Karen Van Winkle AB '80In May 2016, Karen Van Winkle AB '80 was elected the first woman president in the Harvard Club of Boston's 108-year history. But it's hardly the first time she has broken new ground at the venerable club. As a Harvard College student, Van Winkle was the first woman to receive a scholarship from the Club.

As an alumna, Van Winkle has stayed connected to Harvard not only through the Harvard Club but also as an alumni interviewer for undergraduate admissions and, currently, as a parent to a Harvard College sophomore.

Van Winkle recently shared her perspective on being elected president of the Club that helped change her life and the big plans she has for her three-year term.

What has inspired you to stay connected to Harvard since you graduated?

I was a middle class kid growing up in Cambridge. Neither of my parents graduated from college. Harvard made a profound difference in terms of the direction of my life, so I have always felt compelled to give back to Harvard. From 1977 through 1979, I received a scholarship from the Harvard Club in honor of Virginia Poehler, a longtime secretary at the Club and the aunt of comedian Amy Poehler. When she died, a number of Club members raised money for a scholarship in her name "for women at Harvard who demonstrated leadership qualities."

What does it mean to you to be the first female president of the Harvard Club of Boston?

It means a great deal to me—not only to be the first female, but just being president of the Harvard Club. I've been associated with the Club for 31 years and I've served on a number of committees and on the Board twice. As the first woman, I see this opportunity as a real privilege. I love working with young graduates, and I'm so proud to say that we've had 94 women join the Harvard Club since I was elected. I hope to serve the Club very well for the next three years.

What are your goals as president?

The three immediate things I'm focusing on are, first, to increase the membership. Second, I would like to increase the diversity of our membership—not just in terms of gender, but also in terms of age and ethnic diversity. Third, I would like to start a campaign that I affectionately call "Harvard Club with a Heart." Harvard has had such an impact on the world in terms of giving back of talent, of time, of all sorts of resources. I would like to mimic that with the Harvard Club in our surrounding community.

What might people be surprised to learn about the Club?

I think people are surprised that 33 percent of our Board is female. Fifteen percent of our Board members represent diverse communities. We have Harvard degree members from around the world and many Associate Members from a variety of other prestigious institutions. I think people view the Club as an old boy's network, and in my experience it is definitely not. I think that it is in a transformative phase right now. Many more young members are enjoying our renovated facilities, like our two new exciting dining venues. They've also approached me to ask about networking and getting more involved. I walk into the Club in the evening and there is a buzz. That's certainly not the impression that people have about the Club.

How does being a part of a Club or Shared Interest Group (SIG) influence lifetime engagement with Harvard?

Alumni always reflect back on their days at Harvard and how wonderful it was. I see Clubs and SIGs as a continuation of that. In Boston, we continue to bring intellectual excellence from the University to our Club in a variety of ways. Our members, from age 25 to 85, relish our events because it continues their connection with Harvard. 

What do you hope the Club looks and feels like in 5 to 10 years?

We've made a conscious effort to physically change the clubhouse so that it's more welcoming and family-oriented, and our programming is also reflective of our interest in attracting families to come and spend time here. There have traditionally been parties, like at Halloween and the holidays, but we're really getting into programming, such as an election night event in Harvard Hall, a mixology class, and many other food and wine related events. For younger families, we've even had a pajama party in Harvard Hall—things that make it really fun for the children of young members who make this a home away from home.

How can interested parties learn more about the Club?

I'd love to invite alumni of all ages to take a second look at the Harvard Club. I think they'd be very surprised with what they see. We would love to have them check out our website, come visit, and become part of our very vibrant community.

You can learn more by following the Harvard Club on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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