Martha Beattie '76 was named the College's new vice president for Alumni Relations, according to a College press release on Friday. Beattie, a former Alumni Council president, will take over for interim vice president Patsy Fisher '81 on May 9.
Beattie who has served as president of Dartmouth Undying, an organization that supported alumni who opposed the Association of Alumni's lawsuit against the College was selected as vice president for Alumni Relations following a national search assisted by executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, according to the release.
"I'm incredibly thrilled to be part of the leadership team at Dartmouth," Beattie said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "Any job that deals with Dartmouth alumni has to be one of the best jobs there is."
In the 2010 Board of Trustees and Association elections, Dartmouth Undying endorsed Council-nominated trustee candidates John Replogle '88 and Morton Kondracke '60, as well as the "Unity" slate for the Association executive committee led by then-incumbent Association presidential candidate John Mathias '69, the Association's current president.
"[Beattie] is an inspired choice for the position she's just an all-star across the board," Mathias said. "When I heard about this, I was thrilled. She has certainly been a great leader at Dartmouth for a long time."
John MacGovern '80, founder of the Hanover Institute a non-profit organization that supported the 2007 Association lawsuit against the College said he was displeased with the selection of Beattie as vice president due to her previous involvement in College politics.
"I don't think Beattie was a good choice because she's been so much involved in the efforts to curtail alumni involvement in governance of Dartmouth College," MacGovern said. "There has been no attempt to by the administration to reach out to those alumni who voted for parity against constitutional changes this is just further indication that they no longer care about these alumni."
Beattie was contacted last fall by the national search committee led by theater department chair Peter Hackett '75 and was officially offered the position last week.
The committee also included Council President Thomas Peisch '70; Veree Brown '93, first vice president of the Association of Alumni; Dave Hodgson '78, chair of the President's Leadership Council; Dean of Libraries Jeffrey Horrell; Ralph Manuel '58 Tu'59; and Sylvia Racca, executive director of the Dartmouth College Fund, according to the release.
Fisher served as interim vice president for Alumni Relations since June 1, 2010, after former Vice President for Alumni Relations David Spalding '76 vacated the position to serve as College President Jim Yong Kim's chief of staff, The Dartmouth previously reported.
Beattie has actively participated in alumni organizations and activities involving the College since graduating from Dartmouth. Beattie participated in class reunion giving and planning committees, served as an alumni interviewer, chaired a committee for revising the Alumni Council Constitution, created the Alumni Liaisons Committee, served as president of the Alumni Council from 2006 to 2007 and most recently coached the College's novice women's crew, she said.
Beattie, whose father, husband and two of three children all attended Dartmouth, explained that the College has been an integral part of her life since she can remember.
"Dartmouth has always been my anchor, my constant community and it's a wonderful community to be a part of," Beattie said. "In every city I've lived in, my best friends have been my Dartmouth friends. I see my new role as a service to Dartmouth that is both 100 percent personally compelling as well as professionally fulfilling."
Contrary to MacGovern, John Daukas '84 the recently elected Association president said he is not surprised that the College would select someone involved in Dartmouth Undying, as he would expect the position to be given to someone "very active" in the alumni community. Daukus also said relations between the College and alumni have improved since the 2007 lawsuit.
"I think we're past the period where there was a lot of controversy," Daukas said. "[Beattie] needs to make sure we don't all become complacent and that the Alumni Council is reaching out to everyone and keeping them involved. [Beattie] has been great over the years working with all different sides, making sure that different opinions are heard."
Uniting alumni and involving them in the College community is the central goal of the position, Mathias said.
"The job is a big one Martha is the liaison between the College and over 70,000 alums," he said. "She represents all of us, and it's hard to represent everybody, but to the extent that there is reason, balance, passion and assurance, Martha's got it."
Although Beattie said Alumni relations with the College are in a "fabulous place," she also said she will work to increase communication between all alumni and the College.
"We really need to look creatively at how alumni want to meaningfully engage with the College," Beattie said. "Alumni engagement used to be much more class-centric, but younger classes from the '90s and 2000s are looking for other ways to engage in relations with the College."
The relationship has improved dramatically over the years and is continuing to improve, Daukas said.
"I think we're in a great place right now," Daukas said. "There was a time 15 or 20 years ago when the College didn't want to hear from alumni, but now that's not the case. Alumni really care about Dartmouth."
