The Smith College Board of Trustees has elected five new members:
Anne Donovan Bodnar ’78, an executive coach and strategic advisor, with previous experience as chief administrative officer and chief human resources officer at Willis Towers Watson. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in French civilization and government from Smith College. Bodnar serves on the board of trustees of the New World Symphony, is vice chair of the Adirondack Museum, and recently completed her tenure as chair of the Smith College Museum of Art Visiting Committee. She is also an active member of the International Women’s Forum.
Midge Costin ’78 is the inaugural holder of the Kay Rose Endowed Chair in the Art of Sound Editing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, established by George Lucas in 2005. She directed and produced the award-winning documentary “Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and internationally at Cannes in 2019. The film earned multiple awards and a Critics Choice Documentary Award nomination for Best First Time Director. Most recently, Costin directed and produced a 20-minute film that serves as the official sound exhibit for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.
She began her career as a feature film sound editor in Hollywood. Her work on “Crimson Tide“ and “Armageddon“ contributed to both films receiving Academy Award nominations for sound editing. Costin is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she serves on the Sound Branch Executive Committee and the LGBTQ+ Coalition. She holds a master’s degree in film production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a bachelor’s degree in art history from Smith College.
Ronald A. Crutcher served as president of the University of Richmond from 2015 to 2021 and is president emeritus of Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He previously served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University in Ohio. In 2021, he was named a senior fellow in the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. Crutcher is vice president of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and serves on the boards of IES Abroad, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, the Richmond Forum, Spider Management Company, the Jepson Scholars Foundation, Agnes Scott College in Georgia, and Bard College Berlin. A former member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, he has also served on the boards of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony and Berklee College of Music.
Xiaole Shirley Liu ‘97 is the co-founder and CEO of GV20 Therapeutics, a clinical-stage, AI-driven biotherapeutics company focused on next-generation cancer treatments.
Liu graduated from Smith College with a double major in biochemistry and computer science and earned her Ph.D. in biomedical informatics, with a minor in computer science, from Stanford University. Liu is a fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Lara Marcon ’91 brings more than 30 years of financial leadership experience to the Smith College Board of Trustees. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Smith College, she began her career with Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers, where she completed a certificate in portfolio management through the CFA Institute.
She has worked with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, including The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, the National Institute for Reproductive Health, and the Metropolitan Opera. She serves on the boards of The Metropolitan Opera and the Central Park Conservancy Women’s Committee. Marcon has held leadership roles with The Smith Fund and the Smith College Club of New York. She has also served as the treasurer of the Alumnae Association of Smith College Board of Directors and began a four-year term as the president of the board in July 2025.
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Big Y announced a series of promotions within the company as part of its continued focus on nurturing talent, fostering a culture of growth and recognizing the hard work and passion of its employees.
Massachusetts (by hometown):
Chicopee, Michelle A. Canavan, GL claims specialist, Store Support Center.
East Longmeadow, Sydney Y. Wheaton, asset protection specialist, Store Support Center.
Feeding Hills, Deidre A. Depathy, senior manager of front-end operations and customer experience, Store Support Center.
Longmeadow, Caroline M. Cuzeau, director of financial plan and analysis, Store Support Center.
Longmeadow, Matthew J. Smith, energy analyst, Store Support Center.
Longmeadow, Morgan J. Spencer, director of retail marketing, Store Support Center.
Pittsfield, Jordan M. Stone, Store Manager, Big Y Express.
South Hadley, Ryan J. Rooney, center store sales manager, Big Y Supermarket.
Springfield, Ross T. Murray, meat/seafood sales manager, Big Y Supermarket.
Westfield, Collin M. Williams, produce/floral sales manager, Big Y Supermarket.
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Glenmeadow in Longmeadow has announced the recipients of the 2025 Age of Excellence Awards.
Launched in 2024, the Age of Excellence Awards were created by Glenmeadow to honor individuals over 60 who embody vitality, purpose, and leadership.
Glenmeadow presented an inaugural Caregiver Age of Excellence Award to Betty Alban. Rick Sullivan, president and CEO of the Western Mass Economic Development Council, is this year’s honorary recipient.
Other recipients are Aaron Mendelson; Beth Cardillo; Betty Huckowicz; John Delaney; Bob Perry; Ruth Griggs and Sabra Ramsdell.
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