Seva Kramer Honored for Role in CSF/PICS

Tribute on April 13, 2013, Sponsored by Class of '69 CSF and PICS Board of Directors

On Saturday evening, April 13, classmates gathered from around the country to honor the Class of 1969 Community Service Fund’s founding Executive Director, Seva Kramer. If you missed this one you missed possibly the most elegant dinner that ’69 has ever thrown. After a couple of blustery days, spring returned just in time to grace the view from the Garden Room in Prospect House. In addition to her classmates and CSF board members, Seva was fêted by present and former PICS interns and sponsoring organizations as well as Seva and Peter’s close friends Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin and his spouse Suzanne. Cynthia Cherrey, Vice President for Campus Life, represented President Tilghman and read Shirley’s warm letter of gratitude for everything Seva has done for the University family.

Jim Gregoire spoke of the seeds of the CSF in the challenge delivered by members of the Class of ’55 at our 26^th reunion dinner, and of Seva’s dual role in the early days running both CSF and Princeton in Africa, another spectacularly successful initiative spawned by our Class shortly after the organization of CSF. We toasted the life and service of Chet Safian, one of the ‘55ers that inspired and mentored us, who passed a few days before the dinner. Sue Greenberg of Lawyers for Children, one of Seva’s favorite internship sponsors, spoke of LFC’s development and the work made possible by having a PICS intern every year from the founding of the program. Then present CSF Chair Chuck Freyer paid a moving tribute to Seva and her seminal service in what will forever be remembered as The River Speech. You really had to be there, but for those who couldn't make it, click here to see photos of the event.

Many thanks to dinner chair Rick Kitto and our new CSF/PICS Executive Director Jeri Schaefer for planning and executing a perfect tribute, and to our Class Resident Artistic Director Anne Charrier for designing the beautifully logo-etched Waterford tray and the Médaille de la Légion d’Honneur de Soixante-Neuf, both of which were presented to Seva at the conclusion of the evening.

The dinner also provided the magnet event for a two-day strategic planning retreat in which the CSF/PICS board, now including several non-‘69ers, met to chart the course of our Class legacy program for the next 3 years. All agreed it was an energizing and productive conference and that we have much work ahead in order to realize the vision.

Bill and Anne Charrier

Jim Floyd

Claus Frank and Annette Berman

Chuck and Judy Freyer

Jim and Kathy Gaffney

Dan Harman

Bob and Lynne Herbst

Steve Houck and Toni Lichstein

Chip and Marilyn Jerry

Rick and Chris Kitto

Seva and Peter Kramer

Niel Lewis

Jeff and Maureen Marston

Ken Mertz

Marc Miller

Sandy Rea

Hayden and Betty Smith

Jeff and Martha Sprowles

Tom and Joan Weidner

Bob and Barbara Wolfe