71 Serves

Archive of Issues
January 2025 - August 2025

Our Class is stocked with talented people who have made significant contributions both during their professional careers as well as post-career endeavors. In the run up to our 55th Reunion in 2026, this monthly newsletter is featuring a sample of the interesting, and in some cases. unusual, volunteer activities where members of the Class are currently involved and making an impact on their community.

Hopefully, this “71 Serves” project will act as a catalyst for classmates with like interests to collaborate. You may even find an idea that you’d like to pursue yourself!  At the very least, it is a chance to catch up on what classmates are doing as we scale back on busy careers. Please contact me at hammbrook@aol.com and let me know what volunteer project you find gratifying so we can catalog 1971’s efforts. As one can see, it doesn’t take a lot of effort or a burdensome number of hours to have a meaningful impact. As we often said back in our undergraduate days, “think globally, act locally.“ Jeff Hammond '71, Reunion Chair

Scott Alexander – A self-described “serial Board chair,” Scott has been on various not-for-profit boards since the 1970’s. After moving to Florida in 2008, he was solicited by a friend and joined the Indian River Land Trust. Their mission is to protect environmentally sensitive lands and watersheds and to help develop open space into parks by partnering with the county. His role as vice-chair of the Trust consumes 10-12 hrs/month but is “worth my time” advocating for other organizations “to see the issues.” The end result is seeing “the positive impact on the community.” 

Bill Armiger – A chemical engineering major in our Princeton days, Bill is heading up an environmental-focused start up while most of the Class is phasing down. Despite that time commitment, he devotes 4 hours a month to his church’s Committee on Social Justice. For the past 3 years that has included researching slavery as part of a racism project to participating in a “soul kitchen” once a week. Recognizing that “we won the lottery the day we were born,” he felt the need to “fight for human rights of all people.” As he puts it, by helping even one person at a time, “you’ll feel a hell of a lot better.”

Jim Bright – Jim was introduced to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History through a co-worker at his law firm and a client. Fast forward 10 years, he is on the Board and Chair of the endowment committee. Board meetings and work are only about 3hrs/month but they must be highly efficient and effective as they have raised $150M to renovate buildings and exhibits. In supporting “a lot of great programs,” he takes pleasure in “working to see it come to life.”

Chuck Brodbeck – A passionate Pittsburgher, Chuck has been involved with the UPitt hospital’s Eye and Ear Foundation for over two decades. Initially intrigued “hearing about amazing science and technology” being undertaken at the hospital in the departments of ophthalmology and otolaryngology, he had leveraged his background in municipal finance and real estate law to assist with fund raising and investing. Now the chairperson, he uses the 7-9 meetings/year to support programs that “serve people who have significant needs.” To help do that, they recently created a community outreach committee with the purpose to reach underserved populations.

Ned Claxton – Ned has volunteered over the past 5 years for the Stanton Bird Club sanctuary. Affiliated with Bates College in Maine, the sanctuary comprises 450 acres. For the past two years Ned devotes approximately 20 hours per month as the volunteer coordinator, arranging for the 5-15 volunteers who maintain the over 5 miles of trails at this “amazing piece of greenery used by hundreds of people each day.” While he is not a birder himself, this provides him “a great excuse to be outdoors,” and it is “fun to see students and young families explore the woods.”

Skip Collins – Skip’s entry in our 50th Reunion yearbook modestly stated his hobby is “fixing things.” That might be a bit of an understatement as he has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since 2010 and has help build over 125 houses. Following in his father’s footsteps (who was the go-to repair man for the neighborhood), Skip is now a crew leader and spends 1 day a week with Habitat. He’s found that “you can make people happy by fixing things” and it is “satisfying working alongside a future owner,” teaching someone with little or no building skills how to use a tool.

Bill Haning – A still active psychiatrist, Bill not only does pro bono patient care but has a mentoring program at his former high school in Hawaii for students interested in health care but not on the MD pathway. He spends approximately 8 hrs/month using problem-based learning scenarios to mentor students, generally in the sophomore year, in pursuing alternative careers in medicine. For Bill, it is a way of paying back his own experience with a guidance counselor that was initiated by a career day event. While “trust is not easily acquired” he and his mentees eventually explore their ambitions.

Laird Hayes – Among his many community activities, Laird is also involved in mentoring students. For 25 years he has run a program for juniors at Newport Harbor High School. Started by a teacher’s wife, the students are all volunteers for a “class” on life skills. Laird has developed a lesson plan for the interaction and the kids have assignments. The time commitment is 6-10 hrs/month during which he is able to “give a piece of me that they may find one or two things that make their lives a little better or easier.”

Peter Heyl – Although not a pilot himself, Peter became intrigued by the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, which he learned about by word of mouth. As a docent for the past year, he points out highlights of the museum to patrons (most popular: the flight simulator). He spends about 6 hours a month at a “lively place” that helps support the community through promoting tourism. His gratification? “Watching people light up.”

Jim Hitch – Jim also supports an educational program building a school in an area with limited or no services, the Pokrova Ukrainian Education Foundation. Started by nuns to create a school in Ivano-Frankivsk, a poor area in western Ukraine, Jim first acted as their attorney to set up the foundation so they could raise funds in the US, and is now on their Board. Showing the power of networking, Jim was introduced to Pokrova by fellow classmate Dan Cheely seven years ago. The goal? “To see these little kids go to school and escape communism, oppression and corruption and become good citizens”

John Langley – John didn’t wait to trade in his stethoscope to help maintain the building and grounds of the 19th century St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. He’s been volunteering there for 20 years in roles from junior warden to fund raising (Bloody Mary parties apparently work). He now spends approximately 8-12 hrs/month. The payoff is “seeing the traditional worship service grow” from 20 to now 80-100 at services.

Mauro Lapetina – Mauro has served meals at a homeless shelter, although it is open to all, monthly over the past two years. While the shelter is run by a non-denominational Christian organization, his church, St. Pius X Catholic Church, sponsors one night per month, at which he spends 3-4 hours at food prep and service. “We do have people who turn their lives around” and that brings gratification. The next outreach project to give communion at local nursing homes, is in the works.

Art Lowenstein – Art is justly famous for starting and nurturing a weekly Zoom call for classmates that started at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns and is still going strong 5 years later. But he is also helps feed the homeless in NYC, for 15 years coordinating volunteers from his congregation (1st Unitarian Society of Westchester) with “The Midnight Run” organized by the Presbyterian church in NYC. Once a month they bag meals, clothing and toiletry items for 100, and, until the pandemic, distributed them (since Covid they now act as a supply chain). Looking “for something to do in retirement” he was introduced to the program by his then 13-year old daughter who needed an adult to supervise. Now spending about 10hrs per week, he gets back “more than you put in.”

Jeff Marshall – A life-long fisherman since he was 8 years old and passionate about the environment, Jeff served on a local land trust and then became involved with Trout Unlimited through the Coldwater Conservation Fund, serving on their Board for the past 9 years. The larger organization is involved in “great work” that ranges from habitat restoration, to dam removal, to DNA sampling in waterways. The Board’s role makes “significant impact” during “one intense week” each year by prioritizing funding. 

Bill McCarter – Similarly to Rob, Bill volunteers at his church (St George’s by the River in Rumson NJ), the very one in which he was christened. For the past 8 years he has sung bass in the church choir, and prior to that was a vestryman. He spends 2 ½ - 3 hours a week with the choir, in large part because “I like the music.” The gratification comes in “helping to support an institution I’ve been affiliated with my whole life.”

Robert McGahey – Rob is still involved in arbitration and mediation, which seems to be what retired judges do, but is also active in his church of 30 years (St Michael’s Episcopal in Denver). Over the past 12 years he has been a warden or a subdeacon, “doing whatever I can to make things better for people,” Not only is it meaningful he reports, but “it gives me a focus.”

Luther Munford – One of the class’ still active legal scholars, Luther has carved out 2hrs/month for the past three years for Board meetings of the New State Theatre in Jackson, MS. He connected to the theatre through the local Rotary Club. The commitment also entails taking in performances, so the gig has its benefits! The payoff is “helping move along a really good institution.” Described by Luther as “probably the most multicultural” venue in the city he sees it as a “bright spot in a city that has had troubles.” 

Brad O’Brien – Brad has transitioned his successful career as an environmental and real estate lawyer, in which he did pro bono work for the Peninsula Open Space Trust Fund since 1997, into a seat on the Fund’s board since 2006 after his retirement. The fund helps purchase and protect land, predominantly on the west side of Silicon Valley, until it can be publicly purchased, thus preserving over 80,000 acres. Board and committee meetings take about 10-15 hours per month. Why do it? “The missions are righteous and the people are fun.” Another plus is that he feels he stays connected to people and stays relevant. And the satisfaction he feels when he hikes land he has helped preserve doesn’t hurt.

Ray Ollwerther – Seeing a need in his town of 12,000, Ray joined the Board of the Freehold (NJ) Borough Education Foundation four years ago to raise funds to support projects initiated by teachers that wouldn’t otherwise be financed. The result has ranged from the purchase of 30 violins for the grade school to providing bike lessons and donating helmets. His 6 hrs/month are “magical” and he feels well spent “investing back in the town.” Speaking of his volunteerisms, “I wish every type of activity had this return on investment.”

Bob Plotnick – After visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, where his wife fell in love with some tree kangaroos, Bob started volunteering and has been on the zoo’s Board since 2019. In addition to 6 meetings a year, he serves on their animal care committee and conservation and education committee and now chairs the zoo’s mission evaluation task force. All in, he spends about 10 hours a month on zoo activities, in part “because conservation matters to all of us.” Volunteering provides “collegiality” with “wonderful, interesting people.”

Dick Salmon – A family practitioner, Dick was responsible for a clinical quality program at Cigna until retiring in 2023. Wanting “something meaningful to think about,” he now spends 2-4 hours each week on a quality subcommittee for the Wheeler Clinic, a federally qualified health center focusing on mental health and child and family services. The goal? “Making clinical care better for other people. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Bing Shen – While still sitting on a few for-profit Boards, Bing has also been associated with the Institute on Aging, first volunteering as a Board member from 2006-2013 and now as an advisor to the Executive Director. The Institute provides social service day care programs, enrichment programs and dementia care in the home. His affiliation arose from recognizing that this was “something that was needed since the US doesn’t have the extended family system like in Asian societies.” His 2-3 hrs/month devoted to the IOA is “very meaningful” and also “a great networking opportunity.”

Tom Sinclair – Another retired physician, Tom moved to Nevada in 2023. Wanting to get to know folks in the community, he began volunteering to support the annual Candy Dance, an annual craft fair that attracts 400 vendors and 30,000 visitors to his small (pop. 3000) community 30 minutes from Tahoe. The proceeds support the town, which is an unincorporated area, and make up 60% of the town’s budget. Working to solicit vendors and then as a “vendor host” during the fair has helped him get “integrated” into the community. Plus, it’s fun.

Bob Sinsheimer – A retired family physician, Bob now helps low income folks do their taxes through an AARP program. How/why did he transition from medicine to accounting? “I didn’t make much money so I did my own taxes,” he relates. With a mother who was a CPA, he had the training. Now he spends 20hrs/wk during tax season (Feb-Apr) and is the local coordinator in his Ohio region for training new and returning volunteers (Aug-Jan). His payout is “when people thank you.”

Tom Stubbs – A retired physician, Tom is engaged in multiple projects sponsored by his church. Over the past year he has revived his high school interest in singing, and has lent his voice (a bass) to his 4-part Methodist Choir in Charlotte for 3-4 hours a week. Motivation: “I enjoy being in a group who enjoys singing.” In another mission, he transported food, water, diapers and dogfood as disaster relief to western NC in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene (in his Chevy SUV “tank”).

Tom Sutula – Recently retired as chairman of the Neurology department at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, but still active in research, Tom carves out 6 hours a month to support the School of Hope Foundation working to establish a residential school for 220 students on the edge of the slums of Nairobi. Approached by a friend who was a supporter, they were seeking a physician on the Board. For Tom, it has “transformed my notion of where I want to give my time and money.” Likewise, for Tom the positive is “to see a kid whose life is transformed.”

Dennis Thompson – A self-described “green architect,” was influenced by Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and 10 years ago joined a chapter of the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. Doing public outreach on topics such as solar farms and carbon tax proposals, he also visits with his California congressman twice a year. Spending perhaps 6 hours per month on local visits and zoom calls, it is, as he describes it “lobbying by unpaid citizens.” What keeps him going is “I feel like I need to do something for the environment beyond my own practice. This is the most effective thing I can do.”

Christopher Wilson – Living in Concord MA, Chris spends about 40% of his time on the Cape. A veteran of the Princeton chorus and the Nassoons, and having studied liturgical organ, it’s no surprise that he has found his way to the Board of the Cape Cod Symphony. In his 2nd term on the Board, he spends about 5-10 hours a week assisting in strategic planning for this “unbelievably good symphony,” which is building a cultural center in the Hyannis area. He also teaches students on the Cape at their conservatory.