William J. Curtin '82: Heavily invested in Union
Investment strategist William Curtin '82 wants others to reap the returns from Union College that he himself has enjoyed.
“I want to leverage this superior learning environment to motivate students,” he says, “to help them grow in ways they didn't realize they could and to prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
“Union is a real community,” he stresses. “The smallness of the school gives people unique opportunities to develop personally, establish strong bonds and lifetime friendships, be involved in sports and other activities and participate in the larger college community.”
At a time when business ethics are at an ebb, this community of mentors and learners is especially important in molding well-rounded individuals with integrity, he adds.
The CEO and founder of Curtin Financial Management Inc. in Wellesley, Mass., Curtin earned his B.A. in economics at Union, an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and an M.S. in financial management from Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.
Before establishing his own firm in 1998, he worked in various senior management positions at Drexel Burnham Lambert, Shearson Lehman Hutton and Putnam Management.
In 1996, Institutional Investor honored him as the top fixed-income strategist, capping seven consecutive years on its prestigious All-American Research Team.
Like many Union graduates, Curtin finds that the College continues to engage and inspire him. He has been active in a number of alumni activities over the years, including serving as an Alumni Trustee from 1994 to 2000. His current trustee term runs through 2004.
In 1995, he established the William J. Curtin '82 Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to those most in need. He is dedicated to making Union's offerings – such as its technology program, which he calls unparalleled among other liberal arts colleges of similar size – more accessible to students.
“It's important to keep costs affordable so we don't lose the student diversity that helps to create a rounded community,” he says.
Jennifer C. Smith Turner '74: Paving the way
Poet, novelist, business executive, government leader, consultant and community volunteer – Jennifer C. Smith Turner '74 can lay claim to them all, plus one title that may be most meaningful: trailblazer.
Smith Turner was in the first class of women at Union, one of only seven African-American women on campus.
“When you're a trailblazer, you're bound to run into some weeds,” she says. “The upperclassmen were not used to having coeds on campus, and that made for interesting times.”
Smith Turner continued her pioneering ways in the insurance industry, where she built an impressive career working at the highest levels for giants like Aetna and Travelers Insurance. She also served for a time as assistant city manager of Hartford, Conn., before starting her own successful management consulting company, Smith & Associates, in West Hartford, Conn.
Smith Turner holds a B.A. in English with a minor in theater and a master's degree from Fairfield University.
“What my liberal arts education gave me that helped so much in my business career was the intellectual flexibility to move through concepts and get to the core issues, even if I didn't know the technicalities,” she says.
She has been a member of the board of the University of Connecticut, Connecticut Public Television and Radio and Hartford Stage Company and has served Union College on the Trustee Board of Advisors and as an alumni admissions representative.
The former Drama Club and Black Student Alliance member notes that Union gives young people with different backgrounds and interests a safe place to explore and grow. She was drawn to the College 30 years ago by its small size, strong liberal arts curriculum and financial aid. As Trustee, serving through 2007, she hopes to help maintain that commitment to providing scholarships.
“We don't want to end up with only the affluent being able to come to Union,” she says.
The erstwhile thespian has returned to her creative roots. She recently published Perennial Secrets, her first book of poems, and will have a book signing on campus as part of ReUnion. She is also working on a novel, No Visiting Rights, and a memoir.
“I'm coming full circle in terms of my interest in liberal arts,” she says, “so it's a good time to be involved again at Union, the place where those interests were nurtured.”