D’Youville University Alumni Board Convenes for 2025 Annual Meeting and Retreat

The D’Youville University Alumni Association Board of Directors held its annual board meeting and retreat on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the Health Professions Hub on the D’Youville University campus in in Buffalo. The half-day meeting and retreat convened at 9:30 a.m. and brought together over 20 board members and university leaders to discuss alumni initiatives and institutional progress.

The meeting opened with a call to order and an invocation, followed by the formal installation of the new members of the D’Youville Alumni Association Board of Directors. New and returning members affirmed their commitment to serve and advocate in support of the mission and values of D’Youville University.

D'Youville University Alumni Association President and D'Youville University Trustee Andrew Belden, PT, DPT, LNHA, '07, '10, '20, '22, '25, opened the meeting with a welcome, special introductions and updates, including expectations for alumni board engagement and participation in the year ahead.

University President Lorrie Clemo followed Dr. Belden and delivered a comprehensive presidential overview and strategic priorities for the university in the upcoming year. Britt Davis, Vice for Institutional Advancement, also shared campus updates and invited questions from the board to foster dialogue and collaboration.

Key committee reports were presented, including:

• Leadership & Governance: Alumni Association Vice President and Leadership & Governance Chair Michelle Swygert Seay ’98, ’21 introduced new board members for the 2025–2026 term: Christine Yakubec ’70, Ernest Sebuliba ’23, John Rizk ’22, ’25, Halimah McBryde ’20, Kathryn Grabski ’19, and Sydney Stacy ’22.

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• Alumni Weekend: Alumni Weekend Planning Co-Chair Kayla Deth ’14 and Renee Orr, Director of Alumni Engagement, detailed plans for the highly anticipated Alumni Weekend set for September 18–22, 2025, with a call for volunteers. 
• Awards Committee: Awards Committee Co-Chair Kaitlyn Reinhardt ’18 presented the slate of recipients for the 2025 alumni honors, including:
  • Anne Lum Award: Judy Po-Chedley Wilkins ’74 (Nursing)
  • Career Achievement Award: Marjorie Quint-Bouzid ’85 (Nursing) and Mark Beehler ’14 (Education)
  • Delta Sigma Award: Christine Yakubec ’70 (Education)
  • Young Alumni Award: Dara Gill ’17 (Physical Therapy)
  • Service to D’Youville Award: Fran Schmidt
• Student Engagement Committee: Student Engagement Committee Chair Shannon Zasa ’21 presented Ernest Sebuliba ’23 as the 2025 Lee Conroy Higgins Award winner.
• Events Committee: Events Committee Co-Chair Monica Viggiani ’15 and Renee Orr shared upcoming plans for family-friendly events, mentorship opportunities, and alumni-student engagement, with discussions to continue during committee brainstorming sessions.
• For more information about the D’Youville University Alumni Association or upcoming events, please visit www.dyc.edu/alumni.