Five Alumni to Receive 2025 Awards from Alumni Executive Council
St. Lawrence University’s Alumni Executive Council has announced that John M. Greenwood '75, P'13, Katherine Kretow Eyre '78, and Jack '11 and Emily Tulip Droppa '09 will receive Alumni Citations for their dedication and service to the Laurentian Community, while Mary Jane Potter '75 will receive the Sol Feinstone Award for Humanitarian Service.
These honors, along with Pam S. MacBrayne ’70, receiving the Legacy Society’s 2025 Atwood ’16 and Alice Manley ’17, P’45 Achievement Award will be presented during Reunion Weekend on May 31, 2025.
Alumni Citation Recipients
Alumni Citations are awarded to graduates of the University for long-term and exemplary service to the University or for exemplary professional accomplishment or community volunteer activities.
John M. Greenwood '75, P'13
John Greenwood, or “Greeny” to those Laurentians who know him, is unwavering in his support of St. Lawrence, and is a true advocate for what his alma mater offers its students. A history major during his time in Canton, John was a member of the men’s lacrosse and wrestling teams and brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
Following his commencement, John joined Morgan Stanley and Co. in New York City, where he worked for 18 years, culminating in his appointment as a Managing Director. He would again serve as an Advisory Director for Morgan Stanley from 2000 to 2006, and then, as a Senior Advisor from 2000 to 2016. He became a partner at Dunbar Educational Consultants, where he worked from 1993 to 2013, and continues to serve on the group’s Advisory Board after his retirement.
As impressive as John’s professional resume is, it’s his personal one that stands out as a Laurentian. He’s helped countless students, many of whom were student-athletes like him, have a better appreciation and skillset for networking. He’s devoted time and energy to his local community, including as a former trustee of The Gunnery School, supporting underserved students at Squash Haven in New Haven, CT, and currently as a leader for Higher Ground, an organization devoted to help those in the military seeking college admission.
Yet, St. Lawrence is John’s foundation, and he’s always working to strengthen it. He’s served as a member of the Alumni Executive Council, a reunion committee member, a fundraising volunteer, a career mentor, and member of the Parents Committee while his daughter Kelly ’13 was on campus. Meanwhile, John is a longtime Sustaining Saint donor, supporting countless University priorities including the St. Lawrence Fund, athletics, and various capital improvements such as the squash courts, Appleton Arena, and alpine ski room.
Katherine Kretow Eyre '78
Katherine Eyre has been a leader for St. Lawrence since she arrived on campus in the fall of 1974, helping to shape generations of future students and Skating Saints. A native of New York City, she earned her Bachelor of Science in geology, and would continue her education with a Master’s from Oklahoma State University in geology with a focus on hydrogeology.
A passionate hockey player, Katherine was motivated to attend St. Lawrence because of the on-campus rink, Appleton Arena, and given its proximity to Canada. However, at the time of her arrival in Canton, there was no women’s hockey team. Katherine and her friends (and eventual teammates) changed that, along with the course of the St. Lawrence history. While Katherine and her teammates had to fight for levels of equity, from ice time to equipment, they chased their passion and sparked what is now an elite, Division I program that has been to five Frozen Fours and eliminated Penn State in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
Katherine has continued to make a difference beyond St. Lawrence both personally and professionally. She had a 35-year career as a professional geologist in Pennsylvania in hydrogeology, working at various sites across the United States to remediate groundwater that had been contaminated by industrial waste. She served as the Geology Department Director and Senior Project Manager at Arcadis US, leading project teams and expanding training and project opportunities for her team.
While now retired from her career in geology, Katherine continues to lace up her skates. She is a proud member of a team in Reno, NV and of the Truckee Mother Puckers in her adopted hometown.
Meanwhile, she also continues to engage with St. Lawrence both in the classroom and on the ice. She’s connected with the geology department, having volunteered to support students and attended two St. Lawrence University Geology Alumni Conferences (SLUGAC) with the 2025 edition to come in September. Meanwhile, she supports Coach Chris Wells and the women’s hockey players who are following in her footsteps, attending the Princeton game in New Jersey and returning every chance she can. Through her philanthropy, Katherine has also been an ardent supporter of the St. Lawrence Fund, as well as geology, women’s hockey, career programming and other key University priorities.
Jack '11 and Emily Tulip Droppa '09
Jack and Emily Tulip Droppa are premier examples of the Laurentian community leveraging their passion and talent for the betterment of their alma mater.
Emily was an Augsbury Scholar and sister of Kappa Delta Sigma at St. Lawrence, and earned her degree in psychology. Meanwhile, Jack majored in history and was a member of the Outing Club. They met at St. Lawrence and continue to share a close network of Laurentian friends with whom they have a special bond. They’ve built a life together in South Burlington, VT where they own and operate Weird Window Brewing with their daughter Alice, class of 2044, and their poodle, Citra the Brewdog.
Jack, who learned to brew beer at St. Lawrence, is highly-involved in the Vermont Brewers Association and serves on both the Government Affairs Committee and Technical and Education Committee. Emily is involved in Alice’s school and the local yoga community, with the couple partnering with nearby organizations through their brewery to support local farms, restaurants, and entrepreneurs.
In 2024, Jack and Emily partnered with St. Lawrence to offer two custom Weird Window brews, “1856 Lager” and “Scarlet & Brown Ale.” Their creativity and willingness to explore ways to feature alumni products and success were featured in that year’s edition of The 1856 Challenge, helping to raise nearly $600,000 from 2,000 donors. The brews were also featured at Senior Week, Reunion Weekend, and Laurentian Weekend.
The Droppas have kept St. Lawrence students a priority through both their time and generosity. They’ve welcomed the SLU Connect Burlington students to the brewery each year the program has run, highlighting their story and showcasing their city. As longtime Sustaining Saint donors, they’ve also supported SLU Connect through their philanthropy along with other priorities that reflect their Laurentian stories, including the KDS Alumnae Fund, the Outing Club, and the St. Lawrence Fund.
Sol Feinstone Humanitarian Award
The Feinstone Award is presented to a graduate who, through devotion of his or her resources or personal effort, has demonstrated deep commitment to the advancement of the freedom of people to pursue and attain personal, professional and economic freedom.
Mary Jane Potter '75
Mary Jane Potter is a multi-faceted innovator, having dedicated her time and energy not just to her successful career, but to those in need of both her caring nature and personal expertise. A member of St. Lawrence’s class of 1975, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in government, graduating with honors. Mary Jane would follow by earning her Master’s in International Affairs from Columbia University.
The Guilford, CT native built an impactful career as a financial executive and board director of both domestic and international financial services firms, start-up telecommunications companies, and not-for-profit organizations. Mary Jane’s banking and finance career covered many vital topics while bridging into personal passions, including private equity investing and management, corporate and correspondent banking, business planning for start-up and micro-enterprise businesses, and rudimentary financial training for women in refugee environments.
At the outset of her career, Mary Jane was an analyst of USA Congressional matters for the Embassy of Japan based in the United StateS. She held multiple roles in the international financial world, including a 16-year period at what is now JP Morgan Chase. She then transitioned AIG’s Global Investment Group, where she directed private equity investments in telecommunications companies across three continents and ran AIG’s private equity fund for Africa. Just prior to retirement, she was shareholder, partner, and chief investment officer (CIO) of a US-based boutique alternative investment management company dedicated to providing debt financing for agricultural and food processing equipment in Africa.
While Mary Jane’s career is impressive, her passion for improving the lives of others through her skillset, humanity, and faith is truly distinctive. She set up a training program for the International Rescue Committee, teaching micro-finance for illiterate women in both Somaliland and Kenya’s Kakuma Refugee Camp. More recently, she was Chair of the Board of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Health Africa USA and a member of the International Advisory Board of AMREF Health Africa. AMREF is the largest, indigenous not-for-profit, pan-African public health agency, and parent organization of the Flying Doctors of East Africa and AMREF International University (AMIU), specializing in public health education headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Mary Jane also previously served on and led multiple not-for-profit boards, including as President of the Board of Trustees of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (New York City) and as a member of the United States National Advisory Board for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
Mary Jane has managed to keep St. Lawrence a priority amidst her life of influence. She is a Sustaining Saint, a member of the University’s Legacy Society, and has previously served as a fundraising volunteer. Her support of St. Lawrence’s Engaging Africa Initiative will establish a scholarship for a student from African, and her leadership is helping to provide internships at AMREF for St. Lawrence students on the Kenya Semester Program studying public health.
