Dartmouth recognized four standout alumni volunteers at the annual Alumni Awards Gala on October 27. The recipients were presented their awards in Hanover during the 215th meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council.
Sherri C. Oberg ’82, Tu’86 and Arthur M. Kelton Jr. ’61 were presented with the Dartmouth Alumni Award in honor of their long-standing and meritorious service to the College and their community, as well as achievements in their careers. Alumni are eligible for this award, established in 1954, after their 25th class reunion.
Kevin C. Hudak ’07 and Heiyab F. Tessema ’04, Th’05, Th’06 received the Dartmouth Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. This award, established in 1990, recognizes breadth, depth, and length of volunteer involvement. Alumni are eligible the first 15 years after graduation.
DARTMOUTH ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
Sherri C. Oberg ’82, Tu’86
Life and career
Sherri ended up at Dartmouth after a detour on a family camping trip brought her to campus. “I thought it was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen,” she explains. “It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair.” A history major, she fondly remembers Professor Ken Shewmaker’s classes, his reenactments of historical scenes, and working with him on her senior seminar about Daniel Webster. Sherri was active across campus, participating in the Glee Club, in theater productions, and in Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was one of the founders of the all-female senior society Phoenix, and was also tapped for Fire and Skoal. An intern in the Office of Alumni Relations, Sherri learned the value of the Dartmouth alumni community early on. Upon graduation, she spent two years in a training program at Banker’s Trust before returning to Hanover to attend the Tuck School of Business. She focused her studies around the health care industry, and joined a venture capital firm after earning her MBA. Sherri quickly zeroed in on the biotech space, working in both New York and Boston before leaving venture capital to lead a troubled company as a turnaround CEO. “I discovered that as much as I liked being a venture capitalist, I loved being an entrepreneur,” she explains. Along with a scientist from MIT, Sherri founded Acusphere out of the basement of her house, which grew from “a blank piece of paper” to a company with 150 employees that invented a drug for cardiovascular disease and held a successful IPO. After 20 years as CEO, Sherri transitioned out of the role, and recharged by trekking in Nepal and working on a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival about the need for change in our educational system. Currently, she’s working with MIT scientists and the Gates Foundation on an effort to create technical solutions to global malnutrition. Sherri’s husband Curt is a member of the Class of 1978, and their children Ali ’13 Tu’18 and Eric ’16 both attended Dartmouth as well.
Memories from the Green
“My sophomore year I was a tour guide for the admissions office, and I mentioned in my tour that I was going to Europe for LSA [Language Study Abroad], I was going to France. There happened to be an alumnus in my group who lived in London. He and his wife [Tom Rucker ’63 and Betty Rucker] came up to me after the tour and said ‘look, if you’re going to France why don’t you stop in London on the way – we’ll put you up and you can see London without having to spend a lot of money.’ I didn’t think they were serious, so I didn’t follow up, but several weeks later they tracked me down and called me at home in Philadelphia. So I flew to London and when I got there they had a room for me and subway maps and tokens and guidebooks and the whole bit. The whole time I was in France they wrote me weekly letters. They invited me to come back through London on the way home, and when I did they threw a surprise party for me with all of the Dartmouth people in the London area, and they served cheeseburgers and French fries and brownies because they knew that’s what I would be craving. I was just really astounded by how nice they were.”
For Dartmouth
Sherri served as class agent and then head agent for the 10 years after graduation, then joined the Alumni Council. Three years into her term, she became president, and served on the nominating and alumni trustee search committee during a trustee election. After leaving the Council, Sherri joined the board of Tuck’s Center for Private Equity, on which she served for 10 years, and the Tuck Board of Overseers, on which she served for 20. She was named to the Dartmouth Board of Trustees in 2008 and held that role for eight years. “It’s just been one continuous stream of involvement with Dartmouth in various capacities, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I love working with the people, I love the school, and in each role I’ve learned more and more about the school.”
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“I remember the excitement of Jim Kim becoming president – I found his vision having Dartmouth take on the world’s greatest problems very inspirational and very motivating. Then when Phil Hanlon came in, he did so with such credibility in being able to pull things off. Jim Kim was good with big ideas, and Phil is great with making it happen. It’s been really exciting to see how he’s getting everyone aligned and making it happen, with successes like the [Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society] and the faculty clusters.”
You Know You Bleed Green
“When you teach your children the alma mater before Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!”
Arthur M. Kelton Jr. ’61
Life and Career
Art nearly became a geography major before a conversation with then-chair of the history department and Dartmouth legend Al Foley convinced him to switch to American history. An avid skier, Art joined the freshman ski team, was a member of the ski patrol, and ran the College’s recreational skiing instruction program as an upperclassman, was held on the golf course at Oak Hill, and at the newly opened Dartmouth Skiway. Fascinated by politics, Art was the president of the Young Republicans, as well as a member of Alpha Chi Rho (now Alpha Chi Alpha) and the Dartmouth Forensic Union. After graduation, he worked for the governor of Vermont and earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Vermont. When tired of East Coast mountains, Art packed up his car and moved to Colorado, where he taught skiing in Steamboat Springs and Vail. He worked for Olympic gold medalist Roger Staub, before “inadvertently” getting into real estate and then property development in the Vail area. “I still work for myself, I would never retire,” Art notes, adding that his office “is probably a minute and a half from the ski gondola, and not by accident. I still ski probably 90 days a year.” He also flies planes recreationally, is chairman of the board of a local hospital known nationally for its orthopedic program, and enjoys spending time with his wife Elaine and daughters Courtney, Vanessa, and Ashley and their families.
Memories from the Green
Art learned the value of the bonds between Dartmouth students and professors early on. Professor Foley, who was an important mentor during Art’s time on campus, remained a source of Dartmouth connections long after Art left the Hanover Plain. “When I moved to Denver, he drove out with me and introduced me to all the Dartmouth guys in the area,” Art explains.
For Dartmouth
Art remains tightly connected to his class, and served as class president for six years and head agent for two terms. He was a member of the board of overseers that managed the Hanover Inn during its renovation, and spent a decade on the now-disbanded real estate committee managing non-institutional properties for the College. He also spent a term on the Alumni Council. Art worked with Steve Waterhouse ’65 to create the Passion for Skiing film and book, exploring the history of the sport at Dartmouth. He has been deeply involved with the Dartmouth Club of the Vail Region, serving as president for the last seven years. Art has spearheaded the organization of a weekend celebration called CarniVail, held annually during the last weekend in February, which “combines the intellectual with the athletic.” The event includes a Friday evening celebration and a weekend of ski races. Art hopes to bring faculty to CarniVail to create an academic tie to the College.
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“A lot of undergraduates and recent graduates make their way to my office in Vail, and I love getting to know them. I’ve helped several of them get winter jobs here and things like that. My single greatest ongoing pleasure is being able to interface with people who are either undergraduates right now or recent grads.”
You Know You Bleed Green
“Dartmouth is always part of my daily life in some way, so I guess I bleed Green most of the time. I’m always in touch with some Dartmouth contact or working on something to do with Dartmouth.”
DARTMOUTH YOUNG ALUMNI DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Kevin C. Hudak ’07
Life and Career
Dartmouth nearly lost Kevin to Georgetown – he was initially waitlisted at Dartmouth and planned to enroll as a Hoya. Luckily, he was admitted off the waitlist just as his family was about to leave for summer vacation, and a quick visit to campus convinced him he belonged in Hanover. Once on campus, Kevin began taking science classes for a premed track, but quickly realized that his passion was in the government department thanks to Professor Ronald Shaiko’s Government 3. He ended up spending a semester in Washington, DC on the Government Foreign Study Program (FSP) with Professor Shaiko, where students interned on Capitol Hill during the day and took classes at night.
Outside of class, Kevin played club badminton, was involved with the Rockefeller Center’s Class of 1964 Policy Research Shop, and was a member of Sigma Nu (for which he served as vice president and president) and Paleopitus. He wrote for the Dartmouth Review and helped manage the publication’s business side as President in his junior and senior years, bringing in significant funding and organizing several public forums around contemporary issues.
After graduating, Kevin moved to DC to work at one of the nation’s most prestigious Republican polling and public affairs firms, The Tarrance Group. In addition to supporting dozens of state and local races, Kevin and the Tarrance team polled for more than 35 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, more than 7 U.S. Senators and several Republican campaigns for U.S. President.
In 2011, Kevin joined Brightline Strategies as leader of the firm’s research and strategy practice, where he “applies the art and science of political polling to the corporate world.” He also founded a nonprofit called Single Parents of New York in honor of his grandmother, Gladys, which supported a scholarship for students of the high school in his hometown.
Memories from the Green
“Freshman year, I joined a few friends in taking Professor Steve Swayne’s opera class to ‘get more culture’ and ended up absolutely loving it. I always tell the story of Professor Swayne having us over for dinner after the class was done to discuss the class and our experiences at Dartmouth. I just feel like you would never experience that anywhere but Dartmouth. It was such a lovely dinner, and it was one of my favorite classes, and that was one of those moments where the uniqueness of Dartmouth really hit home. Professor Swayne and I remained in contact after graduation and we even planned a reception in his honor on one of his visits to DC.”
For Dartmouth
Kevin was on the Senior Executive Committee and served as class mini-reunion chair for five years after graduation. Under his leadership, the class held 10 mini-reunions across the country each year, including an annual event at Homecoming complete with spiced cider and Lou’s pies. Kevin also helped organize his class’s five-year Reunion. He has served as an alumni interviewer since graduation, and has volunteered with the Dartmouth Club of Washington, DC since 2008. He started organizing trips to Washington Nationals baseball games for the Club, and quickly moved up to event planner, vice president, and interim president before being elected president two years ago. Throughout his time with the Dartmouth Club of DC, Kevin has chaired the Club’s annual Daniel Webster Dinner honoring a DC-area alumni in public service for two years, which most recently honored noted journalist Jake Tapper ‘91. He also remains involved with the Rockefeller Center and the First Year Fellows program.
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“One of my favorite moments was when we honored three members of the U.S. Congress for a Daniel Webster dinner I chaired: John Carney ’78 from Delaware, Charlie Bass ’74 from New Hampshire, and Mike Capuano ’73 from Massachusetts. There were three sitting congressmen and we actually had three Dartmouth students in DC on the Government FSP introduce them. It was hysterical and such a cool role reversal to have the students introduce them. The students peppered their intros with jokes about each member’s Dartmouth experience, to which the congressmen would respond in their own speeches. It shifted the entire evening away from politics, and firmly in service to Dartmouth and to our country. Our honorees definitely mentioned how articulate the student speakers were, as well!”
You Know You Bleed Green
“I know I bleed Green following the completion of a big, signature event that the whole team worked on, and there’s that afterglow of success. That’s when I feel the most Green – when we’re together afterwards talking about how great it went, who we were able to engage more deeply in their Dartmouth experience and who perhaps came to a Dartmouth event for the first time.”
Heiyab F. Tessema ’04, Th’05, Th’06
Life and Career
Heiyab spent six years on campus, earning an AB from the College and a BE and MEM from the Thayer School of Engineering. He noted his engineering modified with economics major was “really tough,” but it created enduring bonds between fellow students in the program. On campus, Heiyab was deeply involved in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, a historically black fraternity, for which he notes that he “probably served in every role at some point.” He also served as vice president of the Dartmouth Afro-American Society and helped found the Inter-Community Council, which brought together the leaders of various campus communities to tackle common issues. Heiyab was part of a radio show “on Wednesday nights at some god-awful hour” and enjoyed playing intramural sports. He also spent time in Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color (DACC), which provided opportunities for children of color from the Upper Valley to meet students of color at Dartmouth. After graduating from Dartmouth, Heiyab worked as an environmental engineer in New York for several years before transitioning into building “faster-moving” tech, first at Agora Group and then at Oliver Wyman Labs, where he is currently an engagement manager working on data, analytics and software solutions. The child of Ethiopian immigrants, Heiyab also spent two years as chief operating officer of the Ethiopian Global Initiative, which sought to engage the Ethiopian diaspora in pressing issues. He also volunteers when he can for organizations working to close the opportunity gap for women and minorities, specifically in STEM.
Memories from the Green
“The one that sticks out in my mind is DACC – I couldn’t make it every Monday, but the days that I could were just wonderful. Playing with the kids helped you keep perspective on things that matter. Some of them were displaced and many just wanted to get in touch with their culture. I met an adopted brother and sister from Ethiopia who landed smack dab in the Upper Valley. I met the parents, got invited to their house to hang out with the kids; having a meal and helping them open up was a big highlight for me. There were actually many Ethiopian kids in the Upper Valley, surprisingly enough!”
For Dartmouth
Heiyab has been extensively involved with the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association (BADA). He previously served as New York regional director and is now treasurer and a member of the executive board. He has also served as the BADA representative on Alumni Council, and as an alumni interviewer. Additionally, he is involved with the Theta Zeta Alumni Association for his fraternity’s chapter, which, like BADA, focuses on “networking and mentoring, trying to cultivate the pipeline of black excellence.” Heiyab notes that he returns to Dartmouth frequently, and has been lucky enough to be “an unofficial mentor to some minorities in STEM.”
Highlights of Volunteer Service
“Our 40th Reunion in 2012 stands out. Both BADA and my chapter were founded in 1972 so all of our reunions are at the same time. The turnout was incredible, and all of us on the Reunion committee ran around like chickens with our heads cut off planning it. On the Alpha Phi Alpha side especially, brand new relationships were forged – we had some of our founding members come back and join in fellowship with current undergraduate brothers, which is pretty amazing.”
You Know You Bleed Green
“When you have never made a trip to Hanover and back without buying more Dartmouth gear. I’ve never been able to leave without stopping at Co-op or Traditionally Trendy.”