FIRST ANNUAL UDALL SCHOLAR ALUMNI
REUNION
The First Annual Udall Scholar Alumni Reunion took place September 25-27, 2009, in Washington, DC. Sixty-one alumni
representing classes from 1997 through 2009 were in attendance. The reunion kicked off with a potluck-style dinner at
the home of Kayanna Warren ('04,'05 Udall Scholar), which the alumni tackled with the same collaborative spirit and
creativity as they apply to their tireless work fixing the planet. It was a chance to catch up with old friends and
meet new ones over a heaping plate of spaghetti. Everyone gathered in the living room for introductions and to
congratulate the planning committee on all their hard work putting the weekend together.
The kickoff dinner was followed by a full day of speakers and panels at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Charlotte Ely ('05 Udall Scholar), Lauren DuCharme ('07 Udall Scholar) and Deborah Lapidus ('03,'04 Udall Scholar)
participated in a panel on sustainable water management. Charlotte works for the Sustainable Water Infrastructure and
Climate Change Initiative at the Environmental Protection Agency, Lauren recently finished coauthoring a book on
storm water management for the community along the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut, and Deborah is the Senior
Organizer with Boston-based Corporate Accountability International, where she organizes public officials, members,
students, and activists around the country on the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign. Michael Coren ('01 Udall Scholar)
participated in a panel on climate change. He works at Climate Focus, an advisory company committed to the development
of projects and policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate carbon credits. Additional sessions
covered building a more inclusive environmental movement, mountain-top removal mining, and creative activism methods.
The Scholars were joined by Wizipan Garriott ('02 Udall Intern), who currently serves as Advisor to the Assistant
Secretary at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Wizipan participated in a Tribal Sovereignty panel discussion with
Danielle Her Many Horses of the National Indian Gaming Association and Heather Dawn Thompson, a partner at
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP.
Special guests also included Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Heather Zichal, who
addressed attendees and answered questions about the administration's climate change agenda. The last panel of the
day featured Udall Foundation Board Chairman Terry Bracy, Trustee Emeritus and former Deputy Secretary of the
Department of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, and Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder, who discussed
strategies for influencing policy in Washington.
Also under discussion was the formation of the Udall Alumni Association, which organizers hope to launch in January
2010. The Association is intended to enhance the benefits of the Udall Scholarship and strengthen the alumni network.
The proposed Association would organize an annual conference or outing, develop an alumni website, help reach out to
new potential applicants, providing forums or social networking venues for Scholars to connect or reconnect, and
publish an alumni publication.
That evening Udallers gathered at James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant for dinner. The energy and comradery that accompany
large numbers of Scholars in small spaces kept many alums up long into the night. In the time-honored Udall tradition
of burning the candle at both ends, the alums rose bright and early to participate in a service activity with Casey
Trees in Upshur Park, where they planted trees and worked on invasive species removal.
Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43041569@N05/