 Vernon
R. Alden ’45, P’78, P’81, P’87
Brookline, MA Dr. Vernon Alden , trustee emeritus, has
worked on behalf of Brown for many years in many capacities.
Dr. Alden served as a Fellow and is an emeritus member of
the Sports Foundation Board of Directors. The Brown corporation
and administration have benefited from his personal expertise
as an academic leader. He has been President of Ohio University
and Associate Dean of the Faculty at Harvard Business School.
Dr. Alden’s work on his 45th, 50th and 60th Reunion
Class Gifts Committee have ensured that his class always
meets or exceeds their gift goals.
The Sports Foundation and the Advisory Council on Athletics
have benefited from Dr.Alden’s keen interest in sports,
especially in the area of track and field. His recent endowment
of the Coaching Chair in Men’s and Women’s Track
& Field/Cross County is only the third endowed coaching
chair to be so endowed at Brown. This, and so many others,
are lasting gifts to Brown.
 Gail
McCann '75
North Attleboro, MA Gail McCann may be quiet in her
presentation, but her lively intelligence, broad insight,
and love for Brown have made her a highly valued volunteer
in dozens of Brown endeavors. There's a clear pattern: Gail
would volunteer for a "starter" role in any area
of activity, fellow volunteers and staff would be incredibly
impressed with the quality of her work, she would be asked
to take on a leadership role, and then an even more significant
role. Gail progressed in short order from BASC interviewer
to Area Chair and then Regional Director, from class gift
committee member to committee co-chair and member of the
Brown Annual Fund Executive Committee, and from Brown Alumni
Association board member to its elected President. In her
"spare" time, she also served on the Board of
the Brown Club of Rhode Island, as a phonothon caller, and
on the Pembroke Center Associates Council.
Along the way, Gail has left a legacy of accomplishment.
As chair of the Alumni Association's Student Alumni Relations
Committee, Gail was an early advocate for connecting alumni
and students around career questions, and continues as an
active ACCess volunteer to this day. In a period of very
tight University budgets, Gail's pioneering work on the
Brown Alumni Association credit card made it possible for
the BAA to increase its crucial support for alumni programs
and services.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Gail continues to serve
Brown actively, especially through her class, beginning
her second term as co-vice president this past May. Brown
looks forward to enjoying Gail's talents for many years
to come.
 Richard
A. Nurse ’61, P’88
New Brunswick, NJ
A longtime leader , Richard Nurse has worked
his way through numerous volunteer roles for Brown, always
taking a lead position. Dick has served as: Club President,
Class Officer, Brown Alumni Schools Committee leader and
recruiter. Dick has consistently offered creative ideas
for multicultural programs during his tenure on the Corporation
Committee of Minority Affairs, the Inman Page Black Alumni
Council Board of Governors and, most recently the Advisory
Council on Diversity. The Class of 1961 has also benefited
from Dick’s dedication to Brown. He has led his class
through many reunion cycles on both the activities and the
class gift campaigns committees. With his engaging personality
and his enthusiastic support for classmates and fellow alumni,
Dick is an “ever true” ambassador for Brown.
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 Joan
Wernig Sorensen ’72, P’06, P’06
Since her graduation from Brown University in 1972, Joan
Wernig Sorensen has demonstrated exemplary class leadership
as well as a deep commitment to the Brown Annual Fund.
From her early days as a class agent and phonathon volunteer,
Joan has been in the trenches promoting annual giving. Over
the years, she has led her class in numerous reunion giving
campaigns. Joan served for many years on the Brown Annual
Fund Executive Committee, and is now entering her fifth
year on the Brown Annual Fund Leadership Council.
Joan sees the big picture and takes action to motivate
others to join her in her visionary and proactive leadership.
Last winter, Joan was the inspirational creator of the “Grand
Challenge,” spearheading fundraising efforts for a
challenge that focused on the critical $1,000 benchmark.
This challenge in turn inspired over 3,327 alumni, parents
and friends to step forward with gifts at this level, an
8.2% increase over the previous year’s all time record.
Brown University is fortunate to have Joan’s consistent
and compelling focus on annual giving and the Brown Annual
Fund. Joan’s strong and many-faceted volunteer leadership
in addition to her terrific history with the Brown Annual
Fund have now led her to critical roles with the President’s
Leadership Council, the Women’s Leadership Council
and most recently as a Regional Vice Chair for the Campaign
for Academic Enrichment.
She is a worthy successor to Tony Ittleson and a wonderful
friend to Brown.
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