A Letter from the Lehigh Home Club President

Dear Fellow Lehigh Alumni,

I am writing to share with you my decision to step down as Lehigh Home Club President as of June 30, 2010. I am proud to report that Diana Colahan '04, the club's Vice President, will become the first female President of Lehigh's largest and most prestigious alumni club on July 1, 2010.

Without venturing into extraneous details, I will offer that recent events have required me to make some dramatic changes in my life. As a result of these changes, I am no longer able to fulfill the important responsibilities of this position.

I am thrilled, meanwhile, that we have in Diana Colahan an intelligent, poised, passionate, and charismatic natural leader who will help our proud organization grow and strengthen in countless ways. I am also proud personally that my resignation is leading to the rise of the club's first female President. It is easy for people my age to forget that Lehigh became a co-ed university less than 40 years ago. As our most senior board member said recently about Diana's upcoming term as President, it is about time.

My hopes for Diana and the Lehigh Home Club are essentially the same hopes I have had as President - for the club to gain a clearer understanding of its power and purpose and to gain strength from that understanding. I noted recently at the Lehigh Valley Career Networking Reception for alumni that there are at least 5,000 Lehigh alumni who work in the greater Lehigh Valley or call the region home. I also noted that we need to do a better job sometimes helping each other and those who call Lehigh home today.

I believe that the Lehigh Home Club's membership can be a tremendous force in our alma mater's campus and our community at-large. I believe we can help welcome more talented Lehigh Valley high school students into the Lehigh family. The local law firm of Cohen & Feely showcased recently its 2010 "Best of the Best" high school award winners in a newspaper ad. I happened to know some of these young people through my employment, and I know how talented they are. The ad listed these students' college choices. Sadly, the name Lehigh University was not be found.

I believe the Lehigh Home Club can help its members and alumni from around the world re-connect with the university in a meaningful way. I believe that Home Club alumni can build a unique and powerful network of people sharing an important bond willing to come to each other's assistance. I also believe that Home Club alumni can work together to help our neighborhoods stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

Diana has already begun this process. She has linked the Home Club with the HCM Foundation, a great organization that supports children and family members of Cancer victims. The Home Club and HCM will hold a 5K/10K race event in October that will benefit both HCM's college scholarship fund and the Lehigh Home Club Scholarship fund. Alumni and friends will be helping others in this worthy endeavor and helping themselves live healthy lifestyles.

I have no doubt that the Lehigh Home Club will be better because of the changes we are making now. With that conviction, I step down as Home Club President in peace, grateful for the opportunity, and hopeful that all of us will rally around our great new leader. Thank you very much for your support, and long live the Brown and White.

Sincerely yours,
Dennis Zehner '99