Our “Legacy of Leaders” series highlights just some of the many people whose dedicated work has been indispensable in getting the AADC to the precipice of this magnificent milestone. They all have established an enormous legacy of leadership that will ensure the future of our sisterhood. Let’s celebrate them!

Published on March 31, 2022

The heart and soul of any organization rests with its leaders and volunteers. Since her graduation in 1961, Isabel Goll Drzewiecki has been both for the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College. You can either find her chairing a committee or going through the wealth of memorabilia that provides enrichment to our nearly 100-year-old history.

Over nearly six decades, Isabel has shared her time and talents in a myriad of ways. Isabel has served on numerous AADC Committees, including Memorabilia, Founders Day, Bylaws Revisions and as a member and chair of the AADC Celebrates Founders Day event, the Nominating and the AADC Awards Committees. She currently serves on the Memorabilia Subcommittee of the 100th Anniversary Committee, working with other alumnae to put together a time capsule honoring our 100th milestone. They are also working on displays for the AADC 100th Anniversary Proud History to Bright Future Gala to be held on June 11. Isabel has also served as the AADC representative to the Douglass Residential College Student Awards Selection Committee, which selects deserving recipients of the awards sponsored by the AADC. She also finds time to volunteer at the AADC on a regular basis.

The latter responsibility is an outgrowth of Isabel’s commitment to preserving the history of the AADC through her dedicated work and leadership as a member of the AADC’s Memorabilia Committee. She has volunteered countless hours to the acquisition and preservation of historical artifacts, publications and personal collections that will continue to keep precious memories of the organization’s history and its impact alive far into the future. Recently, she and her alumnae colleagues Flora Buchbinder Cowen ’59 and Carol Hansmann Hamlin ’61 reviewed every alumnae bulletin and newsletter ever published by the AADC to extract milestone events from our history. The result of this extensive and invaluable work will be seen not only at the Gala but also in an exciting timeline planned for launch on our douglassalumnae.org website.

Isabel has also assisted the AADC with special data projects, a natural transition from her detailed work in her former corporate career in regulatory affairs. A chemistry major at Douglass, Isabel dealt with scientists on important pharmaceutical projects at a time when the term “STEM” didn’t even exist. Her work included positions at several pharmaceutical companies and a 23-year career at Johnson & Johnson, where she served as senior director of regulatory affairs.

She regularly attends AADC events and programs – even now, via Zoom – always sharing her warm and caring spirit. For her outstanding efforts and dedication, Isabel was honored with the AADC Alumnae Recognition Award in 2016 and was presented the AADC’s prestigious Vanguard Award in 2020. And at Reunion this year, Isabel will be presented with the Margaret T. Corwin Award, the AADC’s highest honor for service.

Isabel is a loyal and generous donor to the AADC and a member of our prestigious Mabel Smith Douglass Leadership Circle donor recognition society. In addition, she has made a gift to the AADC’s 100th Anniversary campaign. During the Campaign for Douglass, she generously established an endowment to benefit STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) students in the Bunting-Cobb Residence Hall. She also established the Isabel Goll Drzewiecki ’61 Scholarship for first-generation students studying STEM to honor the memory of her late husband, John G. Drzewiecki. In addition, Isabel took advantage of corporate matching gift opportunities to increase the benefit of her gifts.

Isabel has dedicated her time, talents and treasures to our alumnae sisterhood for nearly 60 years. She is truly a leader whose work will help ensure the history of the AADC will be accessible for future generations of alumnae.