As a Yale School of Management (SOM) alumna (Class of 2020) based in Arlington, I am excited to bring my professional skills and enthusiasm for community-building to the Yale Club of Washington, D.C. board. My connection to Yale runs deep, rooted in the mentors, professors and classmates who shaped my thinking at SOM, and sustained through ongoing service since graduation. I serve as an SOM Class Agent, mentor current SOM and Yale college students, organize regular dinners for DC-area classmates, and led outreach and fundraising for our 5-year reunion. While at SOM, I served as a career advisor to first year students and co-organized the Hidden Champion Conference. My professional background in marketing strategy, communications and management consulting, combined with hands-on governance and event experience, makes me well-suited to contribute to the Club's operations. I currently serve on the board of the Swiss Club of Washington, D.C., where I help drive membership growth and lead community programming and events, and I lead outreach and donor cultivation for the Swiss American Historical Society. In both roles I have built strong relationships with venues, museums, and community partners across the DC area, a network I would be glad to put to work for the Yale Club. If elected to the board, I hope to grow the Club's presence among recent alumni and young professionals, strengthen programming that connects members across industries and class years, and bring a fresh perspective to the Club's strategy. I am particularly drawn to initiatives around career coaching, communications, and community engagement, areas where my experience is deepest, but I am eager to contribute wherever I can be most useful. It would be a privilege to give back to a community that has given me so much.

My service to the Yale Club of Washington, DC began in 2004 as liaison to Ivy Singles. Since then, I've served as VP of Programs in 2007-2008; President in 2009-2011; and VP of Membership & Technology 2011 to 2019 and Treasurer 2019 to present. Over this time, I've helped bring on four different Executive Directors and increased our activities and membership. I want to do more for our Yale and Washington area communities: Increase Membership another 20%, Increase participation over 30%, continue to improve the Club's financial position, and setup and provide exciting events for our diverse Yale alumni. My other Yale activities include Yale Alumni Fund Co-Chair for the Class of 1975 and participating on the Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors 2012-2018. I look forward to hearing your ideas and serving 3 more years to connect and integrate our growing Yale community in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

I am interested in serving on the Yale Club of Washington Board of Directors to facilitate community among Yalies in the Washington, DC area. The Yale Club’s diverse programming appeals to my interests and my experience with the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) while attending Yale. I served on the GPSS Executive Board and as the Community Service Chair from 2012 to 2014. Our committee facilitated social events geared toward service and education. Examples of our events included an annual chili cook-off benefit, a popular biannual speed dating fundraiser, winter clothing and food drives, community service events, and educational opportunities for the university and the greater New Haven population. This leadership experience provided a commitment that deepened my engagement with the people and activities that defined our community. I’ve enjoyed growing my Yalie network in recent months by attending Yale Club of Washington events, and I look forward to further committing to the organization as a volunteer board member.

I am retiring at the end of April so i will have time to make a significant contribution. I was previously a member of this board so I am familiar with its workings. While living in Syracuse, NY I was the President of the Yale Club of Central New York, I was also involved in the founding of the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni.

Last fall, I spoke at the Yale Club of New York at the 2025 Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance Social Impact Conference. I was on a panel about Financial Resilience: Navigating Economic Uncertainty, and I shared examples and lessons-learned from throughout my cross-sector career, as well as my perspective as an independent school leader (I recently stepped down as the Assistant Head of School at the Charles E Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD). With a background in K12 education, I have served as an executive, consultant, advisor, volunteer and board member for a wide range of non-profit and philanthropic organizations, including recent long-term consulting engagements with the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation. On the personal side, I moved from New York City to the DMV in 2009, and currently live in Chevy Chase, MD with my husband and two teenage daughters. Since graduating from Yale College in 1992 and the Yale School of Management in 1997, one of my greatest pleasures has been engaging in Yale activities, especially relating to alumni and social impact. At my 30th reunion in 2022, for example, I moderated a panel: “Finding Purpose in our 50s: Change and Impact for ourselves and for the world.” It was a wonderful opportunity to lead a discussion among my classmates that was thought provoking, timely and relevant for so many, regardless of their career path. I am now excited about the potential of joining the Board of the Yale Club of Washington, DC– and finding new and ongoing ways to support and engage alumni in navigating our uncertain times, be it through career support, mentorship, network development, or opportunities for volunteering or for ongoing learning and connection to Yale. I think there are many ways for the Club to be meaningful and relevant for alumni across life stages. It would be an honor and a pleasure to serve and give back to an institution and community that has given so much to me. Thank you for your consideration.

I am writing this statement in pursuit of a nomination to serve another term on the Yale Club of Washington D.C. Board of Directors. During my first term I organized various events for the Yale community in the DMV, especially focused on underrepresented communities within the Yale alumni community. For example, in February 2024 I hosted a Black History Month Event entitled, A Conversation about Black voters and the 2024 Election with Deputy Director of Litigation, Jennifer A. Holmes of the Legal Defense Fund where we discussed what issues may arise for Black voters in the 2024 election cycle. That year I also hosted The Future of the Civil Rights Movement: Marshall-Motley Scholars at Yale Law where I had a conversation with three current recipients of the prestigious Marshall-Motley Scholars Program who were current Yale Law Students. Marshall-Motley scholars receive a full law school scholarship for tuition, room and board, summer internships with national and regional civil rights organizations with offices in the South focused on racial justice and a two-year postgraduate fellowship at civil rights law organizations in the South fighting to achieve racial justice. Finally, I hosted Yale Feb Club events in 2024 and 2026 at local Black owned establishments in the Washington, D.C. area. Finally, in February 2026 I hosted another Black History Month Conversation called Profiles in Honor: A Black History Month Conversation about the achievement of Black Soldiers in WWII where we discussed how more than one million African American men and women served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II.  The conversation centered on how serving with distinction these men and women made invaluable contributions to the advancement of democracy abroad and at home. All of these events included conversations with current Black Yale students or Black Yale alumni but were well attended by Yale alumni from all backgrounds. I look forward to continuing to serve on the board and spearheading programing that represents members of the Yale community that often have less visibility. I humbly would like to submit my candidacy for another term on the Yale Club of Washington D.C.

I am honored to nominate myself for service on the Yale Club Board. As a Yale World Fellow and a cultural leader working at the intersection of the arts, public service, and international development, I have experienced firsthand the extraordinary power of the Yale community to connect people across disciplines, sectors, and geographies. Serving on the Board would be a meaningful opportunity to give back to a community that has had a lasting impact on my professional and personal life. Throughout my career, I have led major cultural institutions, developed partnerships across public and private sectors, and worked to create spaces where ideas, creativity, and civic purpose can thrive. My time at Yale deepened my commitment to leadership grounded in dialogue, excellence, and service, and I have carried those values into my work ever since. I believe this combination of institutional leadership, international perspective, and genuine commitment to community would allow me to contribute thoughtfully and effectively to the Board. If elected, I would hope to help strengthen the Yale Club as an inclusive, dynamic, and welcoming space for members of different generations, backgrounds, and interests. I would be especially excited to support programming that fosters meaningful exchange across disciplines, expands international engagement, and reinforces the Club’s role as both a place of tradition and a platform for new ideas. It would be a privilege to help advance a vision of the Yale Club that is vibrant, forward-looking, and deeply connected to the values that make Yale so distinctive.

Gary Kopff '67

Thank you for the opportunity to submit my application to serve on the Yale Club of DC board. I am a DMV area resident, work as a partner in an accounting firm, and have experience serving on several nonprofit boards. I am about to graduate from the MBA for Executives program at the School of Management, and would be eager to contribute to the local Yale community through board service. My ongoing commitment to Yale is demonstrated through my firm’s support of a recent Yale philanthropy conference, seasonal corporate sponsorship of the DC Club, and connecting my firm’s talent and culture team with the Yale SOM Career Development Office for MBA-student recruitment and campus presence. I have also presented to the Yale SOM student-led AI organization, and most recently, I joined the governance committee of the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Association. If elected to the Board, I hope to leverage my professional expertise and network to strengthen the Yale alumni experience in the DMV area by fostering greater engagement, expanding membership, and supporting meaningful programs that connect current students, alumni, and the broader community.

I am honored to submit my statement of interest for service on the Board of the Yale Club of Washington, DC. As a Yale alum, I value the Club’s role in fostering lifelong connection among alumni, strengthening engagement with the University, and contributing positively to the broader DC community. I am motivated to serve because I believe alumni organizations are most impactful when they are inclusive, intellectually vibrant, and responsive to the evolving interests and professional paths of their members. Over the years, I have remained committed to the spirit of service, leadership, and collaboration that defines Yale. I bring experience working across diverse teams, building partnerships, and supporting complex initiatives—skills that I believe translate well to Board service. I am particularly interested in supporting efforts that enhance member engagement, expand high-quality programming across professional, cultural, and service-oriented domains, and strengthen connections among alumni across generations, schools, and backgrounds. If elected, I hope to contribute to a Board that is forward-looking and member-centered, balancing Yale traditions with new ideas that reflect the evolving alumni community in the Washington, DC area. I am eager to support initiatives that welcome new alumni, re-engage long-standing members, and reinforce the Club’s role as a dynamic hub for connection, service, and lifelong learning. It would be a privilege to serve the Yale Club of Washington, DC and to help advance its mission in partnership with fellow alumni.

I am excited to self-nominate for a position on the Yale Club of Washington, DC's Board of Directors. I first connected with the local Yale community through Yale Alumni Association of Maryland (a theater production in Baltimore) and YaleWomen events (specifically the First Fridays in DC), and I fell in love with the warmth, intentionality, and genuine connection I found there. That experience showed me the we have a thriving alumni community, and I’d like to help sustain and grow that energy across the broader Club. I am a 2022 graduate of the Yale School of Public Health, and my academic background also includes a BA from Rice University in Kinesiology - Health Sciences and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. That dual training shaped how I approach community work: I'm always thinking about whose voices are centered, how we build spaces where people feel they belong, and how to create programming that meets people where they are. I recently started serving as Board Secretary for the Yale Alumni Association of Maryland (I have also been nominated as the YAA Delegate for Maryland), where I've been helping to re-energize after a period of low activity. In that role, I've taken the lead on designing and distributing a comprehensive alumni survey to understand who is in our base, what they actually want from events, and who is willing to volunteer. I've also helped consolidate meeting notes, track action items, and ensure we're moving from conversation to execution. That experience has given me a front-row seat to both the challenges and opportunities of running a regional alumni organization, and a deep appreciation for the infrastructure that makes things run smoothly. I also bring hands-on event and volunteer coordination experience from my work with the Rice University DC Alumni Group, where I've served as Service Event Coordinator since 2024. I recently led a holiday toy and coat drive partnership with Anacostia AMP Outreach Empowerment Center that provided toys, coats, and educational materials to over 200 children and 100 families in Ward 8. I'm currently planning spring service events and exploring ongoing partnerships with DC-area nonprofits. These experiences have given me the opportunity to mobilize volunteers, partner with community organizations, and create meaningful engagement opportunities that resonate with alumni across different life stages. If elected to the Board, first, I'd like to help ensure that our programming reflects the full diversity of the Yale alumni community, particularly graduate and professional school alumni. Second, I'd like to use my organizational skills to support the Board's work, whether that's through clearer communication, better follow-through, or helping to coordinate volunteers. And finally, I'd love to help strengthen the connection between the Yale Club of DC, YAAM, and YaleWomen. I know that serving on a board means showing up, to meetings, to events, to the small moments that build trust and momentum. I'm ready to do that work, and I'd be honored to bring my energy, experience, and perspective to the Yale Club of Washington, DC Board.

I am honored to submit my statement of interest for the Board of Directors of the Yale Club of DC. I am a proud member of the Yale community—Jonathan Edwards, Class of 1982, B.A. Psychology, and I cannot believe that my 45th reunion is next year (2027)!!! My dedication to Yale is deeply rooted not only in my educational journey but also in my ongoing role as part of the Yale family; my daughter continued my legacy, graduating in 2018. This connection has fueled my ongoing commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive Yale community in the DC area. Throughout the years, I have maintained active involvement with Yale, participating in a variety of alumni organizations and initiatives. I have served on the Board of Yale Women, where I supported efforts to strengthen bonds among alumnae and promote meaningful engagement. My activity in the Yale Black Alumni Association has further enriched my understanding of the importance of diverse perspectives and inclusive programming. These experiences have equipped me with insight and motivation to contribute effectively to the Yale Club of DC, ensuring that our community remains welcoming and dynamic for all. If elected to the Board, my primary goal would be to advocate for more targeted programming that speaks to the diverse interests and needs of our members. I believe in the value of designing family-oriented events that foster intergenerational connections and celebrate our shared Yale heritage. Additionally, singles events for all ages can provide important opportunities for networking, friendship, and personal growth, ensuring that every member feels seen and supported. I am also passionate about special-interest outings, such as golf tournaments and tree-planting days, which not only build camaraderie but also reinforce our commitment to community service and environmental stewardship. By offering a broader range of activities, we can engage more alumni and encourage meaningful participation. Recognizing the geographic diversity of our membership, I would strive to expand the Club’s functions and events beyond Washington, DC, including suburban Maryland. This outreach is essential to incorporate alumni who may otherwise feel disconnected from the Club’s core activities. By bringing Yale closer to their homes, we can nurture stronger ties and ensure that the Yale Club of DC truly reflects and serves the entire local alumni population. In closing, my lifelong dedication to Yale, coupled with my experience and enthusiasm, drives my desire to serve on the Board of Directors. I am eager to collaborate with fellow board members to advance the Club’s mission, advocate for inclusive and engaging programming, and help build a community where every alumnus feels valued. Thank you for considering my candidacy; I look forward to the opportunity to contribute and shape the future of the Yale Club of DC.

I'm running for the Board because Yale has shaped every chapter of my life, and I'd like to help strengthen the community that shaped so many of us. At Yale, I devoted much of my time to service - volunteering with Yale World AIDS Day, organizing the Speaker's Bureau (awareness creation on the interdisciplinary nature of health and wellness), various Yale consulting and community service initiatives, and representing Yale as the Down's Fellow conducting pioneering vaccine development research at the WHO (Switzerland). These and similar experiences have grounded my belief that Yale alumni are at their best when we're building, serving, learning, and lifting others. Today, as a senior leader in biotech and innovation, I continue to work by building partnerships, mentoring, and creating opportunities for diverse communities to thrive. If I'm selected/elected, I will bring a disciplined, collaborative, and forward-looking approach to the Board. I'd like to help expand high-quality programming across the DC-Maryland-Virginia region, strengthen cross-school and cross-region engagement, and elevate the Club's tradition of service. Our region is home to alumni working in every imaginable sphere, including policy, science, global health, education, finance/investment, business, the arts, sports, and public service - and I believe the Club can be a powerful connector across these worlds and regions. I will work to create more inclusive, intergenerational spaces where alumni feel welcomed, represented, and energized to participate. Most importantly, I believe that the Yale Club of Washington DC can model what modern alumni engagement should look like: intellectually vibrant, community-oriented, and open to all. I'm running because I'd like to help build that future - one where every alum, regardless of school or background, feels they have a home here. I would be honored to earn your vote and to serve this extraordinary and respected community.

I am a class of ‘68 graduate from Berkeley College. My academic life and career were shaped beginning with my first day on the Yale campus when I met Professor Robin Winks from whom I took multiple history courses and benefitted from his counsel throughout my career. I have lived in Washington working as a management consultant in and around the government since my first job working for Elliot Richardson, and later Bill Ruckelshaus, helping to create the Environmental Protection Agency after graduating from Harvard Business School.
I have served on the Board of the Yale Club since 2021, first as the representative to the Association of Yale Alumni and in the past two years I have worked with colleagues on helping create the Career Conversations program. The disruptions in the jobs market that we have seen in the Washington has stimulated growing interest throughout our Yale Community in navigating the challenge of career change.
As interest in career transitions has grown, we have sponsored multiple career conversations that have focused on the practical aspects of the job search. Speakers contributed their time to speak on the non-profit sector, changes in the job market, professional recruiting and the impact of AI. We have created a jobs board where you can post resumes and jobs and there is a growing virtual library of videos of past speakers and readings.
But there is much more that can be done. I am running for re-election to the Board to have the chance to continue the work of career conversations and to continue to learn about the community’s needs and find new ways to serve them.
Above all, we need to attract and encourage a new generation of leadership for the kinds of work that I have described here. We could better package the content in what we have created to make it more easily accessible. We could interact with our audience and better understand it’s needs. I hope to be re-elected to have the chance to continue to serve to contribute to this effort.

Hello, Yalies and family! For those I haven’t met yet, I’d like to share a bit about my personal background and what motivates my service on the Yale Club Board. I graduated from Yale College in 1996 and was the first in my family to finish high school, so attending Yale truly changed my life. That experience drives my commitment to give back—to Yale and to our Yale alumni community here in the DMV.I’ve been involved with the Yale Club for over a decade, serving as President, Vice President, and Vice President of Programming. During that time, I’ve organized a wide range of events—from dinner talks with inspiring Yalies to summer picnics, annual dinners, holiday parties, and community service initiatives. I’ve also served on the Yale Alumni Board of Governors, volunteered with 1stGenYale, supported my Class of ’96 Reunion Giving Committee, and currently serve as Yale Day of Service Regional Director for the DMV. Alongside this volunteer work, I bring three decades of management consulting experience and my MBA training into how I approach planning, programming, and governance for the Club. Over the past year, I’m especially proud to have led the Club’s strategic planning and budgeting, expanded in-person programming, strengthened fundraising for our Yale Student Community Service Fellows, launched the Yale DMV NetWORK and private LinkedIn group, kick-started an AI programming series, restarted our monthly e-newsletter, organized a dinner with former CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen, and helped improve the Club’s financial stability. If reelected, I will focus on continuing to expand in-person programming, increasing opportunities for Yalies and their families to connect across educational, professional, social, and service events, strengthening partnerships with other Yale alumni groups, and finding new ways to tap into the energy and talent of the 11,000 Yalies in the DMV to support one another, Yale students, and our broader community.

The Yale Community has played a significant role in shaping my life and my family’s - which is exactly why I’d welcome the opportunity to serve on the YCWDC Board of Directors. As a member of the Board, I could more fully incorporate my more than 25 years of professional and personal experience into supporting the YCWD’s mission and programs. I’ve developed expertise in strategic marketing, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, strategic partnership development, content development, and event management through my experiences working at large companies such as The Washington Post and PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - and now as the Founder and Owner of my own Marketing Agency, Carla Collective. As a Student Advisor to graduate MBA candidates at Georgetown University - my responsibilities include teaching, grading assignments, and mentoring students. I would like to leverage the experiences and the rich relationships I’ve built in these roles to support alumni engagement and the YCWD’s mission.That’s one of the reasons I’m so delighted to get the green light from you and to move forward with the development of the YCWDC Alumni Survey. One of the survey’s goals, as I understand, is to continue to find ways to engage local alumni. Currently, the YCWDC enjoys an involved and diverse group of alumni. This is a strong position to continue to build upon, and I would like to be a part of this exciting work.In reflecting upon my engagement with the YCWDC, I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to serve as a sponsor of the YCWDC’s last Holiday Reception through my strategic marketing agency, Carla Collective. I’m grateful that you made these sponsorships accessible to entrepreneurs and smaller-business owners like me. In an effort to provide support to other Yale alumni entrepreneurs and consultants, I’m spearheading a braintrust collective to build connections among alumni, provide a forum for knowledge-sharing, and foster collaboration among my Yale ‘91 Classmates. We plan to launch this after our upcoming May reunion. * I would like to explore the following: Ways this business braintrust collective could serve as a vehicle to engage local alumni in the YCWDC; ways that this model could be applied to our own alumni based on shared interests; opportunities for generation of content that local alumni would find interesting for the purpose of panel discussions or similar (virtual or in person).My commitment to community service and my alma mater is long-standing. I’ve co-hosted my class' 50th joint Birthday Party Bash at the Yale Club of NYC; served as a Yale Fund Agent; and co-hosted several the Yale Law School Receptions in August with my mother - a Yale Law School Graduate. My mom, Patricia Taylor, was one of four (4) African American women to graduate from YLS in 1971. My father, also one of few African Americans at that time, received his PH.D. in Sociology from Yale Graduate School in 1966.Giving my time and best thinking to organizations that share my values is a crucial part of my identity. I’ve served on the board of the Sheriffs Meadow Foundation, a land conservation organization, as Co-Chair of the Advancement Committee at a time when we exceeded our contributions-based revenue goal! I also led the organization’s Strategic Planning Committee resulting in an approved and operating strategic plan. One of my passions is animal welfare. I’ve volunteered with the Humane Rescue Alliance of Washington DC from which I’ve adopted and fostered dogs over the past 25 yrs. I’ve participated in “puppy adoption events” and would like to bring the dog lovers among us together for their future adoption fairs, which require carrying puppies around and helping them meet potential adopters. (A tough job, I know, but someone’s got to do it)! This type of activity presents a low barrier to entry for local alumni, while promising broad appeal. * I’d like to invite our very own Handsome Dan to leverage his celebrity - not only for this type of activity - but also for other YCWDC programs, perhaps through a visit to the Washington, DC area; a virtual visit; or with his strong social media presence. Dan always excites the crowd, and this is another tool we could use to support alumni engagement. I’ve had many years of experience identifying and managing promotional collaborations between like-minded organizations with the goal of magnifying the messages of each partner because communicating a shared message collectively doubles the outreach of each individual partner. *I’d like to apply this model as one option for magnifying YCWDC’s alumni engagement messages. I would welcome the opportunity to work as a team with a group of other Yalies to support the YCWDC’s goals while building our relationships and learning from each other.(LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-taylor-pla)