“The power belongs to the namers.”

Carolyn Conforti-Browse ’79 invoked Toni Morrison’s words, and for a minute, the room in midtown Manhattan paused as the Blair community let them sink in. Around her, alumni, students and friends of Blair gathered not just to celebrate the School’s past, but to take part in shaping what takes place next. 

Fifty-five years after Blair returned to coeducation, the School marked the milestone with the launch of the Locke Society on Saturday, April 18. Held at GH on the Park, the event brought together generations of Blair women and allies, including Maria Vinci Savettiere, Esq., P’17, Blair’s first female Board chair, for a day of reconnecting and sharing lessons as well as networks. 

Ms. Conforti-Browse, Blair’s Dean of Campus Life, director of leadership programs and a veteran English teacher of 40 years, served as the keynote speaker and framed the day around reflection and agency—the idea that defining your own experience, and helping others do the same, is a form of power. The Locke Society, in many ways, is built on that principle.

Named for Nancy Ann Locke, the wife of Blair’s founder and the namesake of one of campus’ most iconic and largest girls’ dorm, the Locke Society aims to build a network of Blair women committed to education, mentorship and philanthropy to expand opportunities for Blair female students through scholarship. It builds on the Blair’s Women’s Symposium, which has served a similar role in recent years. As Blair honors its past, the Locke Society looks to the future, creating space for female graduates of every class to connect, support and learn from one another.
The afternoon moved between practical advice and bigger conversations. In small groups, attendees discussed everything from building a professional presence, including headshots, LinkedIn profiles and résumé development, to larger themes like mentorship, leadership, and laying strong personal and professional foundations.

The conversations continued with breakout sessions and a panel of alumni whose careers span healthcare, law, business and communications. Panelists and session leaders included Nicole (Nicusanti) Tipton ’93, associate director of alumni relations at Lafayette College; Diane Haviland P’93, organizational strategist; Dr. Brita Roy ’98, MD, MPH, MHS of NYU Langone Hospital; Jenn Cable ’03, president of Thorlabs; Marisa Snee ’22, University of Richmond student and founder of Goal Side Media; Carina Davidson ’86, interim CEO at H/Advisors Abernathy; New York-based attorney Aly Drazin ’09; and Patty Gallagher Maillet ’77, P’04 ’06 ’10, founder of PGM Business Consulting. 

Carina Davidson spoke about a career that hasn’t followed a straight line, noting that twists and turns are often the norm. Other panelists reiterated the importance of adaptability, the lessons that come from failure and, above all, the value of community—the people who offer open doors and stay in your corner along the way.

Later in her remarks, Ms. Conforti-Browse returned to the idea of power, not as something fixed, but as something we define. “We need to stop chasing one view of power, start defining ourselves and connect to another,” she said. “The definitions don’t matter. The doing matters.”

By the end of the afternoon, the work that Ms. Conforti-Browse described was already happening. After 55 years of coeducation, Blair women are still showing up for one another. 

To learn more about how you can participate in the Locke Society or scholarship, please contact Emma Barnes O'Neill, Managing Director of Major Gifts and Annual Giving at @barnee@blair.edu.

For more photos of the event, please visit Blair Academy on Photoshelter, where we regularly post images.