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Spirit of Philanthropy Award
An emotional moment unfolded as Julie Thomas (’15) helped engineer a surprise announcement by narrating a video about her mother at the luncheon: “I am so happy and honored to be here at JMU, our second home, on Mother’s Day weekend to help present the Leslie Flanary Gilliam Spirit of Philanthropy Award to my mother, Kathleen Leilani Mueller Thomas, Class of 1978.” Thomas, along with her husband, Mike (’76, ’77M), started the Dukes Pay It Forward Scholarship program. Today, more than 25 other like-minded donors have created these scholarships, which means 25 more students are receiving scholarship aid to attend JMU. As Kathy Thomas once said, “I can’t pay anyone back, but I can pay it forward.” JMU President Jonathan R. Alger and first lady Mary Ann Alger presented the award.
Based on the international dining phenomenon and a big hit at the last summit, the Madison En Blanc Dinner returned to the 2019 lineup by popular demand. Alumni, parents, and faculty and staff members celebrated at the picturesque Brix & Columns Vineyard on Friday evening prior to Saturday’s focus on personal and professional development.
Women competed, cheered, selfied and updated their knowledge of campus as they navigated landmarks and new construction during the scavenger hunt.
Kacey Neckowitz (’10, ’11M) took the role of Dolley Madison to heart during the summit, playfully and artfully portraying a woman who both fascinated and challenged her. Having stepped away from the character, she reflects on embodying Dolley in service of her alma mater.
Why Dolley Madison?
Dolley was dynamic. She is often lauded for her stellar conversational skills, her charm and her popularity in Washington, D.C., during both Jefferson’s and Madison’s presidencies. Her Wednesday evening “squeezes” allowed her to deftly use diplomacy, courtesy and authenticity to enrich political and personal relationships during the early days of our nation. She outlived every one of the Founding Fathers and was awarded a seat in Congress after President Madison died. She also experienced
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great loss, struggled with a profligate son and died destitute with her former slave, Paul Jennings, as her caregiver. Her achievements are great, as are her failures, which made investigating Dolley Madison’s life such an enriching experience.
What did you learn from impersonating her?
I am a proud JMU alumna and employee— and a big fan and supporter of Women for Madison—so when I was offered the opportunity to play Dolley Madison in a series of videos to help promote the 2019
Throughout the day, keynote speakers dispensed powerful advice and shared challenges and successes. Jamie Jones Miller (’99) spoke of how she sometimes must remind herself she belongs at the table with the nation’s top defense officials. Jennifer Killi Marshall (’01) told of her traumatic experiences with bipolar disorder and turning it into the international nonprofit This Is My Brave. Entrepreneur and former management executive Tina Fox (’94) closed the event with her keynote, “Living Your Legacy.”
summit, I immediately said yes. I didn’t know much about her, so I began reading about Mrs. Madison. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know. Being Dolley Madison made me more intentional in my interactions with people, even when I was out of costume: to think quietly and speak thoughtfully, to listen more and, maybe most important, to consider what I am doing to make my corner of the world a better place.
Was there anything particularly difficult about the role?
As I educated myself about her life, I discovered there was much to admire about her, but I also had to face the reality that she owned and sold people as slaves.
D O LLE Y PH OTO G R A PH BY J U ST I N R OT H
I was ready to embrace the role of bold, charming, welcoming Dolley, but I quickly had to figure out what to do with the uncomfortable feelings I had when I learned more of her history. The result is that it wasn’t a particularly accurate portrayal; it was more of an homage. I believe it is important to acknowledge and understand the harsh truths of our country’s past, and their impact then and now.