January 2005

A Good New Year to All Florida Stephens Alumnae.

Just over a year ago, I wrote to let you know of our new Stephens President, Dr. Wendy Libby, and our new Central Florida Alumnae Club, as well as our hopes to grow our alumnae club to other areas of the state. With Wendy's presence on campus, we've seen dramatic improvements in morale, enrollment, nearly a doubling of annual fund gifts compared to this time last year, and 50% up in applications to the college. In the words of Wendy herself, "What an exciting, transforming place to be and a very good time to be in the middle of the vortex!"

Our first Central Florida Club gathering in December 2003 brought together alumnae in the Tampa Bay Area. In March, Dr. Wendy Libby and her husband Richard visited Naples, with alumnae from southwest Florida joining her at that luncheon, In May, we held our First Annual Myakka Park Potluck in the Sarasota/Bradenton area and filled a pavilion at the park! Through the efforts of several in the group, we've called some 500 alumnae in the Tampa Bay and surrounding area to invite them to be part of our alumnae club - but there are over a thousand more of you to reach!!

Our calendar for 2005 includes a variety of gatherings. We invite you to join from any part of the state. We'd like to include as many of you as possible in our e-mailing list. Please send us your e-mail at joyfulnoise@earthlink.net to be updated regarding our events. If you do not have e-mail, please call Joy at 727-785-4568 to join the roster for the group. The sheer size of our state alumnae base has made it challenging for us to phone so many. Help us out by calling us to say you'd like us to contact you when we have our events.

We're so excited to announce that Dr. Wendy Libby will once again visit Florida, first in Orlando on February 16th, then in the Tampa Bay area on February 17th. You must not miss this opportunity to meet this amazing, dynamic woman who is single-handedly transforming life on the campus and the future of the college.

• Please join us for an ORLANDO reception to meet and greet Dr. Wendy Libby, Wednesday, February 16, at 5:00 p.m. This event will be held at the home of Pat Johnson Schwartz, '51, 500 Melrose Ave. Winter Park, FL 32789. RSVP to Shannon Watkins at 573-876-7110 or swatkins@stephens.edu (Orlando/Kissimmee/Lakeland areas)
  
  
• and a TAMPA BAY AREA reception to meet and greet Dr. Wendy Libby, Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 7 p.m at the home of Joy Katzen-Guthrie, '80, 2487 Indian Trails, East, in Palm Harbor, FL 34683 (north Pinellas County/Clearwater-Tarpon Springs/Tampa Bay areas). Please RSVP at 573-876-7110 or swatkins@stephens.edu.

Mark your calendars for the following Florida Alumnae events for the 2005 year. For information on all events and to RSVP, email joyfulnoise@earthlink.net or call Joy at 727-785-4568.

Please note that we do not currently have dues for this group. Meals out are ordered by you directly. Entrance fees/costs will be announced for you to cover individually. For home/park gatherings, we'll suggest a donation to the host to cover food/supply costs.

• Sunday, March 20th, 12:30 p.m., lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. Following lunch, we'll visit the newly-opened Columbia Centennial museum that houses a magnificent collection of one-of-a-kind artifacts, furniture, and documents from the family's history in Europe, Spain, Cuba, and Mexico ($4.95 per person museum entrance fee). (East Tampa Bay area, http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/anniversarydetails.asp?newsid=76)
  
  
• Stephens Reunion, April 7-9, 2005. Many of us from Florida will be attending this outstanding weekend, which includes the first ever all-alumnae Stephens Performing Arts Reunion. Make plans to join classmates and other Florida alumnae at this event!
  
  
• Sat., May 7th, noon, Second Annual Myakka River State Park Potluck Lunch. 13207 State Road 72, Sarasota, 941-361-6511. Bring your moms in honor of Mothers Day, bring families and friends, bring food, and enjoy a beautiful day at Myakka Park. (Park entrance fee $5 per vehicle (2-8 people). Suggested donation for pavilion rental: $4). (Sarasota/Bradenton areas, http://www.myakkariver.org/)
  
  
• Sun., July 3rd, 1:00 p.m.: Sundance Independence Sunday at the home of Sarah Greenlee, '99, at Sundance Marina. We'll celebrate with a cookout & visit to the nearby canoe outpost for canoeing on the Little Manatee River. Sarah lives 8 miles south of Sun City Center. (Canoe rental cost TBA) (Sun City Center/South Tampa/Bradenton/Sarasota areas)
  
  
• Sat., Sept. 24th, 4-7 p.m., Wine & hors d'oeuvres meet-and-greet at the home of Carol Rose Munson, '76, in Lutz (north Tampa). 813-926-7088. (North Tampa/Land O' Lakes/Ocala areas)
  
  
• Sat., Dec. 3rd: Holiday Dali-Day in Downtown St. Petersburg. At 10 a.m., we'll meet for our own tour (10;30 a.m.) of the constantly-evolving Dali Museum (currently $12 pp for groups of 10, $10 seniors, $5 students), then enjoy lunch together at the charming Moon Under Water Restaurant, 332 Beach Drive, NE, overlooking the St. Petersburg waterfront. After lunch, we'll shop and sightsee along Beach Drive and Baywalk downtown for some early holiday ideas and some fun together. (South St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay/Bradenton areas)

Our Florida club is a community of alumnae, friends, prospective students, and supporters of the college. We want you to be a part of it. If you would like to gather a carpool or travel together from other areas of the state, or if you would like to create an alumnae group in your area, please contact us and we'll put you in touch with other alumnae from your community. Please share your ideas, advice, creativity, talents. We're looking forward to seeing you in February with Dr. Libby's visit, and at all future Central Florida Alumnae club gatherings.

Acting Central Florida Club Coordinators

Joy Katzen-Guthrie, '80 Palm Harbor (Tampa Bay Region) Music/Broadcast Communications (727) 785-4568 * (727) 772-0178 FAX joyfulnoise@earthlink.net	Sarah Greenlee Schweiger, '99 Tampa Bay Region Mass Communication/Graphic Design
Floy Edna Leuenberger, '57/'73 Ocala/Villages Region	Linda Schwartz Barressi, '77 Orlando/Lakeland Region

 

Continue to stroll through our Florida alumnae pages and enjoy photos of our First Annual Myakka River Park Picnic from May 2004.

Joy Katzen-Guthrie, '80
Class Agent, Stephens Alumnae Class of '80