AAVC Award for Outstanding Service to Vassar

Richard Van Demark ’77, who closed out a 24-year term on the Vassar Board of Trustees this summer, will receive the Award for Outstanding Service to Vassar College from the Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College. Van Demark had been chair of the board of trustees for the last 10 years, during which time he worked closely with President Frances Fergusson to form one of the most successful partnerships in Vassar history.

According to AAVC President Meg Venecek Johnson ’84, Richard was an obvious choice for the award. “Vassar would not be the same institution it is today if not for his extraordinary tenure as a member and then as leader of the Board of Trustees. His keen intellect, engagement in broad educational issues, and passion for his alma mater have been the hallmarks of his service,” says Johnson.

Van Demark himself is remarkably modest. He calls receiving the award “humbling,” and says, “My primary hope is that my service on the board has been of some benefit to the college.”

Visit www.aavc.vassar.edu/vq/issues/Winter_2005 to read more about Van Demark’s service to Vassar.