Hayden Pendergrass (A14) is in his second term as an At Large Director, currently serving on the Events Working Group, and is seeking election to be President-elect. After graduating from the College, Hayden worked in the Annapolis Admissions Office as a paid intern before moving overseas for several years to Cyprus and Ireland. After completing his postgraduate work in religious studies at Trinity College, Dublin, he attended the George Washington University Law School, where Hayden received his Juris Doctor with Honors. Hayden served for two years as a staff attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit before joining the firm Akeel & Valentine in Michigan. Hayden has been recognized as National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40 for his civil plaintiff work, primarily in civil rights, employment, and whistleblower cases.

Hayden has served as a co-lead the Alumni Giving Council, successfully supporting the College’s fundraising efforts, Giving Tuesday and Johnnie Day of Giving from 2022 to 2024. Each of those campaigns succeeded in meeting the College’s donor goals and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the College. Hayden also aided in the further development of the Annapolis Cup Giving Tent (now in its third year), which has raised thousands of dollars and helped the spread of the ubiquitous Beat Navy buttons on Front Campus on Croquet Day. In his current role as co-lead of the Events Working Group, Hayden is helping to organize and plan events including the Association’s award ceremonies, Alumni Central at Croquet, Lifelong Learning (L3), and the upcoming 200th Anniversary of the Alumni Association.

Beyond his service on the AAB, Hayden has been an active member of the Alumni Association and has strived to regularly give back to the College. During his time in the Admissions Office, Hayden participated in Alumni Association leadership events, including on the Santa Fe campus, and frequently participated in intramurals for his beloved Spartans. In subsequent years, Hayden helped organize his class’s 5-year and 10-year reunions.

Christopher Budd (AGI95) is a security, privacy, crisis management and communications expert with nearly 30 years of experience in the technology field. Christopher’s unique background combines both a full career in the technical aspects of security and privacy with a full career in communication, including crisis communications.

In his ten years at Microsoft, Christopher helped build and lead Microsoft’s worldwide security, privacy, and geopolitical response processes. Since Microsoft, Christopher has worked at several of the world’s leading security technology companies building technical and crisis communications programs that improved their standing in the industry and with customers.

Christopher is a seasoned spokesperson who has managed some of the most difficult and challenging crises the industry has ever faced. He has given over 250 interviews around the world, written over 100 articles, opinion pieces, and blog posts, led over 50 live webcasts, given dozens of industry analyst briefings, and is co-author or contributor on 4 books on technology or communications topics.

Outside of work, Christopher has published numerous articles on history, philosophy, and gaming topics, and he is a contributing author to Great Thinkers A-Z, a book on the history of philosophy.

My Nguyen (A09) is a consummate library professional with over a decade of experience in public service serving diverse populations. Overseeing daily operations and staff in a high-traffic urban public library in downtown Washington, D.C., My also expertly guides library patrons and researchers with their information needs. She is experienced in implementing high-value community outreach and library programming for adults, children, and teens. After graduating from St. John’s College in 2009, she earned a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science from The Catholic University of America in 2014.

Since 2011, My has worked for the District of Columbia Public Library system in Washington, D.C., in various roles, including senior librarian. She is currently the assistant manager of West End Neighborhood Library, located in Washington’s Foggy Bottom-West End neighborhood. When not assisting patrons with reference questions or managing a team of six employees, she engages with the citizens of Washington by collaborating with Persuasion magazine to bring authors, professors, and community partners to the library for lectures and programming.

In her role as library professional, My founded and hosted community reading and discussion groups that meet regularly. These groups include The Intimidating Book Club, where participants read and discuss notoriously lengthy novels widely considered classics; the Shakespeare Society, which focuses on reading and discussing all of the Bard’s plays; and a small but truly devoted Proust group that has made it its mission to complete all seven volumes of In Search of Lost Time. Her work with these reading groups has been featured in Axios D.C. and The Atlantic, and she is currently in talks with the Washington Post to have her Proust group be featured in an article.

My is active in the SJC D.C. alumni chapter and currently serves as director-at-large and co-leader of the Chapters working group for the SJC Alumni Association. Alongside Chapters co-leader Jacob Greenstine, they have hosted chapter all-calls and check-ins, offered support for new and established chapters, are working to establish a GI chapter, and recently led an initiative to spotlight and elevate regional chapter activities on the College’s social media platforms.

Sam Collins (A15) is a member of Caiola & Rose’s Franchise, Regulatory and Transactional practice group. He represents franchisors and other business owners in various corporate and transactional matters, including acquisitions, divestitures and franchise development. He also negotiates complex corporate agreements related to marketing, real estate, supply chain, technology, consumer privacy, and other vendor relationships. Before joining Caiola & Rose, Sam worked as in-house counsel for two franchisors of globally-recognized brands. His in-house experience makes him a business-minded attorney, with a unique understanding of what business leaders need and how to support them efficiently and practically. After graduating from law school and before starting his franchise practice, Sam clerked for a state judge in New Jersey.

Will Loder (A13) offered the following statement: “I would like to serve on the Alumni Association Board as a way to give back to the College, and to ensure its continued success for future generations of students and alumni. Every time I reconnect with a fellow Johnnie I am reminded of the special bond we all share, especially during my 10-year reunion in 2023 for which I served as co-chair.

My experience at St. John’s provided and strengthened the skills I use in my career as a gift officer for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, building and developing relationships to support a common goal and purpose. In addition to my fundraising work for the Milwaukee Symphony, I serve as the secretary and treasurer of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – SE Wisconsin Chapter, and as a trustee of Milwaukee Montessori School. I also was a participant in the 2022 cohort of Essentials of Orchestra Management hosted by the League of American Orchestras.

I believe my background in fundraising and the performing arts, together with my location in the Midwest, will bring a different and unique perspective to the work of the board.”

Melissa Sherman (SF98) has over 20 years of experience leading global design organizations. She has built a career at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and user-centered problem-solving. She offered the following comments:

“St. John’s faces key questions about its long-term sustainability, alumni engagement, and the relevance of a classical liberal arts education in an evolving world. I bring expertise in aligning organizations around a shared vision, scaling communities, and driving measurable impact—all critical as the College works to strengthen enrollment, enhance fundraising, and expand career pathways for graduates.

• Strengthening Alumni Networks & Engagement – Having led and mentored high-performing global teams, I understand the importance of fostering strong, connected communities. I would work to deepen alumni engagement by enhancing mentorship programs, professional networking, and regional alumni initiatives, ensuring that Johnnies remain lifelong advocates and contributors to the college.
• Expanding Career Opportunities for Graduates – My leadership in product innovation has shown me firsthand the demand for critical thinkers who can navigate complexity. I see a major opportunity to better connect St. John’s students with industries that value analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and intellectual agility. I would advocate for stronger partnerships with alumni in leadership roles and broader professional development resources to help students and graduates thrive in diverse career paths
• Ensuring Institutional Resilience Through Innovation – Just as I have guided companies through change, I believe St. John’s must continue evolving while preserving its core identity. My experience in strategic planning, brand positioning, and organizational leadership can contribute to efforts that enhance the college’s financial sustainability and public perception, ensuring its long-term success.”

Elections are governed by the Alumni Association’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws, which may be found here.

Article VIII of the By-Laws govern elections generally and the procedure for nominating by petition alternate candidates (candidates other than those nominated by the AA Board) is found at Section 5. These instructions are designed to allow alumni to nominate such alternate candidates in compliance with the terms of the documents referenced above.

Any candidate nominated must be eligible to serve in the office for which they are nominated. In general, all alumni are eligible to serve, but there are some provisions relating to term limitations which might rule out certain specific alumni for some offices.

Steps to Take:

1. Have the candidate create or approve a short biographical sketch (not more than 250 words) for distribution to alumni in general prior to the election. In addition, the candidate should certify that they are willing to be nominated as a candidate for the relevant office and will serve in that capacity if elected. The candidate should sign a copy of the completed form, which should then be delivered to the alumni office in Santa Fe, by one of the means detailed below. A template of that form is included in Appendix 1 of these instructions.
2. Twenty-five alumni in good standing must sign a petition nominating the proposed candidate. The petitions actually signed by the twenty-five alumni may take the form of one petition signed by all, or of twenty-five separate petitions each signed by one, or of any combination of the two. (For example, one could submit one petition signed by five alumni, and twenty petitions each signed by only one alum.) The petitions should clearly state, either in typed or in printed form, the name of the signing alumni as recorded by the College, and have a signature. For your convenience, a form of such a petition has been attached to these instructions as Appendix II. It would be more convenient (and would make it less likely that one of the required documents is inadvertently misplaced) if all these documents were delivered at one time to the Alumni Office in Annapolis, but this is not a requirement. Sending more than twenty-five signatures from Last updated in June 2025 alumni is not required, but is allowed. The proposed candidate may sign a nominating petition and be counted as one of the twenty-five signatories. (This would be a separate signature than that outlined in step 1)
3. The signed documents may be returned by either of the following two methods:

a.) Hard copies may be sent by U.S. Mail or expedited mail delivery (e.g. FedEx) to the Alumni Office at 60 College Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401, attention Alumni Engagement/Melissa Fairchild.

b.) Hard copies may be scanned into a commonly used format (such as .pdf) and sent to the Alumni Association as an attachment to an email at alumni.association(at)sjc.edu with the subject line ‘AA Election Petition’. We’re sorry, but at this time we don’t yet have the technological ability to use “electronic signatures”.

All necessary documents must be received on or before Friday, August 15, 2025. Because U.S. Mail takes some time to arrive, petitions sent by that method should be mailed with sufficient time to ensure receipt by the deadline of August 15, 2025.

For more information or for help in completing this process, contact the Secretary of the Alumni Association, Beth Martin at sjcassociation(at)gmail.com.

Job Description of an At-Large Director

The Board of Directors is the policy-making body for the St. John’s College Alumni Association (SJCAA). Directors work with the college alumni relations directors and staff to determine association priorities, set achievable objectives and establish measurable outcomes.

Directors are responsible for organizing and motivating the work of association volunteers, both individually and through working groups. Members of the board champion the mission of the association: to strive for the continued excellence of our college and fellow alumni by celebrating our distinctive educational experience, connecting our community in efforts toward shared support and benefit, and fostering a culture of intellect, generosity, and service.

Nominees to the Board of Directors are put forward by the sitting board as recommended by its nominating committee, or by alumni petition. New board members are elected in a general election in which all alumni are eligible to vote. Directors ensure that the organization fulfills its mission via their participation, oversight, and effort. Requirements include:

• Attend board meetings and actively participate in decision-making.
• Advocate for alumni and the college, with staff, alumni and non-College affiliated persons.
• Support staff in achievement of their objectives while simultaneously encouraging alumni engagement and the achievement of Board objectives.
• Share personal areas of expertise with the board and staff.
• Lead or co-lead a Working Group.
• Ensure effective organizational planning.
• Monitor and strengthen volunteer programs.
• Maintain a working knowledge of bylaws and policies, and participate in revisions as necessary.
• Provide proper financial oversight, to include reviewing annual budgets.
• Make a financial contribution to the college at a personally significant level.
• Participate in donor stewardship (appreciation) as needed.
• Support a high-functioning relationship between the association and the college.
• Listen, analyze, think creatively, and work respectfully with others.
• Ask questions, take responsibility, and follow through on assignments; evaluate oneself.
• Be promptly responsive to board and alumni communications, especially requests.
• Support the decisions of the Board once made.

Directors serve two-year terms and are expected to attend four (4) board meetings annually in September, December, January, and June. In-person attendance is strongly preferred for the September and June meetings; however, attendance by video conference is permitted. Meetings alternate between the Annapolis and Santa Fe campuses. Directors are not reimbursed for travel and there is no financial compensation for serving on the Board (expenses can be claimed for tax purposes, however; check with your accountant). In addition to these three meetings, a director position is estimated to require 5 to 10 hours of service per month including the time spent as a Working Group Lead.

The Tripartite Presidency

The Presidency of the St John’s College Alumni Association (SJCAA) is divided into three parts: President-Elect, President, and Past President. As the highest offices of association leadership, these positions are critical for the management, success and continuity of the association. The presidents must ensure the association strives toward its mission and, therefore, must embody that mission, exemplifying alumni support of the association and their alma mater. Through their leadership, the presidents must strengthen the relationship between the association and college administration, staff, faculty, and the Board of Visitors and Governors (BVG).

Nominees for President-Elect are put forward by the sitting board as recommended by its nominating committee, or by alumni petition. New Presidents-Elect are chosen in a general election in which all alumni are eligible to vote. After serving as President-Elect, he or she automatically ascends to the office of President. After serving as President, he or she automatically becomes Past President of the association.

Each of the positions of the presidency consists of a two-year term, for a total of six years on the association board. The President is expected to be present and run four (4) board meetings annually: September, December, March, and June. As President-Elect, in-person attendance is expected; as Past President, it is strongly preferred, but virtual attendance is permitted. In addition to these four meetings, all positions of the presidency require participation on the Executive Committee and Nominating Committee. The President-Elect position is estimated to require 7 to 12 total hours of service per month, the President position 10 to 15 total hours of service per month, and the Past President position 5-10 total hours of service per month.

Job Description of the President-Elect

The President-Elect has the same requirements for skills and expectations as board members with additional requirements to:

• Possess knowledge of the organization and a personal commitment to its goals and objectives.
• Participate as a vital part of board leadership, to include serving on the Executive Committee.
• Select the at-large members of and serve as chair for the Nominating Committee.
• Understand the responsibilities of the President and perform these duties in the President’s absence.
• Preside at board meetings when the President is not available.
• Work with staff during the second year of his or her term to develop a strategic/operations plan for association projects and volunteers for the years of his or her Presidency (presidential planning).

Job Description of the President

The President has the same requirements for skills and expectations as board members with the additional requirements to:

• Steward the relationship between the association and college staff.
• Chair the Executive Committee and serve on the Nominating Committee.
• Serve ex officio as the association board’s working group lead to the BVG, as a full voting member, and to provide updates to the SJCAA Board on the non-confidential activities and deliberations of the BVG.
• Create and maintain a calendar of association activities and deadlines.
• Submit a quarterly report to college leadership on the work of association volunteers.
• Attend and preside at all board meetings.
• Develop board meeting agendas in consultation with the Executive Committee.
• Attend and preside at college and association meetings and events as needed.
• Supervise the affairs of the association and assure implementation of all board resolutions.
• Periodically consult with board members on their roles and help them assess their performance.
• Serve as the only official spokesperson for the association and board, requiring speaking and writing in different forums.

Job Description of the Past President

The Past President has the same requirements for skills and expectations as board
members with additional requirements to:

• Make his or her knowledge and skills gained in the organization’s highest office available to association leadership.
• Serve on both the Executive Committee and the Nominating Committee.
• Lead the Awards Committee.
• Assist the President/Directors as requested with duties and matters pertaining to the association, and being available for assistance and counsel on association business.
• Mentor incoming board members and presidents.
• May serve as a committee member on a subgroup as requested.
• Preside over award distribution at events.

Job Description of an Alumni-Elected BVG Member

In accordance with the St. John’s College Alumni Association (SJCAA) bylaws and the
charter and polity of the college, the alumni elect one member per year to serve a three-year term on the college’s Board of Visitors and Governors (BVG) in a general election open to all alumni. The following job description is provided to give information and guidance to nominees and members serving on the BVG.

It is in the interests of both the association and the BVG to have the perspective of alumni on the BVG. This does not mean that SJCAA elected members of the BVG have a duty to represent the interests of the association. Their duty is to advance what they consider to be the best interests of St. John’s College. The association and the BVG believe that the perspective of alumni is not only important in the activities and deliberations of the BVG, but also that the perspective of alumni serving on the BVG is important to the SJCAA Board. Alumni-elected members of the BVG may be requested to communicate with the SJCAA Board periodically on non-confidential activities and deliberations of the BVG. Association members elected to the BVG have all of the rights, responsibilities and privileges of any other elected members of that board. It is expected that alumni-elected members to the BVG will serve in good faith and in adherence to the standards and obligations of the BVG, which are primarily to attend meetings (normally three per year, alternating between campuses), to make personally significant annual donations, and to act as a fiduciary, giving true counsel and service to the BVG and the college.

Job Description of the Secretary

The Secretary is part of the core leadership team of the St John’s College Alumni Association (SCJAA) Board. They must possess knowledge of the organization and a personal commitment to its goals and objectives. The Secretary bears special responsibility for providing accurate, up-to-date, and readily available governance information to ensure transparency of the deliberations of the board to all alumni. The Secretary is also critical for the internal functioning of the board by facilitating communication and recordkeeping. Nominees for Secretary are put forward by the sitting board as recommended by its nominating committee, or by alumni petition. New Secretaries are elected in a general election in which all alumni are eligible to vote. The Secretary has the same requirements for skills and expectations as board
members with additional requirements to:

• Take minutes of the principal meetings, to include:
  • Executive Committee meetings by scheduled telephone call, once a month or more often if needed.
  • Four SJCAA Board meetings a year and additional scheduled conference calls as needed.
• Disseminate these minutes to the board in a timely fashion for review and as needed, approval. In the case of public board meetings, work with college staff to post minutes online after board approval and in a timely manner.
• Ensure that there are quorums at meetings.
• Participate as a vital part of board leadership, to include serving on the Executive
  Committee.
• Steward governance and compliance documents by ensuring they are posted for alumni access and filed when necessary.
• Work with college staff to implement annual elections and ensure that these are
  carried out in accordance with the By-Laws.
• Perform an annual audit of the records of the association.
• Work with college staff to ensure general association information is up to date on the college website, such as the list of board members.
• Work with college staff to ensure that online documents and access privileges are
  maintained in keeping with the current approved protocols
• Manage the Board email list and access to Google Drive folders

The Secretary serves a two-year term and is expected to attend all board meetings, which include two virtual meetings and two in-person meetings. In addition to these four meetings, the Secretary position is estimated to require 5 to 10 total hours of service per month including participation on the Executive Committee.

Job Description of the Treasurer

The Treasurer is part of the core leadership team of the St John’s College Alumni
Association (SCJAA) Board. they must have in-depth knowledge of the mission and programs of the organization as well as its financial condition. The Treasurer bears special responsibility for ensuring that the organization is financially sound and that its assets are being used effectively to meet its tax-exempt purpose. The Treasurer helps ensure that the board as a whole fulfills its fiduciary responsibilities.

Nominees for Treasurer are put forward by the sitting board as recommended by its nominating committee, or by alumni petition. New Treasurers are elected in a general election in which all alumni are eligible to vote.

The Treasure has the same requirements for skills and expectations as board
members with additional requirements to:

• Lead the Executive Committee in preparing a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year for adoption by the SJCAA Board in December, which includes both the annual stipend from the college and the endowment distribution.
• Track expenses incurred by the association for awards given at homecomings, expenses for board meetings, and grant-awards for travel.
• Maintain open and constructive communications with staff on each campus, and especially with the treasurers’ offices on each campus, since the association is funded by, first, an annual stipend received from the college and, second, a small endowment that is managed by the college.
• Participate as a vital part of board leadership, to include serving on the Executive Committee.
• Preserve the not-for-profit status of the association by supervising annual filings with the IRS and other authorities.
• Bring his or her talents to bear as necessary to advance the work of the board.

The Treasurer serves a two-year term and is expected to attend four (4) board meetings annually, which include two virtual meetings and two in-person meetings. In addition to these four meetings, the Treasurer position is estimated to require 5 to 10 total hours of service per month, including participation on the Executive Committee.

The St. John’s College Alumni Association By-Laws have been reviewed to reflect the Polity’s reduction of the number of alumni-elected BVG trustees for three to two, to eliminate the requirement of postcard notification of our elections in our By-Laws to reduce cost and waste, and to strengthen coherence and consistency within the document.

Please find below an explanation of the proposed changes. These amendments will be submitted for approval by vote at the September 14, 2025 All Alumni Meeting.

Articles I-IV (Definitions, Offices, Membership, and Meetings of Members)

• No changes suggested

Article V (Board of Directors)

Section 4, b.

• Remove 2nd paragraph, as it is a duplicate of 3rd paragraph

Section 4, c.

• Remove option for Proxy voting, to be consistent with requirements for other major decisions (e.g., voting on Amendments to the By-Laws, per Article IX, Section 3)
• Added a sentence to define “adequate notice”, consistent with the notice required for the nomination of alternate candidates in Article VIII, Section 5

Articles VI-VII (Officers and Executive Committee)

• No changes suggested

Article VIII (Elections)

Section 3

• Update the number of Alumni Elected BVG Members, to align with Polity changes approved by the BVG in 2025

Section 6

• Eliminate requirement to send written notice to those for whom the College or Association lacks an electronic address, as mailing cost of mailing these notices has become unsustainable

Section 7

• Updated to reflect that election of BVG members no longer occurs annually, per reduction in number of those representatives in the Polity

Articles IX-X (Committees and Dues)

• No changes suggested

Article XI (Amendments)

Section 1

• Update to be consistent with amendments to requirements for elections in Article VIII, 2

• Paragraph 5, sentence deleted it because as redundant of the sentence in the following paragraph 6, which states: "Each member of the Association in good standing attending the meeting shall be entitled to cast one vote for or against a proposed amendment, provided that no member of the Association may vote in the affirmative for two competing amendments."

• Paragraph 6 updated to be consistent with timing for Elections process in Article VIII, Section 6

Article XII (Notices)

• Remove “or functional equivalent” as redundant language