Dear Fellow Alumni,

A new year is often perceived as a time for change, and we on the Alumni Council are truly embracing this concept!  Internally, we've surpassed our own goals with the progress we've been making on our four committees.  Most notably, we've helped to positively impact the development efforts in Alumni giving campaigns, and we've launched three important awards recognizing outstanding MKA community members.

I'd especially like to thank all of the alumni who will attend our Winter Social tonight at the trendy TAO Downtown in New York City.  Click here to register if you would like to join us.

We are looking forward to Career Day in March, held at the Upper School, where alumni educate the current students on professional areas of interest.  March also brings our Alumni Regional Receptions, where we will be hosting alumni in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. We hope to see you there!

As we progress on this path of change and improvement, I ask that you join our movement and reconnect with MKA in a way that you may not have before.  I am so proud to represent a community of amazing people who are passionate about driving positive change. 

Best,
  
Jaclyn (Latzoni) Spedaliere '00
President,  MKA Alumni Association
Alumni Council Winter Social

Join us tonight,  Thursday, January 21st, for the Alumni Council Winter Social at New York City hot spot TAO Downtown, 6:30-8:30 p.m.   Click here to register.   

Alumni + Annual Giving + 13% = SUCCESS!

Our goal for alumni participation this year is 13% - we are currently at 10%.  We know that we can reach that goal by June 30th with your support. Thank you if you have already made your gift or pledge.   We are so grateful!  If you would like to make your pledge or donation today visit:   www.mka.org/giving,   

Have you ever wondered what your class participation is and how it compares to other classes?   Voila!  You can now find that information by  clicking here.  If you would like to help increase your class participation, please reach out to your classmates  via email, text, phone or social media.  Any amount is appreciated, it's your participation that counts!  Be one of the 13%!
Save the Date!  October 29-30  
Reunion and Homecoming Weekend 2016 

Reunion and Homecoming Weekend 2016, celebrating classes ending in '1 and '6, and the 50th reunion year classes of 1966 from The Kimberley School and Montclair Academy, will take place October 29-30All alumni are invited to participate in the weekend of celebrations.

Questions?  Contact Director of Alumni Relations Lois Montorio at  lmontorio@mka.org or 973-509-7939.
A lumni Night at Spring Musical

This year's spring musical is Nice Work if You Can Get It with performances scheduled on March 4th at 8:00 p.m., March 5th at 8:00 pm and March 6th at 2:00 p.m. in the Weiss Auditorium at the Upper School.

Tickets will be available on February 1st and sell out quickly! Email Nicole Hoppe to secure yours!  

If you attend the Saturday, March 5th performance, please stop by the Alumni refreshments area in the front of the Dining Hall for complimentary dessert.

MKA On the Road - March 30 and 31st
Washington D.C. and Philadelphia

Headmaster Tom Nammack and the Alumni Relations team will be visiting alumni in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, March 30th, and in Philadelphia on Thursday, March 31st. Please save the date and join us for an evening of cocktails and hearty hors d'oeuvres as you connect with MKA alumni and your alma mater.  


If you would like to host this event in your home or at a local venue, please contact Lois Montorio, Director of Alumni Relations, at lmontorio@mka.org or 973-509-7939.  

MKA May Term

One  of the graduation requirements for outgoing seniors is the completion of a May Term project.  May Term is MKA's final opportunity to design an educational experience for seniors. Its core ingredients reflect our highest aspirations for each graduating class.  The program offers them some of the freedom they will experience in the future, encourages them to pursue a passion or interest, asks them to take responsibility for their own learning, and implores them to engage with the world. 

May Term begins on May 2nd and ends June 3rd.   Students are seeking unpaid internships to try out a possible career path or to explore an area of interest related to their projected college major.

Please consider hosting an MKA senior for their May Term project.  For more information on the May Term program, click here,   and to volunteer, please contact Lois Montorio at  lmontorio@mka.org  or 973-509-7939. 

Alumni in the News

Congratulations to Isaiah Thompson '15 who performed a solo at a concert in Brooks Brothers on 44th street in midtown Manhattan on December 16th under the approving eyes of Wynton Marsalis.  Click here to watch.



Congratulations to Jenna Willis '04 who appeared in the January 20th episode of Criminal Minds.
Legacy Students - The Next Generation of Alumni

Congratulations to MKA senior and glassblower Hannah Kramer, daughter of Larry Kramer '78, niece of Andrew Kramer '80 an granddaughter of George Kramer '54. Hannah has earned 
national  recognition as a winner in the prestigious YoungArts Foundation (formerly known as the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts) competition. She will be invited to participate in one of three Natio nal YoungArts regional programs from February through  April 2016.  

Click here to read more about Hannah's recognition.
Alumni Fall Events Recap 

ALUMNI HOCKEY GAME and ALUMNI AL REHUS BASKETBALL GAME :  
The MKA annual Alumni Hockey and Al Rehus Basketball Games were played on Friday, November 27th, at Clary Anderson Arena and MKA's US Gymnasium, respectively.  A post-game reception was held at Upstairs at Tierney's.











MKA NETWORKING EVENT:   The Alumni Association held its Alumni  Networking Event on Thursday, December 3rd, at  the iHeartMedia Corporate Headquarters in New York City.  Owen Grover '91 , Senior Vice President and General Manager of iHeartRadio, and one of four featured alumni speakers, generously provided the state-of-the-art venue.  

J oining Owen Grover were Karen Sullivan '80 , Executive Sales Director of Dr. Oz The Good Life Magazine, Alfredo Bequillard '93 , Director at Lazard Freres & Co., and Lisa Gittleman '93,  Senior Recruiter and Marketing Manager at The Woods Group, an executive search firm.   We are so grateful to our alumni speakers and all who attended to make this evening such a success!



COLLEGE ALUMNI WINTER LUNCHEON:  

College alumni home on winter break visited the Upper School campus on Wednesday, January 6th, for a luncheon hosted by the Alumni Relations team, visited with faculty and friends, and even got to sneak a peek at the new Academic Center.




Alumni Association Awards Committee

Montclair Kimberley Academy follows the lives and proudly celebrates the accomplishments of its alumni. Two awards specifically honor outstanding alumni achievement. The annual Distinguished Alumni Award bestows recognition for outstanding achievement, and the Athletic Hall of Fame Award is given every other year to an individual, team or coach who has brought distinction to the school through excellence in athletics. 

In addition, the Founders' Cup Award is sponsored by the Alumni Association in recognition of MKA's strong tradition of teaching excellence dating back to 1887. The award will be presented to an outstanding faculty member who is most representative of the best qualities of MKA teaching. 

The Alumni Association also oversees the Honorary Alumni Award which honors an employee of the school who has served MKA for 10 or more years in any capacity. Nominees can be teachers, administrators, custodians - anyone who has made the kind of mark on MKA that unquestionably deserves merit and recognition.  

The Awards Committee of the Alumni Council, chaired by Brittany Berckes '06, welcomes your participation in nominating candidates for these awards. Nominations are accepted year-round.  Please CLICK HERE for criteria, past recipients and nomination forms.  Thank you for your assistance.

Join Us On The Alumni Council 

We are so grateful to the alumni volunteers who generously donate their time to serve on the Alumni Council, and we invite you to consider becoming a member beginning July 1, 2016.  The Alumni Council meets five times during the school year. Members serve two- year terms (up to three consecutive) and work on any one of four committees: Development, Social and Networking, Awards and Nominating.  This is an exciting time to join the Council, and we hope you will volunteer.  Please contact lmontorio@mka.org for more information and to place your name on the ballot of new members.  
We Miss You!

Don't Miss Out ...on important Alumni information!

MKA needs your help to ensure that our database has the most up-to-date information about our alumni.  Addresses, phone numbers and emails change every day and many people simply forget to let us know.  Nothing is more frustrating than missing out on reunion information or invitations to regional alumni events.  This will be especially true for alumni of years ending in 1 or 6...Your reunion is October 29, 2016.

Be the first person in your class to know!  CLICK HERE to stay in touch,  or call Debbie Allen in the Alumni Office at 973-509-7941 to update your contact information.  It only takes a minute!  
Mark your calendar!
Don't miss these upcoming events...

 

January 21 - Alumni Council Winter Social at TAO Downtown, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

March 30 - Regional Reception - Washington, D.C., location tbd

March 31 - Regional Reception - Philadelphia - location tbd

Questions?
Please contact Alumni Director  Lois Montorio  
by email or by phone at 973-509-7939.