2025 Alumni Achievement Award winners announced

During Reunion 2025, Randolph will honor three outstanding graduates with one of the College’s highest honors, the Alumni Achievement Award.

Lesley Morgan ’75, Alison Keller Townsend ’75, and Stacey Robbins Kennedy ’95 will receive the award during a special event at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 31.

Lesley Morgan ’75

Lesley C. Morgan ’75

Morgan has over four decades of experience in healthcare, academia, military service, and as a registered nurse. 

She studied biology at the College and holds several advanced degrees in nursing, including a PhD and an ARNP in pediatrics from the University of Florida, as well as an MBA from the University of Miami. 

With a diverse background spanning perioperative nursing, pediatric care, and healthcare administration, Morgan has managed high-level surgical units and directed nursing operations at major medical centers. 

She has taught and held leadership roles in nursing education, including serving as dean of the School of Nursing at Baker College and director of the RN to BSN program at Jacksonville University, where she expanded enrollment and strengthened academic integrity.

A trustee of the College and a retired captain in the Navy Reserve Nurse Corps, Morgan is also a passionate advocate for global health who has participated in numerous humanitarian medical missions with Operation Smile.

Alison Keller Townsend ’75

Alison Keller Townsend ’75

Townsend’s love for the arts was nurtured during her time within the Red Brick Wall, where she studied art history. In the years since her 1975 graduation, she has become a dedicated civic leader and philanthropist with a passion for strengthening educational institutions. 

Her first job out of college was part of an archaeological survey in Florida. From there, she moved to New York City and spent her early career in advertising and finance before turning her focus to community engagement and school fundraising while raising her three children in Rhode Island. 

A longtime supporter of the College, Townsend served on the Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2017, playing a key role in campus improvements. 

She also served on the board of School One, a private secondary school in Rhode Island for students who struggle in a more traditional classroom setting. She worked closely with the head of the school on facility upgrades, and in 2007, was chosen as volunteer of the year for her efforts to expand scholarships to the school. 

Townsend currently serves on the AMI Kids Foundation Board in Tampa, Florida. Co-founded by her father in 1970, the nonprofit’s mission is to help young people who are faced with incarceration develop skills and education to become productive adults. 

Known for her hands-on leadership, she is committed to solving the behind-the-scenes challenges that keep institutions running smoothly.

Stacey Robbins Kennedy ’95

Stacey Robbins Kennedy ’95

In her role as U.S. CEO of Philip Morris International (PMI), Kennedy blends her passion for improving public health with a leadership style driven by innovation and corporate responsibility. 

During her time at the College, she spent a summer abroad in Indonesia and her entire junior year in England. After graduating in 1995 with degrees in sociology and cultural anthropology, she earned an executive MBA from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland. 

Kennedy began her career as a territory sales manager with Philip Morris USA. 

By the time she was 32, she was the youngest vice president ever appointed at PMI. Her roles there have included managing director for Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia, and she was the first woman to lead PMI’s South and Southeast Asia region.

Kennedy assumed the position of U.S. CEO and president of the Americas in January 2023. 

She has been widely recognized for her impact, earning the 2020 One Planet Woman of the Year Award and the 2024 Impact Award from the Women’s Business Development Council of Connecticut.

Kennedy also serves on the CNBC CEO Council and Fast Company Executive Board. Her past board roles, including leadership positions with AmCham Serbia and AmCham Germany, highlight her commitment to global business and community engagement.