executive at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, leading their Division of Facilities and Security. He has chaired the Association’s mentoring committee, pairing alumni volunteers with current students to enhance their learning environment.
Cara Santucci ’16 is the director of outreach at GO Church and CEO/founder of Glüe. She leads the student recruitment effort for the Association’s mentoring program. She is also chair of the Association’s marketing committee.
Lori A. Thomas ’99 is a retired weight loss coach and staff aide for the George B. Thomas Learning Academy. She has led Association projects including the Dogfish Head Alehouse and Springfield Manor fundraisers, and is a past president of the Association. She chairs the events committee.
Patrick Sasu Jr. ‘23 is majoring in communications, with a minor in technology entrepreneurship, at the University of Maryland. He served as an MC Votes Ambassador and has successfully advocated for on-campus ballot box sites at the College.
Alona Hapey ‘18 graduated with a M.S. in Business Management and Marketing Analytics (BMMA) from the University of Maryland Robert H. School of Business in ’22. She specializes in Marketing Research, Digital Marketing, Data Analytics, and Product Management. As an active member of the Alumni Association’s marketing committee, she provides strategic guidance and collaborates with board members on fundraising and community outreach initiatives.
Suzanne Thompson ’82 is a retired financial aid administrator for Capitol Technology University. She has served on several Association committees and projects, including programming projects, events, and mentoring.
Dr. Lucy Vitaliti ’77 is a student-life professional focusing on service learning opportunities at Montgomery College. She is a past president of the Association and supported the Leggett Legacy Forward event in Fall 2018. She has served as the Board of Governors’ liaison to alumni chapter organizations.
Pricilla Walker ’03 is an administrative aide in the visual arts department at Takoma Park/Silver Spring. She has been a staff sponsor of the Africa Club and has worked on Staff Appreciation Day. She serves on the Association’s scholarships committee and previously served as its chair.
Association Committees
Mentoring
The Mentoring committee provides guidance and support to our students in achieving their academic and professional aspirations. Alumni mentors are selected and matched with mentees based on the criteria assessed in their interest form. Both student and alumni participants are able to learn from the experience and grow as professionals. Email the Alumni Office if you would like more information on the mentoring committee.
Programs
The Program committee consists of several subcommittees and plan the major events that are hosted by the Alumni Association. These include Alumni Awards, community and chapter events/meetings, and Commencement activities. Email the Alumni Office if you would like more information on the program committee.
Scholarships
The Scholarships committee is responsible for identifying students to receive Association-managed scholarships. Once applications are received, the committee reviews them to make recommendations to the Board for approval. Email the Alumni Office if you would like more information on the scholarships committee.
The awards committee works to identify and recommend candidates for the Milton F. Clogg Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award, the Rising Star Young Alumni Recognition Award, along with new members of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Past athletic and alumni honorees are encouraged to serve on this committee.
The bylaws committee reviews governing documents of the Association and Board. Reviews occur at least once every four years.
The finance committee makes recommendations to the Board regarding policies relating to the financial management of the Association and formulates the budget. The committee reviews financials for the Association and ensures compliance with disclosure requirements.
The legislative committee coordinates alumni advocacy efforts on behalf of the Association.
The marketing committee coordinates the Association’s public awareness campaign. These efforts include communications, membership benefits, outreach to recent alumni and current students as well as social media.
The nominating committee identifies and facilitates the recruitment of qualified candidates willing to serve on the Board. The committee also recommends for Board approval an Association member to serve on the Citizens’ Nominating committee for members of the Board of Trustees.
Staff
Steve Robinson, '09, Alumni Director, is a proud alumnus of MC and a lifelong resident of Montgomery County. With over eight years of experience in development, communications, and community engagement, Steve is dedicated to fostering strong connections within the MC alumni community. He is responsible for creating and implementing a strategic alumni engagement program designed to deepen alumni involvement, resulting in increased volunteerism, financial support, and enhanced connectedness.
Ezra Pine, Alumni Specialist, brings a wealth of experience and a deep-rooted passion for our community. Ezra grew up in Montgomery County and is a proud graduate of Grinnell College. His professional journey began at the Montgomery County Council, where he served as a Legislative Aide, gaining several years of invaluable experience in community engagement. He is responsible for developing and executing communication and programming strategies with alumni, as well as fostering their connection and involvement with Montgomery College.