Meet Allegheny’s Alumni Council President, Carmen Ramsey Ellington ’86
Carmen Ramsey Ellington ’86 is president of the Alumni Council, the governing body of Allegheny’s Alumni Association. The Council, composed of 26 alumni and one current senior student, works to facilitate and strengthen the relationship between alumni and Allegheny’s students, faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees. The dedicated volunteer members of the Council care deeply about the College and want to help Allegheny be its very best in providing a world-class education for students, supported by the strongest alumni network in the country.
The Council recognizes that, in order to achieve this vision, they need the energy and engagement of Gators across the world who are willing to assist with recruitment, provide guidance, support, connection, internships and employment for current students, and help cultivate a lifelong connection with the College so that after students graduate, they too will be eager to help Allegheny over their lifetime. What is most important to Carmen is that you know that she, and the entire Council, serve as a conduit to the College and welcome hearing from you at any time. You can reach Carmen and the Alumni Council officers at AlumniCouncil@allegheny.edu. We hope you enjoy the brief introduction to Carmen that appears below.
Last year marked the first time that women simultaneously held Allegheny College’s top two leadership posts when Hilary Link and Mary “Missy” Feeley ’78 were named, respectively, president and chair of the Board of Trustees. Carmen Ramsey Ellington ’86 joined them on the dais this past summer when she assumed the presidency of the College’s Alumni Council. She hopes that the three of them will inspire other women — students, alumnae and friends alike — to serve in leadership roles at the College.
An English major who enjoys writing and editing, Carmen was involved with The Campus, intramural sports, and the College’s pom pom squad as a student. She was also a member of ABC, Allegheny’s Association of Black Collegians (which later became the Association for the Advancement of Black Culture), an organization that continues to play an essential role in her life. ABC is described as “a voice, space, and community within Allegheny College” organized to “promote cultural identity, pride, unity, and knowledge as well as to promote inter-racial understanding on campus and in the Meadville community.”
Carmen reported that, following a 2006 all-class reunion of former ABC members, she was quickly “adopted” by Yvonne Hobbs Allen ’72, P’99, Calvin Massie ’71, and Carrie A. Richardson Reeves ’73, leading her to active involvement in the ABC Alumni Association, including serving as president since 2015. ABC celebrated its 50th anniversary as an Allegheny organization last year and recognized Carmen with its inaugural “Preservation of Black History Award.”
Beyond the Alumni Council, which she joined in 2015, and the ABC Alumni Association, Carmen serves Allegheny as an admissions volunteer, class reunion committee member, and mentor and surrogate mom to students. Living in the greater Pittsburgh area, she frequently returned to campus to support students’ activities before COVID-19 put a temporary halt to it. “I love coming to campus,” she said. “Now I always find someone to adopt.”
Carmen is involved with Allegheny because of her deep appreciation for the quality of her education and the relationships she built as a student and alumna. She hopes to use her role on the Alumni Council to promote alumni engagement beyond class reunions and social gatherings, suggesting that a good way to start is by mentoring and coaching students. She invites readers to be in touch with the Council to learn more about its work, ask questions, and share concerns and ideas. The Council can be reached at AlumniCouncil@allegheny.edu.