Editor’s Note: AAVC Transitions

The first was Pat Lichtenberg ’90, whose warmth, wisdom, and generosity made my early years at Vassar feel a little less daunting. She was a mentor in every sense of the word.

When Pat retired in 2015, Lisa Tessler took the reins as AAVC ED and Associate Vice President for Engagement. She brought renewed focus to connecting alums through clubs, classes, affinity groups, and careers. Then came COVID. Rather than allowing the pandemic to stall engagement, Lisa and her team reimagined it, creating a remarkable array of virtual programs that continue to thrive today. Most notably, she strengthened the AAVC Board and the Alum Recognition program, and led milestone celebrations, including the Alumnae House Centennial.

Now leadership in those areas passes to Willa Vincitore ’92, who has spent almost 34 years at the College, and appends this new role to her existing Associate Vice President for Engagement portfolio. In many ways, her appointment seems like a culmination. Having arrived as an Exploring Transfer student in the summer of 1989, and transferring to Vassar her junior year, Willa never got to experience four years as a Vassar student. She says, “To be honest, my initial reason for wanting to come to work at Vassar was because I wanted a little more time. I wasn’t done yet.”

She never imagined she would make a career here. “But it’s been a delight to work directly with more than 100 years of the lived experience of Vassar through our alums,” she reports. “I’ve had the privilege of working with volunteers as early as the Class of 1917, all the way up through our current student body. It has been an incredible experience to recognize a throughline over the more than 150 years AAVC has been around. Being restless change-agents and deeply invested people who care about other human beings—that’s the Vassar DNA. And I’m happy to be part of the family.”

These transitions coincide with a changing of the guard among AAVC presidents. Monica Vachher ’77 recently concluded her four-year term as AAVC President and Vassar Trustee, and Anne Green ’93 now steps into those roles. (See Anne’s thoughtful introduction to the community on page 58)

We’ll miss Monica and her steady leadership, though I have no doubt she’ll remain one of the College’s most enthusiastic champions. I look forward to working with Anne as she begins this next chapter of the AAVC. —Elizabeth Randolph