In Pursuit of Excellence 

Dartmouth College Recognizes with Deep Appreciation the Extraordinary Achievements of 

Catherine Craighead Briggs ’88 P’20
2017 President of the Year – 26 Years Out and Older

The titles “president” and “chair” seem to follow Catherine everywhere she goes. Catherine has served and supported her alma mater as the founder and co-chair emerita of the successful Centennial Circle fundraising effort. She has led the Class Officers Association Executive Board as its president and serves as chair of the Dartmouth College Fund Executive Committee while receiving recognition from the College for her skills and efforts with the Stephen F. Mandel Society Award. And, of course, Catherine is the current president of the great Class of 1988.

Catherine’s volunteerism for Dartmouth and her class goes back 30 years, but it is in the last five years that she has earned these titles and accolades and emerged as one of Dartmouth’s key alumni leaders. This year, we recognize Catherine for her leadership as president of the Class of 1988 – a class that was named Class of the Year in 2016 and received Class of the Year Honorable Mention this year. As the ’88s head into their 30th reunion, the class’s performance reflects Catherine’s efforts and ideas. From the class’s strategic communications plan, innovative dues collection approach, and community-building mini-reunions to the “Hearts and Hands” program that lends a hand to classmates experiencing challenging circumstances, its initiatives all bear the “CCB” mark of excellence.

A summa cum laude graduate with a degree in art history, Catherine went on to earn her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, which she currently serves through the Kellogg Alumni Council and Annual Giving Initiative. Catherine also gives back to her local community, sitting on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley. Known for her smile, incredible memory for details, and endearing personal notes, we know beyond a doubt that these other organizations are fortunate to have this volunteer extraordinaire working on their behalf.

Catherine and her husband Gary live in Los Gatos, California, and have twin sons – Jonathan, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley; and Trevor, Dartmouth Class of 2020.

It is with great pride and the utmost gratitude that the Class Officers Association Executive Board honors Catherine with the 2017 Class President of the Year Award.