CLASS OF 1989 | 2024 | FALL ISSUE

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Joy Anderson is thrilled to share that she won the Joan Bavaria Award for groundbreaking contributions to social investing, particularly in gender lens investing. The award was especially meaningful as she received it alongside two remarkable collaborators, reflecting their collective effort in the field. Joy, president and founder of Criterion Institute and a member of Heading for Change’s Global Advisory Circle, has observed significant progress in gender lens investing.  Despite the ongoing challenges in addressing systemic biases, Joy takes pride in the strides made so far.

Debra Steppel is thrilled to announce the launch of her new venture, Essays Plus More. This company focuses on coaching job seekers and high school students applying to college. She has been involved in career coaching and resume editing as a side gig since 1987, thanks to her initial training as a CPC career assistant with Barbara-Jan Wilson. She welcomes inquiries from classmates and their families with career or college application needs.

Joel Jacobs is still residing in Berkeley and working with the California attorney general’s office, mainly representing the California Coastal Commission. He’s considering retirement in a few years. His children are pursuing exciting paths: one is at a start-up in Baltimore developing prosthetic robot arms, and the other is working on a PhD in environmental justice in Los Angeles. Joel has also been coaching a high school debate team, which recently won both state and national championships. 

Colleen McKiernan shares some exciting (and scary news): “August 1 was my last day at work, and I am presently at a five-week cookery course at the Ballymaloe Cookery School near Cork, Ireland. The school is on a large organic farm, and I am living in a group house for the first time since Wes . . . I have no interest in working in the food industry. This is purely for me, and the first time that I have taken more than two weeks off since the summer after graduating. I will be going to Lisbon for a few weeks and will see some friends from Wesleyan and have about 10 days of unstructured time until I get home. I hope by the time that this publishes, I will be gainfully employed again.” 

Phineas Baxandall and his partner of 20 years, Sarah Hill, celebrated their marriage during a family vacation. Their children, ages 22 and 24, were the best man and bridesmaid. The kids were surprised when informed that their fancy dinner reservation would be postponed for a justice of the peace to arrive. Over the past year, Phineas served as interim president of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and has now returned to his role as policy director at this progressive economic think tank. 

Jill (Wolser) Fruchter provides a long overdue update: “This summer marked the second anniversary of creating my own business, Field Notes Consulting, a research services agency. My work is focused on using design thinking to center people in product development, experience design, and customer experience strategy. Previously, I did similar work at Blue Apron, Etsy, and The New York Times. Personally, I now live in upstate New York in a tiny river town on the banks of the upper Delaware River after selling my home in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where I raised my two daughters, Zoe and Ella. It’s an ongoing journey to balance the competing pulls of city and country. Recent travels include the North Cascades Scenic Park (Washington), and future travel includes Iceland to (try to) see the northern lights. 

Amy Redfield is in Lisbon, Portugal, where she is currently blogging and writing. She is eagerly anticipating a visit from Colleen McKiernan. She’d love to connect with any other ’89ers who find themselves in Lisbon or are considering making the move here. The city has so much to offer, and she’s excited to share its charm with friends. 

After retiring in April, Alissa Berman had a wonderful time at the 35th Reunion, reconnecting with Carrie Holden and Kelly Morgan. It was bittersweet learning about Suzanne Delbanco, a rugby team member. She is preparing for a September wedding and continues to enjoy all the unique experiences Rhode Island has to offer.

In other sad news, Doug MacKenzie passed away peacefully on July 19, 2024. Doug was a valued friend to many Wesleyan students and supported his professor, T. Ranganathan, during his illness.

JONATHAN FRIED | jonathan.l.fried@gmail.com

MICHELE BARNWELL | michelebarnwell01@gmail.com