New York, New Horizons
For over 35 years, UOAA’s New York City Chapter has been providing NYC area alumni with connections to their fellow Ducks. Carroll Calkins ’46, started New York’s first UO alumni group in 1975. The UOAA’s National Board of Directors granted official chapter status to the New York City group on May 18, 1985. The 1985 chapter slowly built its membership into the thriving chapter that lives in NYC today. Christina Echaniz, past president from 1990 to 1992 and treasurer from 1997-2010, shared that the chapter’s first events were softball games in Central Park. “We would gather as many students as we could to play, charging them a minimal fee for a drink and a sandwich. We had a Civil War game each year with OSU. There were a lot of UO and OSU students in the area, which made the games really fun.”
The newly established chapter held a series of successful events during its first ten years. One memorable event was a meet and greet with then-New York Knicks coach Stu Jackson. Jackson was part of the 1974-75 Ducks’ famed basketball team, dubbed the “Kamikaze Kids” for their enthusiastic pursuit of loose balls and relentless defense. Alumni sipped drinks and enjoyed appetizers while Stu spoke about his Kamikaze Kid days and his career. The chapter also hosted smaller events, including ice skating parties at Central Park’s Wollman Rink and New York Marathon watch parties to cheer on Ducks running the famous race.
The chapter's most notable events during this time were the Taste of Oregon events. Echaniz said A Taste of Oregon started in 1989 as a small group of alumni bringing Oregon wine and cheeses to an alumna’s home for a cocktail party fundraiser. Over the next four years, A Taste of Oregon became an annual event and the chapter’s biggest revenue generating event. Every year, the planning group convinced Oregon vendors to donate Oregon food and wine and a New York alumnus to donate a beautiful event space to hold A Taste of Oregon in. Echaniz noted, “Many members were involved in making the Taste of Oregon events possible. The money raised from this event went to fund half a dozen scholarships for incoming students.”
Carly Heims came on as president of the chapter in June 2007 and began the revival of the NYC chapter. Heims continued to plan and host Duck football and select basketball watch parties. She also organized additional events including Duck Days at Madison Square Garden and Duck Days at the Bronx Zoo. Her hard work and dedication to watch parties made the New York Chapter’s watch parties the most attended parties of all UOAA chapters, with over 100 alumni at many parties. Lisa Khan-Kapadia enthusiastically joined Heims in June 2009 as Events Chair for the chapter, taking on the task of hosting quality non-sports events for the chapter. She assisted Heims with football watch parties and built an events committee. The committee began hosting monthly happy hours in late 2009, including a well-attended Civil War Happy Hour with Oregon State University’s New York City Chapter.
The chapter experienced tremendous growth and members’ interest in connecting with area Ducks was increasing. The chapter had great potential for new networking and event opportunities and to expand the chapter’s leadership team. The new New York City Chapter Board of Directors was established in January 2010.
Today, this new board works together tirelessly to increase the variety, quality, and visibility of Oregon alumni events in New York City.
The current board has already organized two very successful events. “A Conversation on Journalism and Media in the Digital Age“ was held in March and jointly sponsored with the UO School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). The event featured Jodi Kahn, Executive Vice President of iVillage Networks, Carlos LaMadrid, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer of Women’s Day Group, and Dean Tim Gleason from SOJC as panelists giving career advice to young Ducks and offering their perspective on the new media landscape. The May Happy Hour with the UO International Affairs Office was held in May and was jointly sponsored by the UO’s International Affairs office. Tom Mills, former Associate Vice President for International Programs, spoke with Duck alumni about the impact international students and study abroad students have had on him and the UO. The board continues to host monthly happy hours, and is looking forward to hosting another amazing year of watch parties and other successful Duck-connecting events.
Please meet the new New York City Board of Directors!
Chair, Board of Directors
Lisa Khan-Kapadia ’97
As Board Chair, Lisa leads the board in developing strategies towards two primary objectives: increasing chapter membership and broadening the scope of activities offered by the chapter. She plans events such as panel discussions and happy hours that cater to alumni interests and inspire Ducks of all ages to come together. Lisa also established a chapter scholarship fund that will eventually benefit UO students seeking summer internships in New York City. Lisa graduated with a BA in Business Administration, with a concentration in Management, from the Honors College.
Lisa Says: "I love planning events, especially ones for Ducks! I am excited about the great work our board is doing now and will continue to do for NYC Ducks. I look forward to meeting you at an event soon.”
Treasurer
Kelsey Hubbard ’07
In her role as Treasurer, Kelsey works with Lisa and the University of Oregon Alumni Association to manage the chapter funds. She earned her BA in Sociology at Oregon with a minor in Business Administration. Kelsey moved to the east coast as a Teach For America corps member and is now pursuing her master's degree in Non-Profit Management. She is excited to support the NYC Ducks.
Kelsey Says: "I love my Ducks! With our growing chapter there are many opportunities to have more events and expand our programming. I hope to support these new avenues by maintaining and even increasing our funds. I look forward to the great things the NYC Ducks can achieve."
Watch Party Directors
Nancy Rhodes ’03 and Chad Parker ’01
As Watch Party Directors, Nancy and Chad ensure that alumni have a place to cheer on our Ducks in Pac-10 Sports. Football watch parties are, of course, a huge part of their responsibilities, but they are also interested in planning watch parties for other Duck sports based on Alumni interest. Nancy earned a BA in Art and a minor in Business Administration at Oregon. Since then, she's lived in Los Angeles and San Diego, and is now working as a shoe designer in New York. Chad has a BA in Journalism: Television Production from the University of Oregon and lived in Southern California before moving to New York.
Nancy Says: "Hey there Duck fans! I'm a huge Duck football fan and I'm looking forward to building on an already awesome crowd that came to all the Watch Parties last year. Go Ducks!"
Chad Says: "Born in Northern California on the hottest day of 1978 Charles Robert Parker had one clear goal in mind: to be a Watch Party Director for the University of Oregon NYC Alumni Association. Clearly he had been born on this day of French Independence by the will and spirit of Joey Harrington and Dan Foutes with greatness on his breath."
Communications Director
Cassidy Stockwell ’04
As the Communications Director, Cassidy is responsible for the communications of NYC Ducks news and events. Cassidy created the New York City Chapter’s monthly eNewsletter, which is sent to over 400 NYC Ducks each month. At Oregon she earned a BA in Journalism: Public Relations with minors in Business Administration and Communications Studies. Cassidy then spent a year in Boston and now works in Marketing for an education publishing company in New York.
Cassidy Says: "Meeting other Ducks in the city is a great experience. I facilitate that process by keeping everyone connected through email, social networking sites and written materials. I'm excited to see our chapter grow and accomplish new things!"
Past President
Carly Heims ’06
The Board would like to extend a big "Thank You" to Carly for her dedication to the NYC Ducks. While serving as President of the NYC Ducks, Carly built a strong foundation for the current chapter’s work. The new Board of Directors is excited that she continues to serve in an advisory role as Past President. Carly has a BS in Journalism: Advertising from the University of Oregon and a minor in Business Administration.
Carly Says: "As Past President, I look forward to providing any needed support, using my past experiences as a guide. I can't wait to see what this strong group of leaders can do to keep the New York UOAA chapter the most successful alumni group in the country."
If you’re in New York and interested in becoming more involved with our chapter, please email us at newyorkducks@gmail.com with the word “Volunteer” in the subject line. We’d love to have you on our team.
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